A conference was held to develop a plan of research into rural education in Australia and to form a consortium of rural education researchers. Part I of this proceedings contains an introductory paper, "Rural Education: The State of the Art" (Steve Clark), which analyzes research in rural education in Australia in recent decades with regard to four themes: schooling (teachers, students, school-community relationships, accommodation); technology; educational delivery (equal opportunity, curriculum, decentralization, service delivery, models); and the dichotomy between education in rural areas and rural education. Part II contains papers or summaries of papers on Australian rural research, criteria for prioritizing research, education of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, education and training needs of rural women and girls, applications of communications technology in education, symbiotic relationships between rural schools and their communities, education in rural Scotland, national assessment of the Country Areas Program, and a model of educational delivery in remote areas. Part III outlines the "think tank" discussion and decision making process; summarizes working groups and plenary sessions; presents reflections of working group members; lists and ranks all research recommendations of the working groups; and lists immediate research priorities in the areas of schooling, community, delivery, technology, and special needs groups. Appendices contain the conference schedule, list of participants, and description of research activities at the University of Western Australia. (SV)