Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
That the supplement attempted to link the scenic attractions of the area with tourism is
hardly surprising. Australia was then in the grips of a depression and linking preservation
with positive economic benefits was a logical ploy. However, it is also interesting to note
that in 1934 the NPPAC argued that the sandstone country of the Blue Mountains 'is
potentially desert land', thereby reinforcing the 'worthless' lands concept of wilderness
(see Chapter 7). Dunphy (1979a: 30) himself noted that 'the great Blue Mountains barrier
region providentially was rugged and unproductive in general'. Yet the NPPAC also put
forward in 1934 some positive values of wilderness, noting the necessity of providing for
wilderness within regional planning in order to prevent stream erosion and land
degradation. Otherwise, 'a rocky, useless and repulsive region unsuitable for either
forestry, water conservation, residential, recreation, stock-raising, or other useful
purposes will be created'. Despite the appeal to the values of 'progressive' conservation
the main thrust of the supplement undoubtedly relied on the aesthetic, spiritual and
healing aspects of recreational experiences with nature and the outdoors.
Some 6000 of the NPPAC supplements were produced in 1934, half being distributed
in the Blue Mountains region and half in Sydney (Dunphy 1979b:60). However, despite
the high quality of the supplement no action was taken on the park proposal until 25
September 1959, when the Blue Mountains National Park of 62,000 ha. in the central
Blue Mountains was gazetted. The area is now part of the Blue Mountains World
Heritage area.
Despite some success for Dunphy and the NPPAC in having primitive areas reserved
for wilderness recreation, the outlook of the New South Wales state government towards
land use was still dominated by utilitarian need. Perhaps this is not surprising given the
demands of the depression and the Second World War. Nevertheless, it was in the
interwar period when walking clubs flourished that the first tentative steps towards nature
conservation in Australia were made. However, the greatest demands for nature
conservation and the preservation of wilderness were isolated to the more populous states
of Victoria and New South Wales (Bardwell 1974). Perhaps serving as an indication of
the importance of urbanisation for the development of outdoor recreation.
National parks during this period were generally perceived by state governments as
'revenueproducing tourist resorts in scenic surroundings' (Bardwell 1982:5) rather than
as areas of scientific importance or wilderness recreation. For instance, in 1926 a request
for the protection of flora as well as fauna within national parks was rejected by the West
Australian Department of Lands and Survey, 'for the primary inducement for people to
go to the reserves…is to gather the wildflowers with the object of adorning their homes
and taking part in the wildflower shows' (Under Secretary to Minister of Lands and
Surveys, Lands and Surveys Department (Western Australia), File No. 13479/98, 19
October 1926, in C.M.Hall 1992a). A far cry from the motto of the Sydney Bush
Walkers: 'The bushland was here before you; leave it after you' (Dunphy 1979b: 60).
Therefore, to understand how specific activities are shaped by fashions, culture, societal
changes, economic transformations and the rise of new technology (e.g. the multimedia
home-based entertainment systems associated with television), and the role of factors
constraining, facilitating and the trends associated with leisure, attention now turns to:
how demand is measured, the problems it raises for geographers and the ways it can be
