Foundational Myths: Country and conservation in Australia

In Australia, while each state has responsibility for the creation and management of their own national park systems, overall coordination is achieved through the Commonwealth National Reserve System. The Australian systems, like many others, are essentially based on the ‘Yellowstone model’ of protected areas: government owned and managed, precise boundaries, and with people present only as visitors or rangers (Stevens 1997). The Yellowstone model had its origins in wilderness protection, and despite many changes, wilderness persists as a foundational concept for Australian national parks.