13 October 2005
A new book examining Australia's rural history and how the dream of country living diverged from the reality will be published by Monash University ePress on 17 October.
Struggle Country: The Rural Ideal in Twentieth Century Australia is a collection of essays edited by Professor Graeme Davison and Dr Marc Brodie from Monash's School of Historical Studies.
In recent years, interest in rural and regional Australia has focused on its decline. But this focus has had little historical perspective: it has concentrated on contemporary developments such as the globalised economy and has failed to place recent problems in the broader context of the development of rural Australia.
This book provides a broad historical perspective on decline in the bush and a thorough understanding of how country people have seen themselves and their future, and how this has affected development in rural areas.
The essays are written by some of Australia's leading academics including Professor Davison, author of the award-winning Car Wars: How the Car Won our Hearts (2004). Professor Don Aitkin AO, one of Australia 's leading intellectuals, has written the Afterword.
The essays look at how the dreams of progress that captured the imagination of country towns, regions, city politicians and historians led to positive and negative outcomes in these areas.
Essays:
Country life: the rise and decline of an Australian ideal Graeme Davison, Monash University
Rural womanhood and the 'embellishment of rural life in urban Australia Kate Murphy, Monash University
History and memory in Australia's wheatlands Joy McCann, Australian National University
Local history and decline in country Victoria Helen Doyle, Monash University
The river and the town Jill Tacon, Monash University
Closer settlement in Queensland : The rise and decline of the Agrarian dream, 1860s-1960s David Cameron, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Listening to The Lawsons: Radio crosses the urban rural divide Megan Blair, Monash University
The Rocky Gully exodus Jaime Phillips, Curtin University of Technology
The politics of rural nostalgia between the wars Marc Brodie, Monash University
The dying town syndrome: A survey of urban development in the western district of Victoria, 1890-1930 Monica Keneley, Deakin University
Monash University ePress was established in 2003. It publishes texts and journals online and in print. For information on Struggle Country visit www.epress.monash.edu/sc
For information or interviews contact Professor Graeme Davison on +61 3 9905 2827, or Karen Stichtenoth, Media Communications on +61 3 9905 1253.
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