Studio 1

The King is Dead: De-Colonising the Kings Domain

Jillian Walliss

Studio Description

Kings Domain is clogged with imperial monuments, statues of civic leaders, celebratory plaques and war commemorations, offering a sanitised, largely fictional history of colonial occupation. One of the most imposing monuments is a statue of George V, ruler of empire…today it serves as a perpetual reminder of who we once were, and who many continue to regard themselves, despite periodic rumblings of republicanism.
Tony Birch (2018) ‘Rise from this grave’ Overland,

Promises of a renewed commitment to Indigenous Australia following the failed Voice Referendum have quickly faded into the background as politicians focus on new priorities such as cost of living and immigration. Yet again the complex legacy of colonisation continues unabated. Drawing on the power of design speculation, this studio focuses on Melbourne’s King’s Domain as a site for exploring a future beyond this continuing political inertia.

Guided by knowledge gained by interacting with Camp Sovereignty (an Indigenous site of occupation within the King’s Domain), the studio begins with a focus on understanding the contemporary and historical Indigenous significance of this place. Allowing for differing levels of optimism, students are then challenged to speculate on a time frame for Australia’s declaration as a Republic. This future date will influence the exploration of new landscape potentials for a de-colonised Kings Domain. Everything is up for grabs -just as it was when the European colonisers came to Naarm. But this time the shoe is on the other foot.

Studio Leader

Jillian Walliss is an Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture. Her work explores the relationship of theory, culture and contemporary design practice. She works across multiple platforms including digital media, exhibition and festival curation, guest editing of books and journals, along with writing for a wide range of academic and professional journals. In 2023 she produced and co-curated (with Heike Rahmann and Saran Kim) the Landscape Architects as Changemakers project. This exhibition works with audio-visual media and cross-cultural reflections to rethink the way that Australian and Japanese landscape architecture is understood and presented. https://www.laxchangemakers.com/

Readings & References

"Around the fire [Aboriginal resistance and Camp Sovereignty in King's Domain, Melbourne.]." Arena Magazine (Fitzroy, Vic), (83), pp. 13–14

‘Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky’ | Stream free on SBS On Demand

Birch, T.(2018). Rise from this grave. Overland, (230), 3–10.

Faulkhead, S. & Berg, J. (2022) Power and the Passion, Museums Victoria Publishing

Pieris, A. (2012). Occupying the centre: Indigenous presence in the Australian capital city. Postcolonial Studies, 15(2), 221–248.

McGaw, J., & Tootell, N. (2015). Aboriginal “Country”: An Implicit Critique of Terra Firma and Traditional Architectural Practices. Architectural Theory Review, 20(1), 91–114.

McGaw, J., Pieris, A., & Potter, E. (2011). Indigenous Place-Making in the City: Dispossessions, Occupations and Implications for Cultural Architecture. Architectural Theory Review, 16(3), 296–311.

Schedule:
TBA

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