Historicising sulfur mining, lime extraction and geotourism in Indonesia and Australia

Abstract

In both Australia and Indonesia, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) have thus far been neglected by historians of colonialism and scholars of geotourism alike. Our two case studies historicise the practices of mining, quarrying and tourism at volcanic sulfur mines in Indonesia and along limestone coasts in southeastern Australia. Our case studies suggest how toxic work in spectacular settings of interest to geotourists is deeply embedded in modern histories of leisure and consumption. We propose a more critical interpretation of geotourist sites that accounts for the ways that environmental and labour histories have shaped these spectacular ‘natural’ environments. Show more