Sense of Place
natural sciences
In 1972, George Seddon wrote Sense of Place, a landmark environmental study of the Swan Coastal Plain. The book introduced the ground-breaking phrase ‘sense of place’ into the fields of landscape and environmental design, inspiring a new generation of researchers, academics and enthusiasts to closely consider the dynamic between human land use and the natural environment.
Containing detailed information on the landforms, climate, drainage geology, wetlands, offshore islands and flora of this region, the book constructs a picture of the region before European settlement. The volume also depicts land use by Aboriginal custodians and colonial settlers, as well as outlining the major environmental resources of the region.
As the world grapples with a changing climate and increased urbanisation, the impact of human design on our environment has never been more urgent. Nearly fifty years since the book’s first printing, Seddon’s reflections still stand today as essential reading for how we see the natural world through the human lens of design, and serve as a crucial guide for future planning.