Constructing the Port: External Perceptions and Intervention in the Creation of Place in Port Adelaide, South Australia
Date
2006
Authors
Rofe, M.
Oakley, S.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Geographical Research, 2006; 44(3):272-284
Statement of Responsibility
Matthew W. Rofe, Susan Oakley
Conference Name
Abstract
Port Adelaide, South Australia has been stigmatised as ‘Port Misery’ for over one hundred and fifty years. The origins of this stigmatised discourse can be traced prior to actual colonisation, having their genesis in wide political debates. This reflects the complex and contested nature of landscape, revealing that ‘Port Misery’ constitutes a powerful meta-narrative that has been projected onto Port Adelaide by powerful and often external actors. This stigmatising discourse may lie dormant for prolonged periods of time, only to be remobilised to serve specific political, social and economic objectives. Recently, the ‘Port Misery’ discourse has been remobilised to justify the redevelopment of Port Adelaide from an industrial to a post-industrial landscape.