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Stony Flows

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Abstract

In this chapter, I draw on network and assemblage thinking to consider how the city is continuously assembled and reassembled by the lithic matter that flows into it from elsewhere. I investigate the differently scaled networks of varying duration through which stone has been imported into Melbourne from elsewhere. I explore how successive connections have been forged with other places that supply stony material and how these networks have been shaped by unpredictable, shifting cultural, economic and political factors. I focus on the circulation of stone as part of Aboriginal trade and cultural practice before exploring the early importation of stone from colonial sources and the subsequent emergence of extensive local building stone supplies, notably Victorian bluestone, sandstone and granite, along with local brick. Third, I discuss the rise of post-war modernist desires that favoured concrete and examine how the growth of heritage as a central marker of place-identity has led to a renewed usage and appreciation of bluestone. The chapter concludes by examining the current global constitution of supply networks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Place Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Tim Edensor

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  1. Tim Edensor
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Correspondence to Tim Edensor .

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Edensor, T. (2020). Stony Flows. In: Stone. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4650-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4650-1_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-4649-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-4650-1

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