Aboriginal yards in remote Australia: Adapting landscapes for indigenous housing

As the global predictions and effects of climate change have been emerging in recent years, thermal comfort is a growing concern for the marginalised, remote populations of the world including First Nations peoples. This paper draws on data from a qualitative climate change study with Australian Aboriginal people in the remote semi-arid region of Northwest Queensland and other regional studies to explore ways that yards can enhance thermal performance around conventional housing. Our investigations demonstrate that despite evidence of appropriate housing designs, living spaces outside of the house continue to be overlooked and under-utilised. Aboriginal people have modified their behaviour and made changes to their external living environments, often without sufficient resources, to achieve social and cultural continuity, energy efficiency and particularly to enhance thermal comfort. For these reasons, yards demand greater attention in the policy, planning and provision of housing and associated services for Aboriginal people.