Designed landscapes in Queensland, 1859-1939 : experimentation - adaptation - innovation

The conservation of historic cultural landscapes in Queensland is in its infancy. Effective conservation practice, however is based on sound historical information, and no previous study has investigated the historical development of local parks, gardens and other landscapes. The objectives of this research were to examine the factors which influenced landscape design in Queensland, to identify the forms and expressions of design derived from these influences, and to identify any distinctive aspects related to local landscape character. The timeframe chosen for this investigation was from the beginning of the separate colony of Queensland (1859) to the outbreak of World War 2 (1939). Using historical method, the research began with an exploration of published primary sources (particularly garden literature from the 1860s to 1930s) related to Queensland and other 'tropical' areas. A series of hypotheses was proposed to explain the findings, and these were tested by further analysis and data gathering. There followed a triple-layered central proposition, suggesting that: (i) in Queensland, the traditional delineation of styles to describe landscape design is of limited application because of the lack of elite professional designers and wealthy clients; (ii) there developed a discernible 'tropical landscape design character' in suitable climatic areas, which included two distinct visual aspects expressed in the landscape (the 'exotic' and the 'prosaic'); and, (iii) these design outcomes were the result of a design process of 'acclimatisation' experienced by early settlers (gardeners and designers) working in unfamiliar lands and climates, and includes the stages of experimentation, adaptation and innovation.