Australian Sport: Antipodean Waves of Change

Australia is only a small player in the world’s political and economic landscapes, yet, for many decades, it has been considered to be a global powerhouse in terms of its sporting successes. In conjunction with this notion, the nation has long been portrayed as having a preoccupation with sport. This labelling has been seen as both a blessing and a curse. Those who value a Bourdieuian view of culture bemoan sport’s centrality to the national imagination and the consequent lack of media coverage, funding and prestige accorded to the arts. Other scholars question whether the popular stereotype of the Australian sportsperson is, in fact, a myth and that instead Australians are predominantly passive sport consumers rather than active sport participants.
Australian sport, through its successes on the field of play and in advancing sport coaching and management, has undergone a revolution, as both an enabler of global processes and as subject to its influences (economic, political, migratory etc.). This book will examine the shifting place of Australian sports in current global and local environs, from the perspective of spectators, players and administrators.
This book was previously published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

Kristine Toohey is Professor in Sport Management at Griffith University, Australia.
Tracy Taylor is Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Business, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.

1. Introduction: Sport in Australia: ‘Worth a Shout’ Kristine Toohey and Tracy Taylor 2. The Australian Sport System and its Stakeholders: Development of Cooperative Relationships Kalliopi (Popi) Sotiriadou 3. The Janus Face of Diversity in Australian Sport Tracy Taylor, Daniel Lock and Simon Darcy 4. The Melbourne Cup: Australian Identity and Secular Pilgrimage Carole M. Cusack and Justine Digance 5. Getting to the Game: Travel to Sports Stadia in the Era of Transit-oriented Development Matthew Burke and Geoffrey Woolcock 6. ‘Brave New World’ or ‘Sticky Wicket’? Women, Management and Organizational Power in Cricket Australia Megan Stronach and Daryl Adair 7. Asia’s Place in the Imaging of Australian Sport Richard Cashman 8. The Importance of Prior Knowledge: The Australian Olympic Committee and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Stephen Frawley and Kristine Toohey 9. Rugby Union Football in Australian Society: An Unintended Consequence of Intended Actions Peter Horton 10. Social Capital in Australian Sport Dwight Zakus, James Skinner and Allan Edwards