The ‘Zest of Adventure’ in Australian Overland Narratives, 1920–2000

Abstract

This paper is part of a broader research project which examines the history of leisure motor touring in Australia from the 1920s to 2004. At the core of this piece is an examination of the way adventure is presented in three non-fiction narratives that span 80 years. By considering different points in time the impact of the developing tourist infrastructure, improvements to roads and growing knowledge of the landscape, on the constructs of adventure can be seen. Yet, despite fundamental cultural shifts the lure and zest of adventure continued to function as a means of framing the overland experience. The narratives reveal the subjective nature of adventure and how it can be repackaged and re-presented at specific historical moments.

Keywords:

• adventure
• Australia
• history
• motor touring
• narrative
• overland