Unpacked by AFAR · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Emma John's exploration of the Great Victorian Bathing Trail revealed a complex history where Indigenous sacred waters became part of Australia's colonial spa culture. Learning about the impact of developments like the man-made Lake Daylesford on local Aboriginal communities shifted her perspective, prompting reflection on who "owns" water and the historical context of Indigenous bathing practices.
“Because actually, the way the trail is set up for a certain luxurious experience, part of what has been my resistance to stuff like spas, I've always thought, isn't it, isn't there something a bit narcissistic about this kind of experience, this kind of travel?”
“But right alongside those boards, you also had the boards that were giving you some more of the indigenous history of that area. And that was when you really kind of realized, hold on, wait, when this lake was created because it's a man-made lake that was created by damning the river, it actually really affected the indigenous communities who were already in the process of being driven out of their lands and driven off their lands in any event.”
“And so it really kind of made me think about, firstly, who owns the water at any given point. And how important that is.”