Environmental History and the Port Phillip District

Richard Broome

Australian History revolutionary?

• ‘Revolution’ = • a) Overthrow of govt• b) Complete change• Post 1788 changes• Communal to private

property• Reciprocity to Market

economy• Radical shift-land use• ‘Collins Street’ by William

Macnight NLA ►

Why Has Frontier History Ignored the Environmental approach?

• Early histories Social Darwinist

• First Aboriginal histories - focus on violence

• New themes of Aboriginal agency emerge

• Environmental history begins, but focus on settlers

• ◄Night Attack Samuel Calvert, NLA

Land and Landscape

• Landscape as constructed [Seddon]

• As deep and mythical [Scharma]

• As a cultural place

• ‘Cultural landscapes’: constructed, changing, remembered, identity shaping

• Nature shapes culture [Rappaporte]

• An Interdependence

The Great Tradition

• Culture emerges from human interactions from the land and land-use

• An inspired imagining of creation & human relationships creates dreamings

• William Barak traditional painting, SLV▼

The Pastoral Revolution

• The Great Transformation..’ Agora no 4 2013

• Case of Robertson at ‘Wando Vale’

• Lin Onus ‘Ground Lice’ (1990)Qlzand Art Gallery►

Ideas Underpinning the Revolution in Land Use

• Dominion Over Nature – Book of Genesis

• Idea of Progress

• Neolithic prejudices- Esau and Jacob

• Nature as Unlimited

• Settler theory of value