Within Sight
Chapter 8 Kara Kara (Working Title)
My Within Sight series continues with the exploration of Kara Kara National Park, a landscape that further explores botanical vignettes of earlier chapters though now leaning toward a broader, topographical documentation, a resposne to this particular environment. Again, this body of work is grounded in a phenomenological approach; it is not an attempt at abstraction, but a record of "looking" at a sentient, ecological whole.
By positioning the lens within the "depth of the tangle," the photography seeks to document the resilience of the Box-Ironbark forests. The work aims to function as a haptic engagement with Djandak (Country), where the tactile textures of the ironbark and the golden afternoon light reveal a landscape that is both an ancient ancestral home and a site of enduring survival.
History and Etymology of Kara Kara
The title Kara Kara is a Dja Dja Wurrung word. Current linguistic and historical research indicates that it primarily refers to gold, or more specifically, the quartz in which gold is found. The term describes "gold allowed to lie across the ground," a vivid reference to the alluvial gold that once characterized this region of central Victoria. While often used as a place name throughout the 19th and 20th centuries (including the former Shire of Kara Kara), the name remains a direct link to the mineral wealth and geological identity of Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
The Landscape
Located in the St Arnaud Range, the park serves as one of the most significant remnants of Box-Ironbark woodland in the state. For the Dja Dja Wurrung and Barengi Gadjin people, this area has been a vital cultural landscape for over 30,000 years. The hardy trees provided materials for shelters, coolamons (dishes), and sweet drinks from blossoms, while the rugged ridges served as vantage points.
Colonial & Recent History
• 1840s–1850s: The region was heavily impacted by the Victorian Gold Rush. Traditional quartz quarry sites used by Indigenous clans were often enclosed by pastoral runs or targeted by prospectors.
• 19th Century Logging: Much of the forest was cleared to provide fuel and structural timber for the mines of St Arnaud and Ballarat.
• Park Formation: The area was originally established as the St Arnaud Range National Park in 2002.
• Renaming: In 2011, the park was officially renamed Kara Kara National Park to better reflect its regional identity and Indigenous heritage.
• Joint Management: Following the 2013 Recognition and Settlement Agreement, the park is now jointly managed by the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria, ensuring that the management of the land is led by its Traditional Owners.
By positioning the lens within the "depth of the tangle," the photography seeks to document the resilience of the Box-Ironbark forests. The work aims to function as a haptic engagement with Djandak (Country), where the tactile textures of the ironbark and the golden afternoon light reveal a landscape that is both an ancient ancestral home and a site of enduring survival.
History and Etymology of Kara Kara
The title Kara Kara is a Dja Dja Wurrung word. Current linguistic and historical research indicates that it primarily refers to gold, or more specifically, the quartz in which gold is found. The term describes "gold allowed to lie across the ground," a vivid reference to the alluvial gold that once characterized this region of central Victoria. While often used as a place name throughout the 19th and 20th centuries (including the former Shire of Kara Kara), the name remains a direct link to the mineral wealth and geological identity of Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
The Landscape
Located in the St Arnaud Range, the park serves as one of the most significant remnants of Box-Ironbark woodland in the state. For the Dja Dja Wurrung and Barengi Gadjin people, this area has been a vital cultural landscape for over 30,000 years. The hardy trees provided materials for shelters, coolamons (dishes), and sweet drinks from blossoms, while the rugged ridges served as vantage points.
Colonial & Recent History
• 1840s–1850s: The region was heavily impacted by the Victorian Gold Rush. Traditional quartz quarry sites used by Indigenous clans were often enclosed by pastoral runs or targeted by prospectors.
• 19th Century Logging: Much of the forest was cleared to provide fuel and structural timber for the mines of St Arnaud and Ballarat.
• Park Formation: The area was originally established as the St Arnaud Range National Park in 2002.
• Renaming: In 2011, the park was officially renamed Kara Kara National Park to better reflect its regional identity and Indigenous heritage.
• Joint Management: Following the 2013 Recognition and Settlement Agreement, the park is now jointly managed by the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria, ensuring that the management of the land is led by its Traditional Owners.
