Brisbane City Botanic Gardens Observation

Study

Acknowledgement of Country• Nathan; The Yugarabul,

Yuggera, Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

• Brisbane City; The Jagera and Turrbal peoples.

Observational Methods

• Observation Techniques (Veal, 2006)– Unstructured– Participant– Covert

• Observation Methods– Checklist & photography– Key dimensions of time, activity,

attitude, space– Social sciences chosen before

study – psychology & sociology

The City Botanic Gardens• Brisbane’s oldest park which used to

be a zoo with bears• Queensland’s first sugar cane crop • Experimental trees such as

jacarandas and macadamias. • Living museum of plant collections• One of the most important non-

Indigenous cultural landscapes • Natural and historic values

• Bike and rollerblade hire• Picnic areas and restaurant • Brisbane Riverstage • Tours twice daily (except

Sundays, public holidays, mid-Dec to mid-Jan)– 11.00am or 1.00pm at the

Rotunda opposite the Albert Street gates

The City Botanic Gardens

• The Botanic Gardens offer a range of diverse settings.

• It was designed to gain the attraction of the Brisbane community.

• With the park portraying many features including

• Areas, walking and biking tracks, well designed undercover areas for functions, undercover picnic areas for families to enjoy.

The City Botanic Gardens

The City Botanic Gardens• The settings include a wide range of

features for people to use. • Specific types of people that attend the

setting include families, tourists, couples, the individual and groups of people.

• As a group we were to determine whether there were any specific types of people attending the setting.

• And if they were using the facilities for the purposes of what they are designed for.

• Mostly men present at the time • Group using the space of one of the open

fields. • University students from QUT using the

setting to relax • Tourists looking at all the attractions. • Once observations made clear that there is no

specific type of person or group. • The setting used in the way that it has been

designed.

Motivation

What motivated people to use the Botanical Gardens for leisure activities are the need for:

• Escape from perceived mundane environments• Rest and relaxation• Sunlight• Regressive behaviour• Self-evaluation• Self-esteem, prestige and confidence• Social interactions• Spend time with relatives and friends• Indulge in nostalgia• Education and learn about the world

Motivation

• The need to escape from perceived mundane environments– Students– Singular people– Families– Joggers and walkers– Tourists

Motivation

• The need for rest and relaxation– Students– Singular people– Families– Joggers and walkers– Tourists

Motivation

• The need for sunlight– Students– Singular– Elderly tourists– Cyclists– Families– Joggers and walkers– Tourists

Motivation

• The need for regressive behaviour– Families– Adults and children

• The need for self-evaluation and the need for self esteem, prestige and confidence– Joggers and walkers– Singular people

Motivation

• The need for social interaction– Students– Elderly tourists– Cyclists– Families– Joggers and walkers– Tourists

Motivation

• The need to spend time with relatives and friends– Joggers and walkers– Families

• The need to indulge in nostalgia– Elderly people

• The need for education and learning about the world– Tourists

Design Features

• Botanic Gardens have been designed specifically for the use of patrons

• Certain requirements must be met in regards to:– Safety – Usability– Durability– Comfort of patrons

Activities Possible

• cycling• bird watching • skating• picnics• jogging/running• scenic walks• reading• birthday parties• weddings• quiet study• photo shoots

Specific Features• Lamps• Toilets• Taps and bubblers• Rubbish bins • Wide paths• Informative signs• Directional signs• Tables and

benches• Fencing around old

trees

Perspectives of Analysis

• Psychological– Human beings

as individuals– Individual

experience and make-up shape individual

• Sociological– Human beings as

group members– Social discourses

shape individual– Link between City

Botanic Gardens’ place in society and relevance to lifestyles

Psychological Perspective• Motivations for tourism (Leiper, 2004)

– Escape the mundane– Rest and relaxation– Sunlight and nature– Regression and nostalgia

• Intrinsic/extrinsic reasoning• Flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975,

1990)– Balance between work and relaxation– Activities cannot cause too much anxiety

or boredom• Study, work or playing sport in the park

Sociological Perspective

• Social inequality study (McKay, 1990)– Leisure for all, but used by higher socio-

economic• Botanic Gardens in city reflects this

– Leisure “neither transcend nor create social inequalities but, rather, reproduce them.”

• Gender differences– Safety

• Only solo females were closer to QUT

– Masculinity

Sociological Perspective

• Serious vs. casual leisure (Stebbins, 1997)– Time, intensity and effort

differences

• Increased need for nearby natural leisure spaces– Working more hours– Ageing population– Need to keep citizens active

In Closing

• The Botanic Gardens is a popular and excellent leisure environment

• Variety of people participating in leisure at the Botanic Gardens

• Vast motivations and behaviours• Indicative of both psychological

and sociological reasons.