Melbourne Polytechnic Research Repository
Welcome to the Melbourne Polytechnic Research Repository.
The Research Repository is administered by the Melbourne Polytechnic Library.
It aims to collect, preserve and make freely available the applied research and scholarship of the staff and students of Melbourne Polytechnic. It is an open access digital collection.
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Recent Submissions
Impacts of capital investment in tourism infrastructure: the case of the fortress of Kuelap, Peru
(CABI Digital Library, 2024) Rivas Medina, Cecilia; Cherro Osorio, Sandra
Located in the north of Peru, the Archaeological Complex of Kuélap – an ancient fortress nestled in the cloud forest – is considered a significant cultural resource representative of one of the country’s most important pre-Inca cultures: the Chachapoyas. While being a main destination on the north-eastern tourism circuit, this site required considerable development in order to attract tourism to the area. This case study investigates the relationship between capital investment in tourism infrastructure and improvements to tourism services. A combination of public and private partnerships allowed for the improvement of accessibility and tourism information facilities. The implementation of a cable car system to the fortress, the first of its kind in the country, has significantly reduced the trip distance from 2 h of hiking down to 20 min. The inclusion of signposting, infography and resting areas has also contributed to tourism satisfaction. Furthermore, through the development of community-based products and services, the local population is expected to benefit from the increase in visitation. As a result of these developments, tourist numbers showed a positive increase, contributing to the local economy. This case study examines current impacts and provides an analysis of other factors related to the management of heritage sites and their implications in the long term.
Not all fun and games: the case of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games
(CABI Digital Library, 2023) Delevska, Ana; Cherro Osorio, Sandra; Nguyen, Van K
In April 2022, the Australian state of Victoria was confirmed to be the host of the Commonwealth Games 2026. The proposal placed a strategic emphasis on leveraging legacy to benefit local communities, particularly through the provision of affordable and social housing and sporting facilities in regional Victoria. The Games were to take place across five regional cities to showcase Victoria globally, while generating economic growth for the regional economies, creating local jobs and boosting inclusion and participation of regional communities. However, in July 2023, the Premier of Victoria announced the cancellation of the Games, primarily justified by the increase in the initial cost of running the event. This conceptual case study provides an analysis of the factors that influenced the cancellation and identifies several significant challenges that contributed to that outcome, including lack of infrastructure, logistical complexities, and budgetary constraints, as well as the intricate dynamics among these aspects. It also discusses the potential opportunities and challenges for the state of Victoria and its brand as a host of sporting events.
Traces of Incipient Aboriginal Urbanism in South-Eastern Australia: Paper presented at 15th Australasian Urban History / Planning History Conference, Launceston, 5-7 February 2020
(Not published, 2020-02-06) Hogg, Peter T. M.
Conference paper: Traces of Incipient Aboriginal Urbanism in South-Eastern Australia (2020). Paper presented at Edge Conditions: Invented Peripheries, Hidden Centres, 15th Australasian Urban History / Planning History Conference, University of Tasmania, Launceston, 6 February 2020
Permanence, Transience and Transformation in Traditional Aboriginal Dwellings in Southeastern Australia
(Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 2023-12-01) Hogg, Peter T. M.
This paper discusses the historical and archaeological evidence of permanent First Nations dwellings and shelters and settlements in South East Australia, as well as the evidence for the use of temporary and transient shelters. It makes the case that western notions of permanence need to be reconsidered in the context of the Indigenous building tradition. It argues that permanent settlements and habitations were mostly found in specific areas and may not have been used by all First Nations people in the study area. Where permanent dwellings did exist in pre-colonial times, they were largely abandoned in favour of more temporary shelters as colonists and pastoralists appropriated the most favorable locations and drove First Nation people from Country.
A Culture of Remembrance
(Arena Quarterly, 2023-09-14) Pohl, Andreas
"Culture of Remembrance ?" explores whether the approach taken by Germany to remember the crimes of National Socialist rule might be applicable to honouring the memory of colonial and post-colonial injustices against First Nations people. The text is informed by the author's personal knowledge of Germany’s culture of remembrance and his experiences of the public discourse on indigenous history as a migrant to Australia. It also explicitly refers to the work of Jewish-American philosopher Susan Neiman who in her book "Learning from the Germans: Confronting Race and the Memory of Evil" examines similar issues in the context of the American legacy of slavery and the Civil War.
The essay argues that a genuine culture of remembrance would primarily be an act of self-reflection by non-indigenous Australians which puts the onus on the descendants of the perpetrators and places the descendants of the victims into the role of arbiter, advising on whether what is proposed is right or appropriate. Woven into both the political and everyday culture it would be a symbolic acknowledgement of the attempted genocide of First Nations people through what Neiman calls ‘rites of repentance’.
The essay concludes that if the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a generous invitation by First Nations people to build a better future together through the Voice, Treaty and Truth-Telling, a meaningful culture of remembrance could well be the reciprocal offer by white Australia to acknowledge and confront Australia's genocidal past.