kakadu and port arthur

562 Pages·2008·7.67 MB·English

THE
INTERPRETATION
OF
AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE
SITES:
KAKADU AND PORT ARTHUR

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Law, Business and Arts, Charles
Darwin University.

By

JUDY OPITZ (BA Hons. NTU)
DECLARATION

I declare that the work herein, now submitted as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy at the Charles Darwin University, is original and the result of my own
investigations. All references to the ideas and work of others have been specifically
acknowledged.

I certify that the work has not been submitted in any form for another degree or
diploma at any university or other institution of tertiary education.

JUDY OPITZ
April 2008
Abstract i

ABSTRACT

This thesis studies the presentation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous
archaeological/heritage sites in Australia, exploring the ideology and management
practices behind their presentation. The aim of the thesis is to critically examine, by
means of comparison, the proposition that there may be discordance in the public
understanding of the material fabric of Indigenous and settler sites in Australia.

Two sites are used as case studies: Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula
in Tasmania, and Anbangbang Rockshelter situated in Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu
National Park, Northern Territory. These sites were specifically chosen for the
dissimilarity in the approach taken to their presentation, a presentation which hinges
on the culturally based management of the site.

Port Arthur Historic Site is a well preserved penal colony which acts as a reminder of
Australia’s history from the time of European colonisation of Van Diemen’s Land in
the early nineteenth century. The changing nature of the interpretation of the
Historic Site as a tourist venture, ranging from the cessation of transportation to
present times, is considered in conjunction with the extent to which the social moods
and memories of the so-called “hated stain” have dictated past styles of presentation.

Anbangbang Rockshelter dates back some 20,000 years and contains an extensive
gallery of rock art. Although the site has been archaeologically excavated with
stone artefacts indicating the prehistoric use of the shelter, this aspect is minimised
for public presentation.

The unifying theme running through the thesis is the exploration of the culturally-
based reasons for the disparate presentations of the two sites and their changes over
time. In the case of the Indigenous site, it particularly looks at whether the
constrained style of presentation precludes or enhances a deeper understanding of the
Aboriginal heritage.
Acknowledgments ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My thanks to my first Supervisor, Doctor Clayton Fredericksen, who, until his
departure from Charles Darwin University halfway through my PhD candidature,
initiated me into the complexities and pitfalls of thesis writing. My enduring thanks
to Associate Professor Harry Allen who, by email contact from New Zealand, took
over and gently and firmly shepherded me to completion. Thanks also to Professor
David Carment for his supervision and for easing all the University administrative
problems as they occurred along the way. Grateful thanks to Professor Allan Powell
who was always ready to lend an ear to help with historical knowledge and to Doctor
David Mearns and Doctor Ian Walters who provided assistance in their own
inimitable way.

I am very grateful to the Traditional Owners of Kakadu National Park and to Terry
Bailey, Chris Haynes, Greg Miles, and all other staff members of the Bowali Visitor
Centre who unfailingly assisted in the distribution of the questionnaires and with my
many queries. Those who particularly helped were – in alphabetical order - Kathie
Bannister, Eve Chaloupka, Bob Collins, Alex Dudley, Rob Muller, Ken Mulvaney,
Jeanette Rosendahl, Kylie Websdale, Peter Wellings, and Susan Wellings.

I am also deeply grateful to Julia Clark, Sue Hood, Steven Large, Ken Lee, Greg
Jackman and all those other kind staff members at the visitor’s front counter at Port
Port Arthur Historic Site, for their assistance in countless ways. I am especially
grateful to tour guides Peter Grindle, Macca MacDonald and Wallie Pridmore who
let me trail along on their tours. My thanks to those many others, all of whom helped
to make my several stays on site very knowledge rewarding, particularly Dorothy
and Mike Evans who own and run as an Inn the Norfolk Bay Convict Station.

At the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) in Darwin, I
would particularly like to thank Pina Giuliani and George Chaloupka for their
contribution to my knowledge of rock art and I thank the many staff members who
assisted in other ways.
Acknowledgments iii

In England, I thank Chris Chippindale of the Cambridge Archaeological Museum for
his archaeological words of wisdom, and also Ann and Mike Eastham who took a
particular interest in my work.

I particularly thank my office companion, Dan Dwyer, for his keen sense of humour
and wit in getting me back on track when the going got a bit tough. And I thank Uni.
colleagues Sylvano Jung, Julie Mastin, and Patricia Puig, likewise engaged in their
thesis writing, all of whom helped to boost my confidence or listened to my moans
and groans. In various locations, my thanks to Baiba Berzins and Peter Loveday,
Peter and Sheila Forrest and Yvonne Forrest, who helped in many ways to enlighten
me on a range of tourism and historical matters.

And, of course, I could not have done it without my family in England, especially my
brother-in-law, Doctor Anthony Twist and my sister Julia Twist, who took such a
keen interest in what I was hoping to achieve, and provided support in so many ways.

Finally, I should like to thank Charles Darwin University for providing such
excellent facilities for pursuing my thesis writing in comfort and space. Costs in this
research operation were partially covered from the Internal Faculty Research Grant
allowance, and I was also helped through the assistance of an Australian
Postgraduate Award. This Scholarship commenced in January, 2001, and ran until
end December, 2002, with a three month extension granted until end March 2002,
which greatly eased the usual financial burdens.
Abbreviations iv

ABBREVIATIONS

ANCA Australian Nature Conservancy Agency

ANPWS Australian National Park Wildlife Service

NPWS National Park Wildlife Service

PAHSMA Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority

PAHSMP Port Arthur Historic Site Management Plan

TALC Tasmanian Aboriginal Land Council
Table Of Contents v

THE INTERPRETATION OF AUSTRALIAN
HERITAGE SITES:
KAKADU AND PORT ARTHUR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Abstract i
Acknowledgments ii
Abbreviations iv
Table of Contents v
List of Figures, Plates and Tables viii
List of Appendices xi

Chapter One - INTRODUCTION

1.1 Aim of the Thesis 1
1.2 Australian History and Interpretations of Heritage Sites 6
1.2.1 Heritage Management and its Problems 8
1.2.2 Cultural Heritage Management and Tourism 13
1.2.3 Interpretation 17
1.2.4 Indigenous Heritage Site Interpretation 21
1.2.5 Non-Indigenous Heritage Site Interpretation 24
1.3 Studies on Public Attitudes to Archaeology 29
1.4 Methodology 34
1.4.1 Permission for Research 34
1.4.2 Passive Observation and Research 36
1.4.3 Kakadu National Park 36
1.4.4 Port Arthur Historic Site 37
1.5 The Questionnaire 38
1.5.1 Rationale for the Questionnaire 42
1.5.2 Analysis of the Questionnaire Data 48
1.6 Structure of the Thesis 48

Chapter Two – KAKADU NATIONAL PARK: TOURISM IN
A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

2.1 Introduction 51
2.2 The Natural and Cultural Landscape of Kakadu National Park 54
2.3 European Impact 59
2.4 Archaeology and Rock Art 71
Table Of Contents vi

2.4.1 Archaeology in the Region 71
2.4.2 Function and Meaning of Rock Art 75
2.5 The Rise of Tourism in the Alligator Rivers Region 80
2.6 Mining and the Creation of Kakadu National Park 90
2.7 Kakadu as a Tourist Drawcard 96
2.8 Management Plans - Kakadu National Park 98
2.9 Aboriginal Landowners and Cultural Tourism in Kakadu
National Park 102
2.10 Conclusion 107

Chapter Three – KAKADU NATIONAL PARK: VISITOR CENTRES
AND ANBANGBANG ROCKSHELTER

3.1 Introduction 112
3.2 Bowali Visitor Centre 122
3.3 Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre 140
3.4 Anbangbang Rockshelter 145
3.4.1 Archaeology 145
3.4.2 The Site as a Visitor Attraction 148
3.4.3 On-site Interpretation 154
3.5 Expanding the Cultural Resource Concept 164
3.6 Problems of Opposition in Interpretation 167
3.7 Examining the Oppositional Problem 170
3.8 Conclusion 175

Chapter Four – PORT ARTHUR HISTORIC SITE TASMANIA

4.1 Introduction 181
4.2 Port Arthur Historic Site – The Penal Settlement (1830-1877) 184
4.3 Rise of Port Arthur as a Tourist Precinct (1877-1884) 188
4.4 Carnarvon Period (1884-1927) 190
4.5 The Reassertion of Tourism (1927-1971) 192
4.6 National Park (1971-1986) 193
4.7 Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (1987-present) 197
4.8 Changes in the Interpretation of Port Arthur 199
4.9 1996 and its Aftermath 206
4.10 Public Interest in Archaeology at Port Arthur 209
4.11 Conclusion: Port Arthur’s Layers of Meaning 211

Chapter Five – EXPERIENCING AND DEBATING PORT ARTHUR

5.1 Introduction 215
5.2 Visitor Experiences – Interpretation Gallery 216
5.3 The On-Site Experience 222
5.4 Observing the Visitor 233
5.5 Archaeology and the Public 235
Table Of Contents vii

5.6 Debates about Historic Interpretation at Port Arthur and Other Places
of Incarceration 246
5.7 Tourism of Incarceration 249
5.8 Ghost Tours and Historical Lessons 255
5.9 Conclusion: Opposing Views of Historical Presentation 260

Chapter Six – ANBANGBANG ROCKSHELTER VISITOR PERCEPTIONS
ANALYSED

6.1 Introduction 266
6.2 Problems Encountered 266
6.3 Responses to Questionnaires 269
6.4 Analysis of Main Responses to Questionnaires 278
6.5 Cross-Relational Analysis 282
6.6 Conclusion 293

Chapter Seven – PORT ARTHUR HISTORIC SITE VISITOR
PERCEPTIONS ANALYSED

7.1 Introduction 298
7.2 Problems Encountered 298
7.3 Analysis of Main Responses to Questionnaires 305
7.4 Cross Relational Analysis 309
7.5 Conclusion 318

Chapter Eight – SYNTHESISING THE ANALYSES

8.1 Introduction 320
8.2 Main Responses from Visitors to Both Sites 320
8.3 Summary of Analyses 328
8.4 Conclusion 340

Chapter Nine – DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

9.1 Recapping the Aim of the Thesis 344
9.2 Kakadu National Park and Tourism 350
9.3 Anbangbang Rockshelter 351
9.4 Port Arthur 359
9.5 Visitors at Port Arthur and Debates about its Presentation 371
9.6 Kakadu National Park and the Impact of Site Interpretation
on the Visitor 383
9.7 Port Arthur Historic Site and the Impact of Site Interpretation
on the Visitor 387
9.8 Different Approaches to Management Plans of the Two Sites 392
9.9 Postscript and the Future for Kakadu 396
Figures, Plates and Tables viii

LIST OF FIGURES

1.1 Location of Kakadu National Park 3
1.2 Location of Port Arthur Historic Site 4
2.1 Location of Kakadu National Park 52
2.2 Map Showing Archaeological Areas and Art Sites 72
2.3 Sites of Safari Ventures 81
2.4 Stages of Development – Kakadu National Park 92
3.1 Map Showing Nourlangie Rock Area 119
3.2 Video Program 125
3.3 Location of Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre 140
4.1 Map of Tasmania Showing Location of Major Penal Settlements 182
4.2 Map of Tasman Peninsula Showing East Bay Neck and Eaglehawk
Neck 184
4.3 Map Showing Location of Point Puer 186
4.4 Promotion of Visitation to Port Arthur Notice 199
4.5 Outer Cover of Tourist Map Tasmanian Tourist Council 1982 201
5.1 Copy of Both Sides of a Playing Card Issued to Visitors 219

LIST OF PLATES

3.1 Visitor Information Counter 123
3.2 Topography of the Region 123
3.3 Library/Reading Room 124
3.4 Display Rock Depicting Seasons at Kakadu 135
3.5 Telling the Story 135
3.6 Following the Snake Trail (1) 136
3.7 Following the Snake Trail (2) 136
3.8 Ceiling Display – Crocodile 137
3.9 Floor Display – Canoe 137
3.10 Floor Display – Skeleton 138
3.11 Sub-floor Display – Archaeological Finds 138
3.12 Display – European Contact (1) 139
3.13 Display – European Contact (2) 139
3.14 Rocky Stairway Leading to Shelter 148
3.15 Wooden Stairway Leading to Shelter 149
3.16 Welcome Display Sign 150
3.17 Meet Your Hosts Display Sign 151
3.18 Display Sign Showing Location of Art Sites 151
3.19 Anbangbang Shelter Display Sign What Was It Like Outside? 152
3.20 Anbangbang Shelter Display Sign History At Your Feet 152
3.21 Revisiting the Past (1) 153
3.22 Revisiting the Past (2) 153
3.23 Display Sign – Painting For A Purpose 159
3.24 Display Sign – Modern Art 159
3.25 Tour Guide Giving a Talk 160
3.26 Rock Art – Dancing Figures 160