A Multicultural Landscape: National Parks and the Macedonian Experience

7. Surveying the multicultural landscape

Park users Several National Park user surveys point to the popularity of parks in the Sydney region among ethnically diverse communities. A survey conducted at Bobbin Head in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park over Easter 1997 showed that 20 per cent of survey recipients spoke a language other than English at home, the most common being Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese).^[35]

A similar survey conducted at Lane Cove during the Queens Birthday weekend in June 1997 revealed that 26 per cent of visitors spoke a language other than English at home. Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese were the most common but French, Spanish, Greek, Italian, German, Arabic, Persian and Polish were also reported.^[36] Forty-four per cent of respondents lived within 10 kilometres of the park, and less than one per cent of those surveyed were visitors from overseas.^[37] In 1998 another survey was conducted over the June long weekend in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park which indicated that eight per cent of visitors spoke a language other than English at home.^[38]

Limits of surveys These surveys are certainly strong indicators that the parks are popular among a wide variety of people. But many staff I spoke to felt that the surveys, which take the form of written questionnaires in English, significantly understate the true diversity. A survey conducted in the Wattamola area of Royal National Park over the period 25-28th December 1998 used an alternative technique: direct questioning of visitors by a National Parks volunteer. It revealed that speakers of no less than 42 languages were using this limited area of the park over that period.^[39]

These figures have other limits. They concern only a small number of parks and are collected only during certain holiday periods. They say nothing about the kinds of experiences visitors have in parks or the reasons why they go there. Nor do they elucidate the obverse question which might eventually be considered: whether there are non-English speaking communities who feel unwelcome in parks and use them less than other people. This has been the thrust of some American research (based on telephone polling) which reveals that White people have a significantly higher participation rate in activities such as visiting remote parks, recreation sites, camping and hiking than people of colour.^[40]

It was well beyond the scope and budget of this project to commission comparable research in NSW. To some extent I have had to rely on more anecdotal data, substantiated by document-based research and direct consultation. Consequently, the research has been skewed in the direction of considering the experiences and attitudes of those who do use parks and those who work within them. Despite the lack of hard statistical evidence, this method of enquiry provided access to a mass of data concerning, for instance, why people go to parks, what they do, what they don’t do, how they think about nature and the environment.

Rangers’ observations Obviously, a considerable amount of information concerning park users already exists within the NPWS. Through direct observation and discussion with visitors, Service rangers and field staff have acquired considerable understanding of the relationship between ethnicity and park use. The value of this knowledge is incalculable. In endeavouring to tap into it, I convened focus discussion group sessions. It was this method of interview that I employed both when meeting with Macedonian community groups and groups of staff within the Service. In February 2000 a round table discussion was conducted with five South Metropolitan rangers and field staff at the NPWS headquarters in Royal National Park. This conversation provided a window on the experiences of some NPWS employees. This type of enquiry made accessible a depth of thinking that is not reflected in the email cited earlier in this report.

Ideal visitors The staff agreed that they shared certain expectations about what visitors should be looking for in a National Park visit. They mentioned quietness, tranquillity, a preference for passive recreation over organised games. But they also recognised that these expectations were due to their own experience and preferences – often a background in bushwalking and direct involvement in conservation issues. They acknowledged that social attachment to the environment takes many forms.

Cultural difference and the use of parkland Our discussion at Royal National Park developed into a very wide-ranging consideration of race, racism and ethnicity. The observations opened up the many ways in which park users engage with the NPWS estate. Different types of areas are apparently favoured by particular groups of visitors. The walking tracks, for instance, were described as ‘very Anglo’; the beaches a mix of different cultures. The ‘ethnic communities’ gravitate towards the picnic areas, I was told. Pacific Islander communities favour Kurnell where they have been known to move concrete picnic furniture into configurations uniquely suited to their social requirements. Staff are faced with something of a problem in restoring these heavy items to their original place.

Many Asian people, it was reported, walk through the park for the purpose of fishing, but not many go for extended walks without a specific purpose in mind. It was further reported that the subject of fishing opened up conflicts between various cultural groups. A ranger stated that many of the more established anglers (Greek and Anglo) resent the Asian presence. He reported how racist sentiments exist in the very taxonomy of fishing – there is a type of fish known as ‘niggers’.

Our discussion considered the deaths by drowning previously mentioned. Dangerous surf and the exposed nature of various rock fishing platforms are a particular issue in Royal National Park. There was also concern at the practice of collecting shellfish and fishing with spear guns at Kurnell, a protected tidal area where such activities are prohibited. How to communicate this message?

Communication Obviously, signage is an important issue for management. It was felt that with so many language groups visiting parks it would be impossible to represent them all. A system based on pictorial symbols has been adopted. Amidst these attempts to deliberately assist non-English speakers, there was often the impression that staff are genuinely flummoxed at the difficulties facing them. They described Chinese and Arab visitors who have brought kittens into parks; problems with vegetation being picked; and constant concern about charcoal heat beads (especially popular in barbecues used by people of Middle Eastern background), being thrown into the bush – sometimes when they are still red hot.

A further discussion with a group of staff from Parramatta Regional Park reiterated many of these issues and raised others. Parramatta is place of considerable ethnic diversity. Almost thirty-five per cent of the population were born overseas.^[41] The urban setting and the landscaped character of the park – with stadium for concerts and other outdoor events – makes it popular for many ethno-specific cultural events. These include the annual India Fair which attracts up to 20 000 people; the Thai Loy Krathong Festival which attracts 10 000-15 000; and the Lebanese Independence Day Festival which attracts 10 000. Smaller events are organised by Sri Lankan, Turkish, Romanian, Pakistani, Assyrian, Bangladeshi and other community organisations.

Cultural practices at Parramatta Regional Park The focus discussion groups with staff produced many insights into the original and imaginative ways in which the national park landscape is being used by an extraordinary variety of visitors. Once again, the conversation swung from marvel at the diversity of activities to exasperation at the challenges posed. There were accounts of tai chi taking place each morning; Japanese weddings; enormous children’s birthday parties held by people of Asian background. It conjured images of a Carnivale-type extravaganza occurring spontaneously but regularly in national parks: musical performances and dancing; religious ceremonies and rituals; the wafting aroma of umpteen cuisines being cooked on barbecues. In many ways, it seems, the multicultural landscape is alive and well.

But the problems should not be understated. Many staff felt the lack of training in cross-cultural negotiating skills. They mentioned difficulties that include, but extend beyond, the frequent lack of common language. Rangers find themselves trying to stop people gathering apparently edible weeds for the dinner table which have actually been rendered inedible by the application of toxic spray. This is one of many issues to do with food. Chinese people have been found catching protected turtles in the Parramatta River which they were planning to take home, fatten, and eat. Our notion of protecting wildlife – that elements of the environment are not ubiquitously available for consumption – is completely foreign to some people.

Ethnic tension The discussions also raised evidence of ethnic tension. It was reported how a long-planned celebration of Lebanese Independence Day in Parramatta Regional Park was cancelled after a drive-by shooting in Lidcombe that damaged a police station. The reason cited was fear of retribution from other communities.

One park manager reported the problems she experienced when trying to convince an opinionated group of Afghan men to modify their behaviour. They had organised a large gathering in Parramatta Regional Park that involved drums and loud music. They had brought a generator to power their amplifiers but did not want the sound of it disturbing their picnic. So they placed it outside the park where it disturbed neighbours and created a hazard because the power cable ran across a busy road. The manager found the task especially difficult because the Afghan men refused to acknowledge that a woman could be in a position of authority. Staff in other situations that have required them to ask people to modify their conduct reported the confronting experience of being dismissed as racists by the people concerned.

^[35] Alison Ramsay, Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park: 1997 Easter Visitor Survey (Sydney: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 1997), p. 7.

^[36] Alison Ramsay, Lane Cove National Park: June 1997 Visitor Survey (Sydney: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 1997), p. 6.

^[37] Ibid., p. ii.

^[38] Alison Ramsay, Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park: 1998 June Weekend Visitor Survey (Sydney: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 1998), p. 7.

^[39] Data supplied by Jennifer Bolwell, Senior Ranger (Neighbour Relations), Sydney South Region.

^[40] Baas et al, ‘Influence of Ethnicity on Recreation...’

^[41] EAC, The People of NSW, p. 140.