'Whose City/Whose Fremantle?' Reconceptualising Space for an Open Politics of Place
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Faculty of Humanities School of Social Sciences and Asian Languages ‘Whose City/Whose Fremantle?’ Reconceptualising Space for an Open Politics of Place Shaphan Leon Cox This thesis is presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Curtin University October 2012 Declaration To the best of my knowledge and belief this thesis contains no material previously published by any other person except where due acknowledgment has been made. This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. Signature: …………………………………………. Date: ………………………... ii Abstract The notion of space being eroded by time underpins the dominant formulations of globalisation premised on time-space compression. The consequences have included the announcement of the ‘end of geography’. More recently, a spatial turn has repositioned the concept of space at the forefront of Human Geography. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the ongoing theoretical reconceptualisation of space with an empirical study of the contested port city of Fremantle. Set within the broader metropolitan area of Western Australia’s capital city, Perth, Fremantle is simultaneously constructed by local and external actors as a ‘city under threat’ and as a ‘city in decline’. It is the dominant port city of Western Australia and differs in many ways, historically, physically, culturally and economically from its modern, suburban surrounds. Using the question ‘whose city’ in my interactions and observations within Fremantle, I began to see contestations for space emerging. This thesis explores four controversies pertinent to the ongoing battles to define (the meaning of spaces within) Fremantle. The forces of change impacting on Fremantle include de-industrialisation, gentrification, urban entrepreneurialism and heritage construction; however these challenges have served as contingencies which have enabled the opening up of these controversies to other voices. My participant observations, overlayed with a discourse analysis of content from the local Fremantle Herald newspaper across the decade 2000 to 2010, have allowed me to critically engage with these local political controversies. What I found is that, if space is reconceptualised not as a fixed surface but as relational, contested and always in process, then no one group or individual can ever truly claim ownership of or an identity for Fremantle. Consequently what is at issue are the local terms by which competing groups and individuals stake their claims to the ownership or the meaning of the city. Drawing on the work of Doreen Massey, Nigel Thrift and Matthew Rofe, this thesis aims to contribute to the ongoing reconceptualisation of space occurring in contemporary post structuralist scholarship. iii Acknowledgements The great Czech distance runner, Emil Zatopek, once said: ‘If you want a challenge, run one hundred metres. If you want to experience life, run a marathon’. Accepting the challenge of a PhD, in my experience, has been much like the marathon, an unfolding story, full of twists and turns and wrestling with doubts over whether I would indeed make it to the finish line. Thankfully, I have had many people who have supported me faithfully along the way and I wish to thank them here. Firstly, my supervisor Roy Jones has been a constant rock of support. Roy has shown incredible patience and trust in me and most importantly given me the time and space to develop my ideas and even more time and space to translate these ideas into writing. My PhD has been a maturing process and I have also benefited significantly from the opportunity and backing Roy has given me to teach in the School of Social Sciences at Curtin University while he took on a number of rolling contracts as the Dean of Research and Graduate studies, before assuming the position permanently. Teaching Human Geography has become a passion of mine, and my time spent teaching at Curtin University and Notre Dame University has helped to influence the end product of this thesis. Most of all I have to acknowledge Roy for his amazing ability to edit large quantities of work and turn them around in no time at all. Secondly, I want to thank my co-supervisor Philip Moore who has been that re- affirming voice throughout. Philip, I thank you for pushing me further with my ideas and learning. I have no doubt that your insights will continue to dawn on me long after my PhD is completed. The advice I enjoyed the most however, was whenever you would see me having coffee with my friends, in good humour you would say, ‘this is where the real learning happens’, and indeed this has proven to be true. I have been fortunate enough to meet some great friends and peers in my time as a PhD student and benefited from the lively conversations. I would like to thank Sandi Nasr, Thor Kerr, Liam Lynch, Helen Fordham and many others who have influenced my critical thinking and made this experience such an incredible privilege. iv The months I spent tucked away, reading through newspapers in the local history section of the Fremantle library and watching the scene outside in Kings Square, was another enjoyable part of my PhD experience. I would particularly like to thank the library staff in the Local History section of the Fremantle library for their help during that time. Finally, the experience of life. I started this journey with one of my biggest supporters, my grandpa, Norman Corker, who sadly passed away in June 2011, but whose encouragement has instilled in me the determination to make it to the end. I finish with the addition of an amazing support, my wife Blaire, who has only ever known me as a PhD student. Thank you Blaire, for your kindness, patience and understanding, particularly over the past 12 months and I am looking forward to life after the PhD with you and welcoming our new addition into this world. To my immediate family, my mum and dad, my sisters Micah and Hannah and my brother Jonathan, thank you for your love, and may we never have to go to another extended family ‘get-together’ where I am asked the dreaded question, ‘have you finished your PhD?’. I would also like to acknowledge my cousin Christopher Mayes, who has recently completed his PhD, thank you for your willingness to proof read a chapter for me. Lastly, I need to say a special thank you to my mum who has sent text messages every Monday morning for the past few years with wise and encouraging words and particularly in the final few weeks. Thank you mum, I could not have done it without you. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... IV TABLE OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... X 1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 ‘WHOSE CITY?’ – FREMANTLE ................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 The Field: What is at issue in Fremantle?......................................................................... 2 1.1.2 The Perth to Fremantle Train Ride ................................................................................... 4 1.1.3 A pictorial version of the Perth to Fremantle Train Ride ................................................... 6 1.2 PROPOSAL ............................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.1 Research Questions........................................................................................................ 10 1.2.2 The Gap ......................................................................................................................... 12 1.3 THESIS ORGANISATION .......................................................................................................... 13 1.3.1 Chapter 2: Theoretical, Conceptual and local perspectives ............................................. 13 1.3.2 Background and Methods ............................................................................................... 14 1.3.3 Case Studies .................................................................................................................. 16 1.3.4 West End ....................................................................................................................... 17 1.3.5 Victoria Quay ................................................................................................................ 17 1.3.6 The Wool Stores in Fremantle’s East End ....................................................................... 18 1.3.7 Kings Square ................................................................................................................. 18 1.4 CHALLENGE .......................................................................................................................... 19 2.0 CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUALISING SPACE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ‘WHOSE CITY?’: THEORETICAL, CONCEPTUAL AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVES .......................... 21 2.1 INTRODUCTION: ..................................................................................................................... 21 2.1.1 The Question – ‘Whose City’? .......................................................................................