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Showing posts from December, 2022

Abandoned Petrol Stations in South Australia: A Memoir

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I recently moved back to my hometown of Adelaide after twenty years. What has struck me is the number of abandoned petrol stations I’ve seen spread out across the landscape, along with the fenced-off  vacant land  that has been there ever since I was a kid. Travelling by car with various family members over the past few months, and being part of the ongoing conversation about the rising price of petrol these days, all the while passing deserted servos, motivated me to look into them. Out of curiosity, I decided to map the  abandoned petrol stations  that currently litter South Australia because I’m a visual learner. And no one has done it yet. I approached this task with the intention to try and make connections. Between neglected places and ownership. Between environmental impact and accountability. Between fossil fuels and renewable energy. Between integrated land management and social well-being. Between my new-found home in Adelaide and me. I started this project by contacting