Monday 14 July 2008

A sense of place

Hugh Mackay, author and social commentator, says in The Age that a Sense of Place is crucial to all Australians.

He argues this is fundamental to the human sense of self, sense of community, sense of mortality and sense of destiny.
  • “Connection to place is vital to our sense of identity both personal and communal. Perhaps I need only mention the Melbourne Cricket Grounds, Flemington, the SCG, the WACA or the Gabba to make the rather obvious point that urban Australia has places of almost mystical significance - places that symbolise deeply embedded cultural values and mark the location of great struggles, great triumphs, great defeats and great outpourings of human emotion.

    Some places contain our personal secrets, but places also create and capture our sense of belonging to a community: indeed, it's arguable if we can hold on to a sense of community without anchoring it to places.”

Cairns playwright and author of The Boathouse, Angela Murphy says...
  • "The Cairns Yacht Club building delivers to Cairns people this sense of place, and that is why people are so passionate about it. Passionate and inspired enough to write a play, a book, poetry and short stories so they can revel in this powerful sense of place within their community.

    To stand in a room where returned soldiers once danced, where local’s grandparents were married and where generations of sailors have shared stories is both inspiring and humbling.

    This historic waterfront building is our tangible connection to Cairns’ history as it still stands where generations of people no longer can. To destroy it would be a travesty.

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