DAWNING OF A NEW ERA
YOUR PLACE? MY PLACE? WHAT IS PLACE? Attachment, meanings and associations can help encourage familiarity, sanctuary and comfort for residents in an aged care centre. Amaroo Village, Western Australia.
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eople are becoming more aware of the concept of ‘place’ and the position it holds in the human psyche right from a young age. Place means different things to different people due to their experiences, associations and memories. Today, the Australian high school curriculum explores place amongst its concepts for geographical understanding to explain it as parts of Earth which have meaning. Places vary in size, location, features, environmental and human characteristics but the common thread is the importance of place to provide “ … security, identity, sense of belonging … services and facilities needed to support and enhance our lives” . Examining Indigenous, colonial and migrant heritage throughout Australia enabled Clark and Johnson to identify three themes when exploring people’s connection to place The first is landscape connecting tangible (geography of places) and intangible (meanings, memories, traditions, social practices) values.
The second is recognising that memories are not always from the distant past, passed on and shaped by each generation. Recent places too, can fall within community, personal and familial memories. The third is respecting connections in place management by working with people to understand their attachment, meanings and associations. To attempt to illustrate place is complex as there are different examples of varying degrees with roots in different disciplines such as geography, philosophy, architecture and ecology. You have people who were born, bred, married and died in the same area or lived in the same family house for generations as they strongly identified with the land, home and memories. You have people who travel the world but have that undeniable pull to keep returning to their base. You have First People with strong ties to certain land areas and associated folklore or traditions which have been passed down over generations. Continued on page 50
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