SCIENCE AND TOURISM: THE NARACOORTE EXPERIENCE
1School of Biological Sciences, The Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042; 2South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000
INTRODUCTION
Victoria Cave was discovered in 1893 by William Reddan and opened to the public in 1897. The discovery in 1969 of extensive fossil deposits in a new section of the cave has been reported elsewhere (Wells 1972, 1975). The cave was subsequently renamed Victoria Fossil Cave in 1975. This paper reports on the development of the Fossil Cave for both science and tourism. To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt in an Australian cave to display an on-going research programme as a tourist attraction. We here report on our experience in the hope that it will be of value to others embarking on similar programmes.
HISTORY
One of us (Wells, a palaeontologist) was a member of the group that discovered the fossil deposits. Wells photographed the exposed fossils and prepared a report on their discovery and scientific potential for the late Ern Maddock, then Curator of National Pleasure Resorts. Initially permission was sought to carry out an organised scientific programme to excavate the fossils, however, at the suggestion of Maddock, Wells proposed, in his report to the S.A. Government Tourist Bureau, that the fossil deposit be developed for both its "scientific and educational value". Following a meeting with the Minister of Tourism (Mr David N. Brookman) permission was granted to carry out scientific investigations and the Maddock plan of an "underground museum to be inspected by tourists" was accepted. The Minister visited the fossil cave soon afterwards and funds were allocated to help defray the expenses of those involved in developing the site. The scientific work was supervised by Drs Wells and Smith aided by enthusiastic amateurs from the Cave Exploration Group of South Australia. The scientific programme aimed to determine the types of animals buried in sediment and to understand how and when they accumulated. Attempts to answer these questions led to a study of the late Pleistocene geology of the south east of south Australia and a geologist, Mr Kevin Moriarty joined the team. As work proceeds, specialists in many areas are making a contribution, e.g. Tyler (1977) - frogs; Van Tets & Smith (1974) - birds; H. Polach - radiocarbon dating and J. Bada - racemisation dating.
An early romantic period in the development of the fossil excavations ensued; trips were made at monthly intervals for 5 years; rarely a trip passed without a new discovery. Many hypotheses were proposed to explain observations made during these trips. Gradually the hypotheses were refined and reduced in number, and similarly occurrence of new discoveries decreased as a representative sample of the fauna was obtained. 1975 marked the beginning of the Australian Research Grants Committee support for the project and paradoxically trips to the site became less frequent although more intensive; the emphasis shifted to detailed laboratory studies. During 1977-78 four young Naracoorte people were employed under the S.A. Unemployment Relief scheme to continue further careful excavation work and carry out initial preparation of the bones. It will take several years of laboratory work to analyse all the material collected during this period.
We have now reached a stage where we are satisfied that we have adequate explanations of the geological history of the caves and the events leading to the accumulation of the fossils. We have evidence of changing climates and their effect on the fauna and we have come to understand a good deal about the niches occupied by many of the extinct animals. Early this year several expeditions were made to a submerged cave near Tantanoola where, with the aid of divers from Flinders University we retrieved the first complete and many partial skeletons of extinct kangaroos. This find is of considerable importance as it now allows us to sort similar skeletons from the mass of bone in the Victoria Fossil Cave. The presence of aboriginal tools and artifacts at the Tantanoola site has added another dimension to this work.
Eight scientific papers have been published on the Victoria Fossil cave deposits, four more are in press and another two are the subject of current research.
Turning now to tourism - much of the preliminary work in preparing the cave for tourism was carried out by members of the Cave Exploration Group. Following completion by Tourist Bureau staff, of tunnels, stairways and a temporary lighting system, the Fossil Cave was opened to the public in 1971. The initial excavation of fossils commenced in an area that allowed the public an excellent view of the work area. This site was chosen as it was some distance from the original point of entry of the animals and therefore had the highest potential of yielding articulated material. Unfortunately it was discovered later that stratigraphic relationships in this area were very confused. The sediments representing material winnowed from the main sediment cone and re-deposited at the distal edge of the alluvial fan. Later excavations have been made at some distance from the viewing area. The initial work generated a high level of interest as in peak holiday periods there were generally teams working on the site and the guides were continually appraised of new discoveries. Indeed often the researchers would take time off to explain to the public the significance of the latest finds. For a number of years guiding in the peak holiday periods was undertaken by university students with an active interest in geology and palaeontology; when not guiding they would join in the work of excavating and preparing the fossils. In later years these students were replaced by casual guides recruited locally, generally motivated people but often lacking the background knowledge of the former.
THE INTERPRETATION CENTRE
In 1972 the administration of the Naracoorte Caves passed to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and in 1974 a grant from the Australian Government was obtained to improve the lighting and walkways within the Victoria Fossil cave and to build an Interpretation Centre at the Reserve. A committee, including representatives of NPWS, the S.A. Museum, the Cave Exploration Group and the Flinders University was formed to plan this work and the interpretation centre displays; these displays were to be constructed by the S.A. Museum.
We have briefly outlined the history of the Fossil cave complex to this time. The building of the Interpretation Centre was to mark a new phase in the development of the Reserve and many points had to be taken into consideration in its design. Similarly the redevelopment of the Fossil cave had to be carefully planned.
- The numbers of tourists visiting the caves had increased dramatically during the early seventies. Would this increase be sustained into the eighties? If the increase was to continue it was obvious that the current guiding system would be inadequate. To avoid long delays incoming parties would have to be manoeuvred past outgoing parties in the narrow confines of the cave or a new exit would have to be constructed to maintain a continuous flow through the cave. This latter system was adopted and a series of new pathways and a new exit were constructed.
- Should the interpretation centre complement the guides commentary, reinforce it or replace it? The rapid turnover in local casual guides makes it exceedingly difficult to develop informed and accurate commentaries on the scientific aspects of the display. Often highly motivated guides with insufficient background knowledge give inaccurate although colourful accounts of the research. With the increasing use of the Reserve by school groups it was felt that far more attention should be paid to the accuracy of the information given.
At all times we have avoided giving guides an inflexible written commentary as this tends to result in a dull and stilted presentation. The approach adopted has been to provide guides with considerable background information, on-the-spot recordings of commentaries to different audiences and to allow the guides to develop their own spiel which is then corrected where necessary. Unfortunately this approach requires constant checking of the commentaries as they can, as time passes, gradually drift into greater and greater inaccuracies. Tape recorded commentaries at selected points within the cave were contemplated, but although they would give accuracy and consistency they were considered too impersonal and likely to lower the morale of staff relegated to the role of ushers.
It was therefore decided that the interpretation centre should display essentially the same information covered in the guides' commentary but treat it in greater detail. It was felt that many advantages would arise from this system viz:
- Guides could check their commentaries for accuracy against the display material. They could also vary their commentaries to suit their audiences e.g. primary school children, adults etc. while remaining within the scope of the display.
- Any lapses in accuracy by guides would soon be detected by astute members of the public who had examined the displays and guides could then gain some feedback on their performance.
- The centre would allow the public to contemplate the significance of the observations they had made and information they had received while underground.
- Should the interpretation centre cater solely for tourists who wish to be entertained while awaiting tours of the caves or should it also attempt to cater for educational tours and informed members of the public? If the latter, should information be provided down to the latest scientific detail?
We have attempted to cater for all groups but inevitably compromises have been necessary. Scientific research is dynamic, not static like a museum display. Therefore an interpretation centre must convey the idea of an accumulation of evidence to support or refute a number of current explanations or working hypotheses. An interpretation centre should foster a spirit of natural enquiry, a willingness to challenge explanations when new evidence arises. We do not offer any final answers instead we attempt to lead the public through our interpretation of the history of the caves, from their formation to the accumulation of the fossils, to their discovery and the attempts to reconstruct these events. We have concentrated on presenting an overview which can be absorbed in approximately 1 hour. The subtle detail is hidden in the displays for those who wish to contemplate or challenge the ideas portrayed. Those people with an academic interest can obtain a list of scientific publications from the final display. A glass panel allows a view of the laboratory where the fossils are prepared for study.
To some it may appear redundant that in the interpretation centre we have repeated information that can be gained in an underground tour but we believe that by presenting the same information in different ways we will enable people to come to a genuine understanding of its significance. It will also allow visitors to contemplate at leisure the significance of personal observations made underground.
PITFALLS
We have outlined our thinking in the development of the centre. The construction of displays has been an interesting but sometimes frustrating experience. We here report on these few problems in the hope that they will provide a useful guide to others. The building of these displays requires the co-operation of scientists, preparators, artists, cabinet makers, electricians and painters. Each is an expert in their own field and only in these rare cases do their fields overlap with that of the scientist. The scientist is concerned with the flow and accuracy of the information displayed while the artist designer is concerned with the presentation and aesthetics of the display. A cabinet layout in which the forms are nicely composed to provide balance and harmony may not provide the right juxtaposition of elements required by the scientific text. It thus becomes necessary to have either a scientist-designer equally concerned with accuracy and aesthetics and backed by an illustrator concerned with portraying the scientists vision or alternatively an artist designer capable of presenting an aesthetically pleasing presentation which is in harmony with the scientist's interpretation. Either approach requires great flexibility on the part of both parties. To this end we believe it is essential that mock-ups of various designs be attempted before a final decision on construction is made. Where the displays are to be erected at some distance from their point of manufacture it is essential that items are constructed on a modular form and that the total assemblage is viewed before transportation to the site. Design details which only become obvious in the final display are costly to rectify. Similarly cabinet design is governed by the constraints of the building and the budget and here structural details can greatly influence the aesthetics of the display. Here, also, mock-ups or models can highlight potential difficulties. Lighting is critical in the presentation of displays and care must be taken to allow the maximum flexibility in the final positioning of lights while bearing in mind that fittings must be readily accessible for maintenance purposes.
Budgeting for these projects can be a problem. Although one can estimate with reasonable accuracy costs of items such as display cabinets it is far more difficult to determine the hours required by an artist or preparator to obtain an aesthetically pleasing effect. This is particularly so if components are built at some distance from the site and have to be adjusted on final assemblage. In this case not only is it hard to estimate the hours and equipment required but it is also expensive to maintain personnel away from the normal place of employment for extended periods.
THE FUTURE
It is our belief that the Naracoorte Caves Conservation Park complex has reached a state of momentum which is likely to be sustained in the future. There is enormous research potential still to be realised in the fields of isotope dating and climatic reconstructions and preliminary studies in those areas have already commenced (Wells, 1978). The palaeontology is moving into the area of comparative anatomy and we can expect to see many more skeletons reconstructed in the not too distant future. Activity in the laboratory and at the dig will inevitably come in waves as new information is collected and followed by the long process of analysis. We foresee increased use of the reserve by education authorities and the need to provide new displays on current research. The theaterette with its videotape facilities is well suited for this purpose. We believe that ultimately the Reserve will need an education officer or guide responsible for the maintenance of displays in the interpretation centre. A competent person could be trained to curate the collection, organise special displays for schools and to take a technical role in the on-going research. Examples of similar centres abound in other parts of the world e.g. the La Urea tarpits in Los Angeles, Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. As more and more tourists are attracted to this country by the uniqueness of its fauna and floras, Naracoorte has the potential of becoming internationally renowned. For those among you who feel that perhaps we are specialists out of touch with reality, I would remind you that today we are catering for a better educated, more informed public than a generation ago; we believe that as a tourist centre Naracoorte is moving in the right direction.
REFERENCES
TYLER, M.J. 1977. Pleistocene Frogs from Caves at Naracoorte, South Australia. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 101(3). 85-89.
VAN TETS, G.F. and SMITH, M.J. 1974. Small fossil vertebrates from Victoria cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. III Birds (Aves). Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 98(4). 225-227.
WELLS, R.T. 1972. Fossil Research at Naracoorte (Victoria cave). Proc. 8th Biennial Conf. of the Aust. Speleo. Fed. pp. 63-65.
WELLS, R.T. 1975. Reconstructing the Past. Excavations in Fossil Caves. Aust. Nat. Hist. 18(6). 208-211.
WELLS, R.T. 1978. Fossil Mammals in the Reconstruction of Quaternary Environments - in Biological Problems in the Reconstruction of Quaternary Terrestrial Environments. Aust. Acad. Sci. Symposium. Ed. D. Walker.