ABSTRACT
This survey of the history of mineral spas in Australia outlines the interplay between transnational cosmopolitanism and national distinctiveness in their development. It notes how notions of sophistication attached to the spa drew on their cosmopolitan origins, how science was used in their promotion and how municipal authorities were committed to democratic access. After the decline of spas in the second half of the twentieth century, their revival depended on the commodification of their history.
