Walking: utilising an autoethnographic approach to explore a human-water relationship PhD

This article uses an autoethnographic approach to explore a researcher’s experience with the topic being investigated – human-water relationships in Australia. Specifically, the aim of this article is to map the different processes at stake and argue for combining architecture and art to potentially create a new way of seeing and understanding the manifestation of biased legacies as a mode of rationality in the context of water ownership. The study intersects the disciplines of architecture and art through the mixed methodology of walking and drawing. This approach aims to actively reimagine places in the landscape where human-water narratives intersect. Mapping these intersections re-engages contested histories through a lived experience with place. While the injustice of biased legacies and their operation can be felt tangibly, these legacies are abstract in nature and can be hard to detect. The study contributes specifically to the emerging field of cultural mapping as a creative methodology with strong potential for addressing the complex and multifaceted issues of water policy.