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A force for urbanism and national identity: nineteenth-century Australian international exhibitions and their domestic exhibits
Citation
Orr, K, A force for urbanism and national identity: nineteenth-century Australian international exhibitions and their domestic exhibits, Additions to architectural history: proceedings of the XIXth annual conference of the Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand (SAHANZ), 04-07 October 2002, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 1-14. ISBN 1864996471 (2002) [Refereed Conference Paper]
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Abstract
When the international exhibitions came to Australia in 1879, 1880 and
1888, exhibits of items for the home were the most popular. Exhibitions
fostered occasions for nations to construct and present images of national
character. Domestic exhibits, in particular, linked design with nationality in
a manner capable of interpretation by a wide cross-section of the
population. They provided an important interface between needs, wants
and interests of ordinary people and visions of society promoted by power
elites. Elites, interested in ideas of progress and civilisation, used
photographic images of Australian cities to represent colonial
advancement, and promoted exhibitions in Australia for their refining
values. They believed that the home, a fundamental unit of the city, was an
index of, and an agency for, civilisation and moral order.
This paper explores how exhibits gave visitors opportunities to engage with ideas about similarities and differences between peoples; national and non-national imperatives; local and non-local influences and characteristics; and perceptions of modernity and progressiveness compared to Old World traditions. Exhibits of a domestic nature provided an impetus for ideas beyond the exhibitions themselves and contributed to shaping the development of the cities of Sydney and Melbourne in the years leading to Federation.
This paper explores how exhibits gave visitors opportunities to engage with ideas about similarities and differences between peoples; national and non-national imperatives; local and non-local influences and characteristics; and perceptions of modernity and progressiveness compared to Old World traditions. Exhibits of a domestic nature provided an impetus for ideas beyond the exhibitions themselves and contributed to shaping the development of the cities of Sydney and Melbourne in the years leading to Federation.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Conference Paper |
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Keywords: | urbanism, national identity, Australian international exhibition |
Research Division: | Built Environment and Design |
Research Group: | Architecture |
Research Field: | Architectural history, theory and criticism |
Objective Division: | Culture and Society |
Objective Group: | Understanding past societies |
Objective Field: | Understanding Australia's past |
UTAS Author: | Orr, K (Professor Kirsten Orr) |
ID Code: | 107637 |
Year Published: | 2002 |
Deposited By: | Architecture |
Deposited On: | 2016-03-21 |
Last Modified: | 2016-04-13 |
Downloads: | 1 View Download Statistics |
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