Sustainable development of Aboriginal-owned small to medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in the Bundjalung Nation. This project will identify the factors that facilitate the sustainable development of Aboriginal owned small to medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in the Bundjalung Nation. Barriers preventing the sustainability of businesses will also be identified. There currently is a paucity of data and, therefore a poor level of knowledge, about the factors that contribute to the successful oper ....Sustainable development of Aboriginal-owned small to medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in the Bundjalung Nation. This project will identify the factors that facilitate the sustainable development of Aboriginal owned small to medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in the Bundjalung Nation. Barriers preventing the sustainability of businesses will also be identified. There currently is a paucity of data and, therefore a poor level of knowledge, about the factors that contribute to the successful operations of SMTEs. Consequently, there has been a high failure rate of Aboriginal tourism enterprises. This project will help overcome the failure rates amongst Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal SMTEs by increasing the expertise available to Aboriginal SMTEs.Read moreRead less
Reinventing rural places? The extent and impact of festivals as regeneration strategies. This research addresses the important problem of rural decline in Australia. The project will make available new knowledge on innovation in rural places. Benefits will accrue to specific communities from insights on the possibilities and limitations of renewal through festivals. Tourism promoters and regional development policy makers will be able to make use of the online database of rural festivals. Nation ....Reinventing rural places? The extent and impact of festivals as regeneration strategies. This research addresses the important problem of rural decline in Australia. The project will make available new knowledge on innovation in rural places. Benefits will accrue to specific communities from insights on the possibilities and limitations of renewal through festivals. Tourism promoters and regional development policy makers will be able to make use of the online database of rural festivals. National benefits include greater understanding of the significance of festivals. Research will empower rural communities and advance theory on rural restructuring, post-productivism and the reciprocal relationship between place and identities. In these ways, the project seeks to strengthen the social and economic fabric of rural Australia. Read moreRead less
Touring the past: tourism and history in Australia 1850-2010. This project contributes to understanding our region and the world by investigating how Australia's past has attracted tourists historically. It analyses not only the ways Australians have popularly understood their own past, but how that past has been interpreted to the world. Given tourism's traditional focus has been nature rather than culture in Australia, it has often put pressures on a fragile environment. Cultural tourism is de ....Touring the past: tourism and history in Australia 1850-2010. This project contributes to understanding our region and the world by investigating how Australia's past has attracted tourists historically. It analyses not only the ways Australians have popularly understood their own past, but how that past has been interpreted to the world. Given tourism's traditional focus has been nature rather than culture in Australia, it has often put pressures on a fragile environment. Cultural tourism is developing as a major industry in Australia, destined to be even more significant in the future. History tourism is of particular benefit to rural communities, often under stress from economic and environmental pressures, and contributes to healthy active leisure.Read moreRead less
Backpacker cultures, residential communities, and the construction of tourist spaces and landscapes: A regional study of changing tourism dynamics in Sydney. This interdisciplinary project draws on Cultural Studies, Cultural Geography, and Tourism to respond to industry calls for more comprehensive, long-term research on tourism issues, particularly backpacker tourism in the Sydney metropolitan region. The project will explore tourism as a complex cultural practice through an innovative approach ....Backpacker cultures, residential communities, and the construction of tourist spaces and landscapes: A regional study of changing tourism dynamics in Sydney. This interdisciplinary project draws on Cultural Studies, Cultural Geography, and Tourism to respond to industry calls for more comprehensive, long-term research on tourism issues, particularly backpacker tourism in the Sydney metropolitan region. The project will explore tourism as a complex cultural practice through an innovative approach investigating the links between backpacker tourism and the transformation of places and communities. The focus is on backpackers, with a special emphasis on the problems Local Government faces in relation to backpackers within residential communities. The project will generate new approaches to these issues, informing a range of policies for local councils.Read moreRead less
Rethinking social intolerance: lessons from the suspension of homophobia at public gay and lesbian celebrations. This project will contribute to the understanding of intolerance via the lessons drawn from an analysis of homophobia at public gay and lesbian celebrations. It will take advantage of these events as exceptional social windows that appear to be characterised by a suspension of overt intolerance. The study innovatively reverses the usual analysis of intolerance and hostility as a socia ....Rethinking social intolerance: lessons from the suspension of homophobia at public gay and lesbian celebrations. This project will contribute to the understanding of intolerance via the lessons drawn from an analysis of homophobia at public gay and lesbian celebrations. It will take advantage of these events as exceptional social windows that appear to be characterised by a suspension of overt intolerance. The study innovatively reverses the usual analysis of intolerance and hostility as a social presence. It will analyse situational elements and ways of understanding sexuality that structure mainstream views of these events as pleasurable activities for all participants. It will advance knowledge of homophobia and intolerance in Australian society as contradictory and shifting phenomena.Read moreRead less
A cultural history of Australian motor travel overseas. This project will add to our understanding of Australians' changing perceptions of the world, the way that Australian identity has been performed when overseas and the practice of motor touring.
It will be of direct benefit to the tourist industry and in contributing to our knowledge of Australia's relationship to the world and our region.
The Cambrian Population Explosion of Arthropods in Australia: Ediacaran origins, evolution and biodiversity. This project addresses key questions on the origin and diversification of life, by investigating the evolution of the most important fossil group (arthropods) across arguably the most important event after the origin of life (the Cambrian explosion of macroscopic life). It will also excavate, promote and conserve two key geological resources of national importance, in the Flinders Ranges ....The Cambrian Population Explosion of Arthropods in Australia: Ediacaran origins, evolution and biodiversity. This project addresses key questions on the origin and diversification of life, by investigating the evolution of the most important fossil group (arthropods) across arguably the most important event after the origin of life (the Cambrian explosion of macroscopic life). It will also excavate, promote and conserve two key geological resources of national importance, in the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island. Also, it will lead to increased knowledge of the palaeoecology and geology of the economically-important Adelaide geosyncline, and benefit rural SA communities through ecotourism, a rural schools education program, and public outreach.Read moreRead less
The role of community connectedness in retaining skilled migrant women in Australia. Australia faces a severe skills shortage in areas central to its social fabric and that are traditionally dominated by women: nursing, childcare and teaching. While we are successful in attracting skilled migrants to fill these gaps, one third choose to leave Australia within 5 years. This is a very unfavourable outcome in view of the continuing skills shortage and the unrecoverable costs associated with attract ....The role of community connectedness in retaining skilled migrant women in Australia. Australia faces a severe skills shortage in areas central to its social fabric and that are traditionally dominated by women: nursing, childcare and teaching. While we are successful in attracting skilled migrants to fill these gaps, one third choose to leave Australia within 5 years. This is a very unfavourable outcome in view of the continuing skills shortage and the unrecoverable costs associated with attracting skilled migrants. The project will gain insight into factors that influence the retention rates of skilled female migrants and, in doing so, enable government agencies to develop targeted retention measures.Read moreRead less
Grounded Cosmopolitanism and Branded Cities: Australia, Europe and Asia. This project builds on contemporary debates in the social sciences and humanities to forge a new understanding of city identity and the experience of urban residency in key global regions, Australia and Asia, and Europe. It will explore the ways in which regional assumptions can be tested in other locations, against other ecologies of residence, and within other trajectories of theoretical design. It will foster excellent n ....Grounded Cosmopolitanism and Branded Cities: Australia, Europe and Asia. This project builds on contemporary debates in the social sciences and humanities to forge a new understanding of city identity and the experience of urban residency in key global regions, Australia and Asia, and Europe. It will explore the ways in which regional assumptions can be tested in other locations, against other ecologies of residence, and within other trajectories of theoretical design. It will foster excellent new Australian researchers in order to develop postdoctoral research, extending Australian potential for international and regional research leadership.Read moreRead less
Cosmopolitan Heritage in a Multicultural Society: Ethnic Communities and the Built Environment in Australian Cities and Regional and Rural Areas. This project investigates the historical and contemporary contribution of minority ethnic communities to the built environment of Australian cities and towns. This is significant because this story of the impact of minority ethnic communities on the built environment has been ignored in the Australian immigration debate. The focus is on regional and ru ....Cosmopolitan Heritage in a Multicultural Society: Ethnic Communities and the Built Environment in Australian Cities and Regional and Rural Areas. This project investigates the historical and contemporary contribution of minority ethnic communities to the built environment of Australian cities and towns. This is significant because this story of the impact of minority ethnic communities on the built environment has been ignored in the Australian immigration debate. The focus is on regional and rural areas as well as cities. Expected outcomes include: a stocktake of ethnic heritage; an insight into social aspects of the built environment; an understanding of how ethnic heritage relates to community relations; and an investigation into ethnic precincts and the links between ethnic heritage and increased tourism.Read moreRead less