Queensland shows the world: regionalism and modernity at Brisbane's World Expo '88

Abstract

[Extract] World Expo 1988 provided a forum in which a sense of the unique character of Queensland was displayed. It was also explicitly intended to start Brisbane on a modernisation process, toward a future as a 'global' city. The conflicts between these two aspects of Expo '88 were played out in a number of ways, both on the Expo site itself and through the commentary and debate with which the local media (particularly the Courier Mail) surrounded the event. This article explores the clash between the symbols and values associated with 'Queensland' and those identified with 'Brisbane' during World Expo '88, and examines the concerns which surfaced over the role of Japan at Expo '88: concerns linked primarily to the place of Japanese investment and tourism in Queensland's modernisation.