Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Edited by Rick Morton, Black Inc., $29.99.
“There’s a magic to growing up in the country, under the stars, that I don’t think others know how to appreciate. “A simple statement that speaks volumes.
Growing Up in Country Australia is a unique and revealing snapshot of rural life.
In the introduction, Morton says: “This early connection to the land is a shadow of what this continent’s First Peoples know to be an overwhelming imperative. To be and stay in communication with Country is not just a matter of culture but of personal health. It is also a privilege.”
The striking themes in this collection are of loneliness or belonging, sustenance or degradation; or even the particular politics of the country school bus.
As Rick points out: much of what we see about life in the bush is coloured by the romance of days long behind us. He wanted this anthology to be a more modern account.
“You will find in these pages a colourful and gripping pastiche that updates the experience outside Australia’s cities and large regional centres. You will find, despite the absolute variety in these essays, that there is still something ineffable about life in the country.”
There are stories of joy, adventure, nostalgia, connection to nature and freedom, but also more grim tales – of drought, fires, mouse plagues and isolation. From the politics of the country school bus to the class divides between locals, from shooting foxes with Dad to giving up meat as an adult, from working on the family farm to selling up and moving to the city, the picture painted is diverse and unexpected.
Included are 39 stories by established and emerging authors from a wide range of backgrounds – including First Nations and new migrants. Some of the stories are of migrants who escaped another life by coming to Australia.
