Graduate Certificate in Health (Specialisation)

Changing Landscapes: People, place and practice

Supervised by Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick and Dr Kerry Bridle

Background

I have been a farmer on a family grazing property in Tasmania for over 30 years and during this time have developed a strong relationship with the land. My increasing intimacy with, and understanding of the land has engendered a concern for Australia’s current and future biophysical environment. As a family, we face the challenge of not only maintaining the biophysical aspects of our farm, but also the place meanings and relationships that are integral to our identity and existence.

Project details

Farms are not only biophysical environments in which farmers enact their business. They are places rich in relationships and meaning, and are inseparable from the identities of those who live there. There is an increasing recognition of the importance of Place within the farming community, made conscious by the physical changes threatening our environments and the intervention into the making of place on farms by state and federal governments through legislation and programmes aimed at managing the rural environment.

This study aims to research the phenomenon of place and investigate and document farmers’ senses of place. I will comment on the fit of the Australian government’s policy for the management of natural resources on farms, with an aim to suggesting ways for farmers and governments to work together in the creation of a sustainable future for Australia.

My research questions are:

* What is the nature of sense of place for farmers? * How does sense of place relate to the decisions and actions of farmers, and consequent landscape changes? * What other drivers for action are important and how do these play out in the landscape? Are they ‘filtered’ through sense of place? * From my findings, what are the implications of farmers’ senses of place for farming landscapes into the future?

Publications:

Dunbabin, C. & T. (2008) People and their sense of place – critical for conservation programs. In press.
Dunbabin, C. (2006) Sense of Place: Connections to the land. In: RIPRAP River and Riparian Lands Management Newsletter 30, pp 46-47
Dunbabin, C. & T. (1999) Native grasslands in Tasmania. In: Balancing Conservation and production in Grassy Landscapes, Proceedings of the Grassy Landscapes Conference, Clare SA, pp 24-27
Dunbabin, T. & C. (1992) Bangor Dunbabin, Hobart