Vestiges of Colonialism: Manifestations of the Culture-Nature Divide in Australian Heritage Management

This chapter looks into how culture/nature divide became the filter for many aspects of ethnological, anthropological, and archaeological enquiry throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In relatively raw settler societies, in particular, this dichotomy had important ramifications, first for the conservation movement, and second for the subsequent shift to the recognition and management of cultural heritage. This chapter explores the history of cultural heritage management establishments in Australia implanted in the multifaceted interactions between indigenous people residing in Australia and a European colonial system. Conflicts between different notions of indigenous settlers and locals regarding heritage is also a main concern of the chapter.