A narrative to support the future of the Australian Outback
B. J. Traill A C and Mark Stafford-Smith BA Pew Charitable Trusts, GPO Box 1544, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia.
B CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: wilderness@hotkey.net.au
The Rangeland Journal 42(5) 243-246 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ20040
Submitted: 18 May 2020 Accepted: 18 August 2020 Published: 25 September 2020
Journal Compilation © Australian Rangeland Society 2020 Open Access CC BY-NC
Abstract
Stories matter: as powerful frames for policy and public understanding, but the current narratives about Outback Australia are both confused and often negative. We illustrate this power of stories, including how deliberate framing and story-telling to create a better narrative on some rangeland issues has had positive policy outcomes. Moving to a more intuitive name is one key issue – we suggest that talking of the ‘Modern Outback’ is a powerful change in this regard. We then draw on discussions to provide a set of guiding principles for how to frame writings about the Outback, and give an example of their use.
Additional keywords: drylands, guidance, mental models, modern dreaming, rangelands.
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