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Blue Lagoons and Coconut Palms: The Creation of a Tropical Idyll in Australia
Citation
Pocock, CA, Blue Lagoons and Coconut Palms: The Creation of a Tropical Idyll in Australia, Australian Journal of Anthropology, 16, (3) pp. 335-349. ISSN 1035-8811 (2005) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.1111/j.1835-9310.2005.tb00315.x
Abstract
The Great Barrier Reef is regarded as an 'Australian icon'. It is an internationally recognised World Heritage site managed for its 'natural' values. However, it is a location where visitors rarely enjoy Australian landscapes. This paper contrasts the sensuous engagement of past visitors with contemporary tourist experiences. Analysis of historic and contemporary visual and written materials suggests that tourist landscapes of the Reef have been transformed significantly during the 20th century. In particular, experiences of Reef islands characterised by Australian bush have been displaced by those of a generic Pacific location. The coconut palm, as a symbol of earthly paradise, has played an important role in realising both an imagined landscape and the physical transformation of tourist locations. Whereas the tourism industry is often regarded as responsible for the promulgation of such generic images, this study suggests that they are the product of a shared imagination to which both the tourism industry and tourists subscribe.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Research Division: | Human Society |
Research Group: | Anthropology |
Research Field: | Social and cultural anthropology |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Other environmental management |
Objective Field: | Other environmental management not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Pocock, CA (Dr Celmara Pocock) |
ID Code: | 38037 |
Year Published: | 2005 |
Deposited By: | Management |
Deposited On: | 2005-08-01 |
Last Modified: | 2006-04-21 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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