On the road again: Displaying knowledge of place in multiparty conversations in the remote Australian outback

In this article we examine displays of epistemic status and stance among long-term Anglo-Australian residents of remote communities through a case study of a 2-h interaction by four men who have demonstrated sophisticated knowledge of locations in their region. We show how equal access to knowledge of places is oriented to, as well as how differences in rights to authoritatively claim knowledge emerge in disputes over details of locations which are resolved when it is established that one member can provide more specific or up-to-date knowledge. This study not only contributes to understanding epistemic management practices in contexts where there is a high degree of shared knowledge, but also grounds the exploration of new insights into the ways in which the epistemics of referring to places appear to diverge from what has been described for referring to persons. •Similar patterns of use of minimal recognitional forms found for place as for person reference.•Epistemic asymmetries and negotiation of rights reflected in turn design.•Long term remote region residents display deep knowledge of place.•Reference to distant locations accompanied by accurate pointing.•Patterns of place reference in remote English different from urban English.