Purpose: As effective management of biosecurity risks such as wild dogs, relies on landholder reporting, we investigated how landholders can be encouraged to report wild dog presence or damage. Design/Methodology/Approach: We identified potential drivers and barriers to wild dog reporting and organised these factors using the Behaviour change…

Farming is still primarily a family concern in Australia. Having a farm successor in place is important as it is associated with the likelihood of the current farmer adapting to external conditions and hence may have long-term implications for the structure and profitability of agriculture. We used current and historical surveys across a number of…

This article reports on preliminary findings from a 2008 survey and telephone interviews with 27 directors of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services located in regional and rural districts of the Australian state of New South Wales. Data from the study suggests that some areas of safety education--most notably road/traffic safety and…

An explanation is presented about what keeps young men in isolated rural areas. The purpose is to contribute a concrete analysis of habitus as used in educational research. Inadequacies in application of the term are demonstrated in research conducted on school and work by the author in a rural town. An analysis of changes from labour-intensive…

Interviews with 14 Australian farmers involved in farm business learning activities described how social capital is built through support networks. Four stages of development were identified: (1) individual self-confidence, interpersonal, and leadership skills; (2) getting acquainted; (3) credibility of group members; and (4) commitment. A model…

This paper investigates stories that are told in a North Queensland rural community about the arrival of itinerant farm workers for the winter harvesting season. Permanent residents often represent this annual event as an invasion of the community by undesirable people who break the law, exacerbate racial tensions and take jobs from locals. Such…

Article suggests the value of a weekend choral school for culturally disadvantaged and isolated rural communities. In addition to learning music, adult students develop an appreciation of music and of cultural possibilities that lessen dependence on television for entertainment. Author cites the experience of one such school in Australia. (PD)

The rural Australian recession resulting from lower commodity prices and poor weather conditions raised concerns about how people were coping in the bush. A survey was distributed to all grazing properties in 10 shires of central western Queensland. Of 1,050 surveys distributed, 223 were returned representing 284 families and 914 individuals.…

Examines the nature of the Australian myth and how this has related to and affected schooling and the provision of equality of opportunity for rural children. This myth includes the "noble bushmen" and the view that "the salt of the earth" was the small, independent farmer. (Author/RK)

Following a nationwide drought in 1982, the Australian government instituted the National Property Management Planning program to build skills in the rural community to better manage the farm business, including the need to manage change. In Victoria, the program is delivered through the Farm$mart project. Farm$mart is: learner centered; involves…

This paper examines the gender order that operates in rural areas of Australia, ensuring that women are accorded secondary status, that their contributions are discounted, and that their concerns are trivialized. Women are disadvantaged by patriarchal gender relations that dominate rural society and that are reinforced by ideologies of family and…

A study examining the effectiveness of a farm safety resource that employed toys and props presented the resource to 79 primary schoolchildren from 3 schools in New South Wales (Australia). Children's recall was assessed at posttests of 1, 14, and 28 days. Children exposed to the resource recalled more hazards than did control-group children.…

Learning for sustainability has the potential to play a significant role in enhancing social ecological resilience--as individuals and institutions develop the capacity to adaptively manage the environment. This article outlines an audience and learning needs analysis of irrigators in Western Australia's East Wanneroo area. Interviews were…

A study investigated the impact of declining rural community infrastructure on social, environmental, and economic well-being in Western Australia's central wheatbelt. Questionnaires were completed by 398 residents of the central wheatbelt, on-farm interviews were conducted with 68 respondents, and 4 focus groups were held in area towns.…