http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/793991265

Struggle country the rural ideal in twentieth century Australia

"The decline of Australian country life is not new - either as a phenomenon or as a popular fear. Contemporary interest in this area is often highlighted in hopeful policy frameworks for the revitalisation of town and countryside. The continuing interaction between our dreams of the Australian countryside and the reality of its decline is the key focus of Struggle Country: The Rural Idea in Twentieth Century Australia. Linking present concerns to history, this collection of essays looks at how the dreams of progress that captured the imagination of country towns and regions, city politicians, and historians themselves, led to specific positive and negative outcomes in these areas, which in turn influenced how these regions were treated. Struggle Country revitalises the field of rural history, bringing a nuanced approach to studies of "the bush" that distinguishes between farmers and country town dwellers and their different experiences and beliefs. It provides both historical and contemporary analyses that place recent problems within the broader context of the development of rural Australia. And it examines the perspectives from which country people have seen themselves and their future, and how this has affected development in country areas."--Home page.

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