Geographies of Land, Home and Place
Geographies of Land, Home and Place brings together our expertise in understanding the places and land systems on which we live, how we are housed and the social geographies of inclusion and belonging.
The Project will advance a new relational logic and a history that enhances the capacity of regional planning and development authorities in their future relationship with Indigenous people.
Project dates: 2021–2026
This project has advanced a new history about the relationship between railway development and Indigenous peoples. Led by Nyungar Elders on their Country in south-west Western Australia, the project tracked the development of rail infrastructure across Nyungar Country. This has revealed how rail infrastructure exploited an ancient network of Nyungar pathways; dislocated Nyungar families and communities; and disrupted the rhythms and flows of Country. But the railways were also places of vibrant connection among Nyungar families and communities, through employment and training, housing and travel.
The project was funded by the Australia Research Council, resulting in the following outputs:
- Deep Timetable: A Nyungar Rail History, by Paul Carter and published by Springer Press.
- Kura, yeye, boorda: Railway bidi, by Libby Porter, Neville Collard and Lynette Winmar, will be published by UWA Press in late 2027.
- A film called Kura, yeye, boorda: Railway bidi is being made by Glen Stasiuk of Black Russian Productions and will be released in 2027.
Additional funding provided by RMIT Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform supported the development of a web-based visualisation of the philosophy and practice of Nyungar yarning.
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