The 'Blackster' Solution

Abstract

In December 2005, stage one of the Lakeview Visitors Centre at Port Augusta opened to accommodate transient Aboriginal peoples. It is located six kilometres from the city centre of Port Augusta adjacent to Davenport Community, a self-governing Aboriginal community outside the Port Augusta City Council jurisdiction. It is an interesting and controversial project; (commonly dubbed Blackster after the nearby Baxter Detention Centre), which demonstrates a design and planning response for the Aboriginal transient population as the result of the implementation of highly debated legislation. This paper discusses the Visitors’ Centre as a response to Aboriginal transient populations and alcohol consumption, looking at the issues of appropriateness of the model to the user group.

Keywords: Mobility; Aboriginal Housing; Transient; Accommodation; Homelessness; Port Augusta