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Local Claims to Fame

Rural Identity Assertion in New Zealand

University of Auckland

Throughout New Zealand, giant roadside objects—sheep, cows, dogs—and murals depicting local history denote local claims to fame. As a collection, these artifacts tell the rural sector's story of agriculture and productivity. The 1980s rural downturn led to a declining rural population and a perceived declining status of rural dwellers. The ongoing construction of place markers indicates that the need to express identity is a continuous project. In the face of the huge competition for markets and for media attention, as a consequence of globalization, local residents draw from what they know best: versions of their own history and of local character.

Key Words: rural • identity • promotion • roadside • New Zealand

Space and Culture, Vol. 10, No. 1, 129-132 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1206331206292449


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