"The Spirit of Rural Australia" focuses on the nature of rural landscapes and communities. The photography has a nostalgic theme that reflects on past farming practices, institutions and key occupations fundamental to rural Australia, while at the same time the text considers the changes which are occurring throughout rural communities. The book is organised into the sections of Land, Work, House, Town and Communication/ Images of country people, elements of story, anecdote, memoir and biography intertwine to produce this visual celebration.

At the time of Federation, Australia was seen as a country of some substance - despite all the contradictions reflected in its history. It was country that was willing to experiment with innovative legislation and social programs, and to promote egalitarian values. It was a country that embraced liberal values, but they were not lacking in social content. While the influence of religion may have been subtle, it was nevertheless real. As Australia celebrates its Centennial, this book reflects on the role of religion in Australian national life and citizenship while documenting that history and looking to the future.

Festivals have burgeoned in rural areas, revitalising old traditions and inventing new reasons to celebrate. How do festivals contribute to tourism, community and a rural sense of belonging? What are their cultural, environmental and economic dimensions? This book answers such questions - featuring contributions from leading geographers, historians, anthropologists, tourism scholars and cultural researchers. It draws on a range of case studies: from the rustic charm of agricultural shows and family circuses to the effervescent festival of Elvis Presley impersonators in Parkes; from wildflower collecting to the cosmopolitan beats of ChillOut, Australia’s largest non-metropolitan gay and lesbian festival. Festivals as diverse as youth surfing carnivals, country music musters, Aboriginal gatherings in the remote Australian outback, Scottish highland gatherings and German Christmas celebrations are united in their emphasis on community, conviviality and fun.

Captures the essence of Australia's vast outback regions and the people who live there. Here, from the last frontier is the story of the cattle barons, the great landowners, the ringers and the jackeroos who make their living in the outback. The spirited men and women who make this land great are lauded in these pages.

Learn about the Australian countryside in the 1950s, the life of the people here, the famine raging. This book presents as a rural idyll, elegy, memoir, and emotional roller-coaster. It speaks to those who are trying to come to terms with a terminal illness of a loved one, their death, to those who may or may not have experienced an interesting but traumatic childhood and wish to lay it to rest, and to those who love the landscapes of the mind and the spirit, and the history and of the Australian bush.