Rendering the invisible visible: a self-drive Indigenous heritage trail in South West Queensland

Abstract

This presentation draws on research associated with the development of a self-drive Aboriginal heritage tourism trail in southwest Queensland. Initiated by local Aboriginal people the project is centred on storytelling associated with six small interconnected towns. The project is a mechanism through which neglected, ignored or marginalised Aboriginal histories are told to a broader public. Through the process of Aboriginal people sharing stories with each other, the researchers and an imagined public, these communities perform their histories, reclaim visibility and reinscribe themselves in the landscape.

Presenter

Associate Professor Celmara Pocock, University of Southern Queensland.

Celmara Pocock is Associate Professor in Anthropology and Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research focus is primarily in the area of heritage studies, and current projects include an ARC Discovery project on the potential benefits of world heritage listing for Indigenous people; agricultural communities; emotion in heritage interpretation, and the impacts of ecotourism. Celmara has previously held senior positions in the Australian heritage and museum sectors.