The thing not seen: absence, invisibility, and the uncanny in the cultural construction of Australia

This thesis maps social nodes of absence, invisibility, and disembodiment, which have historically informed Australian culture and cultural production. The Thing Not Seen addresses a traditionally vexed relationship between the European body and antipodean landscape. It investigates issues arising in a 'new' country from settler encounters with un-reified space - challenging the efficacy of European vision - and identifying the psychological impact of same upon the broader social corpus.