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Paper short abstract

The butchery trade in Australia is disappearing. Through the personal narrative of a retired Perth butcher, I explore what social im/perceptibility can reveal about class, community and human-animal relations in the transformation of the meat processing industry.

Paper long abstract

On the high streets of Australia’s towns and suburbs, the butcher shop has historically held pride of place. The butcher himself has always been hyper-visible; resplendent in blue-striped apron, he would banter with customers, while tailoring cuts to their tastes. Australians remain among the highest per capita meat eaters globally, but today supermarkets sell around 85% of the nation’s meat. By 2023, the two largest supermarkets had phased out in-store butchery, obtaining pre-packaged meat direct from the abattoirs’ mechanised production lines. The skilled trade of whole-carcass, high street butchery is disappearing, which aids the maintenance of the public secret of the staggering scale of animal slaughter underpinning our diets. In this paper, I offer and analyse the fascinating personal narrative of a recently retired Perth butcher. A master raconteur, through his life history, I explore what social im/perceptibility can reveal about class, community, and human/nonhuman animal relations.