Soap operas, Cenotaphs and Sacred Cows: countrymindedness and rural policy debate in Australia

In spite of the fact that Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world,
our national identity is closely tied to the bush. This paper discusses the
pervasiveness of the agrarian myth in Australian culture and the impact this has on
rural policy debate. It discusses how countrymindedness manifests itself in twenty-first century Australian culture and what this particular aspect of the national self-image means for discussion about rural policy. The paper argues that there is a
reticence to criticise farmers which can insulate farm programs from the levels of
scrutiny which apply to other areas of government policy.