Avenues of honour in Victoria

Abstract

The cultural landscape of Australia has received less attention than the natural landscape and it is also poses some difficult assessment and evaluation problems for the Australian Heritage Commission. It is my intention to document and analyse the Avenues of Honour of World War One and Two as examples of a form of landscape modification which was embraced by many communities throughout Australia, especially in Victoria.

Section 2 establishes that 'landscape' is much more than scenery and ecology and that people are central to an understanding of the landscape. The methodologies of J.B. Jackson, W. Hoskins, D. Meinig, M. Samuels and D. Cosgrove are discussed and critically evaluated in terms of their contribution to an understanding of the cultural landscape and of their relevance to an appreciation of Avenues of Honour.

Section 3 is a detailed documentation of Avenues of Honour. Using the documentation and the case studies of Ballarat and Mt Macedon the distribution patterns of Avenues of Honour are analysed. The diffusion theories of cultural geographers and the work of Australian historical geographers form the basis of the analysis.

Section 4 discusses and establishes the significance of Avenues of Honour as examples of Australian cultural landscapes. To do this a type profile is developed and it becomes the basis for the comparison and assessment of empirical reality. The type profile is developed by applying Weber's theory of the 'ideal type' and refining it through an iterative process using the Delphi technique.

The final section raises some of the unanswered question in this thesis and makes recommendations for future directions in researching Avenues of Honour.