The Queen’s Domain and the People’s Temper: Contest for Public Natural Space in Urban Landscapes Stephenie Cahalan BA, Grad Dip Env Stud (Hons), Dip BEP School of Social Sciences Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts University of Tasmania September 2016 Declaration of Originality This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information and duly acknowledged in the thesis, and to the best of my knowledge and belief no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the thesis, nor does the thesis contain any material that infringes copyright. Statement of Ethical Conduct The research associated with this thesis abides by the international and Australian codes on human and animal experimentation, the guidelines by the Australian Government's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and the rulings of the Safety, Ethics and Institutional Biosafety Committees of the University. Statement of Authority This thesis may be made available for loan and limited copying and communication in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. 14 December, 2016 2 Table of Contents Abstract.......................................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................7 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................9 1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Locating the Debate Over Public Natural Space ......................................... 11 1.3 Defining Public Natural Space.................................................................................. 14 1.4 Research Aim and Scope .............................................................................................. 14 1.5 Literature Review................................................................................................................ 16 1.6 Methods and Approach.................................................................................................. 17 1.7 Identifying Themes through Analysis.................................................................. 19 1.8 Value of the Study............................................................................................................. 19 1.9 Thesis Structure.................................................................................................................. 20 2 Nature, Society and the Media .......................................................................... 23 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 23 2.2 Access to Nature in the 1800s.................................................................................. 23 2.3 Exporting the Parks Principal................................................................................... 26 2.4 Environment Writing ....................................................................................................... 28 2.5 Valuing Nature..................................................................................................................... 30 2.6 Human Nature...................................................................................................................... 32 2.7 Landscape................................................................................................................................ 34 2.8 Connecting Nature, Place and Public Space .................................................. 35 2.9 Place, Identity and Art.................................................................................................... 37 2.10 Getting Active for Nature .............................................................................................. 38 2.11 Claiming Space and Drawing Boundaries ....................................................... 40 2.12 Nature in the News............................................................................................................ 42 2.13 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 44 3 Public Natural Space, Crown Lands, the Queen’s Domain and the People’s Park......................................................................................................................... 46 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 46 3.2 The New Colony................................................................................................................... 46 3.3 The Crown’s Land .............................................................................................................. 47 3.4 The People’s Paddock ...................................................................................................... 48 3.5 Domain Name ....................................................................................................................... 50 3.6 The Regatta Matter............................................................................................................ 51 3.7 Inalienable Domain........................................................................................................... 52 3.8 Vanished Visitors ............................................................................................................... 52 3.9 Dirty Deeds ............................................................................................................................. 53 3.10 Loyal to the Royals............................................................................................................ 54 3.11 The Last Tiger ....................................................................................................................... 55 3.12 Loyalty to the Domain..................................................................................................... 55 3.13 Many and Varies Uses.................................................................................................... 56 3.14 The Domain in the Twentieth Century............................................................... 57 3.15 Silent Visitors........................................................................................................................ 57 3.16 The Monarch’s Gift: Port Meadow and Wolvercote Common............. 58 3.17 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 64 4 Methods and Approach.......................................................................................... 66 4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 66 4.2 The Queen’s Domain and Debate over Public Natural Space ........... 66 4.3 News Texts as Data ........................................................................................................... 67 3 4.4 Managing Newspaper Texts as Data .................................................................... 71 4.5 Historical Points of Significance as Guides..................................................... 72 4.6 Temporal Discourse Analysis .................................................................................... 73 4.7 Interviews................................................................................................................................. 76 4.8 Port Meadow and Wolvercote Common.............................................................. 76 4.9 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 77 5 Queen’s Domain in the News ............................................................................... 78 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 78 5.2 Discourse Moments: 1841 to 1900........................................................................ 78 5.3 Discourse Moments: 1901 to 1949........................................................................ 88 5.4 Discourse Moments: 1950 to 2015......................................................................100 5.5 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................114 6 Silent Visitors ............................................................................................................115 6.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................115 6.2 Mouheneener Country ..................................................................................................115 6.3 Place Without Others .....................................................................................................116 6.4 Home for the Homeless.................................................................................................118