Aluminium and contemporary Australian design: Materials history, cultural and national identity

Abstract

This article examines the significance of aluminium for Australian design. It provides an overview of aluminium within the Australian resource economy and then documents the uses of aluminium across a range of design sectors, including engineering design, furniture, product design and crafts production. This engagement with a broad view of design is presented as a validation of the potential of 'materials' histories to contribute to an understanding of design across production and consumption.The period 1990-2007 is examined in detail to show how aluminium was included in discussions of regional and national identity. Also noted is how the cultural values attributed to aluminium are relevant for an understanding of the international promotion of Australian design and crafts and the positioning of Australian designers within the creative industries. Finally, evidence of the appreciation of aluminium for recycling, within the context of sustainability and innovation, provides a broader view of design within consumption and as an outcome of design research. Aluminium has been used to produce objects from the precious to the ubiquitous; ranging in scale from small-scale jewellery to the world's largest yachts. © The Author [2009]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Design History Society. All rights reserved.