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Rusted Off: Why Country Australia Is Fed Up
Telling the story of Australia as it is today, Gabrielle Chan has gone hyper-local. Unpacking the small towns around where she lives and the communities that keep them going through threat and times of plenty. With half her year spent in Canberra, reporting from Parliament House, and half her year in the sticks, she really does have a unique perspective. The Great Divide between city and country is only one subject that arises. The National Party talks about farmers, but what about those who live in regional towns? Her forensic focus in the nearby towns is on ordinary lives not often seen, and the conversations in this book are broad, national and at times international; immigration, transport, health, the NBN, globalization, and tariffs. Gabrielle also draws on her own observations about community. Newcomers initially face strong distrust based on money or race, but once you are accepted, there is a strong belonging and interaction, much more so than her experience in the city. Middle class people in the city, like Gabrielle, show compassion for poverty or racial difference, but there is little interaction with the "other." That is the gift the country gave her. Gabrielle has spent 30 years covering politics and lived 20 of those years in the country. Her kids were raised in country schools where she did her time on school councils, watching the lives of fellow parents and their kids from the poorest to the richest rural families. Gabrielle served on community groups grappling with loss of population, economic recession and mundane parking issues. She has witnessed fiery town meetings dealing with bank closures and doctor shortages. She has felt parents' extraordinary losses to ordinary causes like car accidents, drugs, and crime in a small town. And all this while documenting the modern Australian political story. This book is both the broad and the narrow, the personal and the public. There is no other book like this in Australia and Gabrielle is the only person to write it.
336 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 11, 2019
The sad thing about this great book is that too few city people will read it.
Chan makes many excellent points. Her praise, and her criticism, of country towns and communities is deserved. She points out that when you live in a small community the social divides are not necessarily socio-economic divides and you befriend and live amongst people of differing means which makes for more diverse perspectives.
Rusted Off gave me many things to think about, and interestingly, I read most of it while on a plane to or from the city (in my experience many people in Melbourne ignorantly think that to fly to Mildura you have to leave from Essendon Airport and not take one of 3 airlines and 7-8 daily flights from Melbourne Airport) where I could feel the contrast in attitudes and outlooks.
I have recommended and gifted this book to many of my friends.
Chan makes many excellent points. Her praise, and her criticism, of country towns and communities is deserved. She points out that when you live in a small community the social divides are not necessarily socio-economic divides and you befriend and live amongst people of differing means which makes for more diverse perspectives.
Rusted Off gave me many things to think about, and interestingly, I read most of it while on a plane to or from the city (in my experience many people in Melbourne ignorantly think that to fly to Mildura you have to leave from Essendon Airport and not take one of 3 airlines and 7-8 daily flights from Melbourne Airport) where I could feel the contrast in attitudes and outlooks.
I have recommended and gifted this book to many of my friends.
October 10, 2019
I didn't love this book, which was a surprise because I seriously appreciate Chan's journalism, and it is a topic which feels very on point. The book is structured as a series of essays, which weave together memoir, local anecdotes/factoids and political journalism. Chan's deep engagement with this topic is palpable - like her frustration - and the book feels partly like an attempt to reconcile all of her own worlds and journeys together, with a 'sprinkling of analysis'.
I found myself frustrated, especially in the middle of the book, with some of Chan's dichotomies, especially between deep inner cities political circles vs a fairly small towns. Chan portrays these as extremes, when I remain unsure of whether they are more spectrums, and certainly the former is extremely distant from most city dwellers in experience.
I also struggled with the overwhelming framework of big-P politics, which is on me because it isn't like the book pretended to be about anything else. The focus is firmly upon the voting patterns of rural voters, on the one hand, and the policy impacts upon rural communities on the other. Towards the end of the book there is more exploration of the role of other social forces in shaping futures and presents, which I appreciated, but it felt more of an afterthought than a core part of Chan's reasoning. Despite the frequent condemnations of the insularity of #auspol culture, the book didn't have enough of the deep research that might be necessary to pull out of it.
I live in a small city which is also a regional centre, and happens to house our national parliament. Perhaps my situation is unique, but I didn't learn anything surprising in this book, or much new at all. If you talk regularly to rural folks, or visit towns outside big cities, I suspect none of the findings will surprise you much either. Maybe that is because there isn't an "Aha" moment in our growing city-rural attitude, culture and capability gaps, but I guess I was hoping for a deeper dive. This book certainly has some breadth around policy and the regions, but it didn't feel like it touched a lot more than the surface to me.
I found myself frustrated, especially in the middle of the book, with some of Chan's dichotomies, especially between deep inner cities political circles vs a fairly small towns. Chan portrays these as extremes, when I remain unsure of whether they are more spectrums, and certainly the former is extremely distant from most city dwellers in experience.
I also struggled with the overwhelming framework of big-P politics, which is on me because it isn't like the book pretended to be about anything else. The focus is firmly upon the voting patterns of rural voters, on the one hand, and the policy impacts upon rural communities on the other. Towards the end of the book there is more exploration of the role of other social forces in shaping futures and presents, which I appreciated, but it felt more of an afterthought than a core part of Chan's reasoning. Despite the frequent condemnations of the insularity of #auspol culture, the book didn't have enough of the deep research that might be necessary to pull out of it.
I live in a small city which is also a regional centre, and happens to house our national parliament. Perhaps my situation is unique, but I didn't learn anything surprising in this book, or much new at all. If you talk regularly to rural folks, or visit towns outside big cities, I suspect none of the findings will surprise you much either. Maybe that is because there isn't an "Aha" moment in our growing city-rural attitude, culture and capability gaps, but I guess I was hoping for a deeper dive. This book certainly has some breadth around policy and the regions, but it didn't feel like it touched a lot more than the surface to me.
February 25, 2019
This book is a strong look at the divide between rural and city Australia which will leave you wondering exactly how we as a nation will solve the litany of issues raised within. That said, the author Gabrielle Chan will give you some hope that there is a positive path forward and this is a good read for anyone interested in policy, politics or simply finding out what is happening outside of our major cities in 21st Century Australia.
Upon the backdrop of a rise in minor party voting both in Australia and abroad, Chan draws upon her own experience of moving to country New South Wales to highlight the problems, and potential solutions, present outside of the cities.
The book is split into two distinct halves. Broadly speaking, the first half paints a picture of the lived experience of rural and regional Australians while the second half delves into the politics and policy that impact rural and regional Australia.
The first half of the book comprises of a series of stories of the vast variety of people who live in and around the area of regional Australia which Chan moved to in 1996 - a small town called Harden-Murrumburrah in New South Wales.
Each of these stories helps to build a broader narrative that life in rural Australia is not a simple picture of economic hardship, shrinking opportunities and outward flows of migration. Rather, Chan presents a complex and detailed look at what life is like in rural Australia for people from a variety of class and cultural backgrounds. It appears that her core argument in this half is that when it comes to rural Australia, don't jump to conclusions about what the people in those communities want as it's often nowhere near as simple as you may think.
As the first half sets the scene and gives the reader the necessary background of what it is like to live in rural Australia, the second half of the book is where Chan's experience as a Federal political reporter shines through. She tackles a vast number of policy issues facing both rural and metropolitan Australia, including voter dissatisfaction with major party politics, unemployment, climate change and environmentalism, challenges of service provision and funding, and immigration and cultural integration.
Overall, Chan argues that to bridge the divide between metropolitan and rural Australia, something needs to change. She presents a compelling case that "politics as usual" isn't working and without a shift to policy implementation that is more consultative, respectful of the wishes of local communities and which is helped, not hindered, by all levels of government, the growing divide between the "two Australias" will leave Australia worse off as a whole.
This book was a very interesting read but it was not prefect. While the first half laid the necessary groundwork for the second half, it did feel like it was less than the sum of its parts. Each story told in the first half is worth reading, but ultimately I was left understanding the overall argument Chan was seeking to make in the first half well before she moved along to the latter half of the book.
That said, this book is definitely one worth reading and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in Australian politics or policy.
Upon the backdrop of a rise in minor party voting both in Australia and abroad, Chan draws upon her own experience of moving to country New South Wales to highlight the problems, and potential solutions, present outside of the cities.
The book is split into two distinct halves. Broadly speaking, the first half paints a picture of the lived experience of rural and regional Australians while the second half delves into the politics and policy that impact rural and regional Australia.
The first half of the book comprises of a series of stories of the vast variety of people who live in and around the area of regional Australia which Chan moved to in 1996 - a small town called Harden-Murrumburrah in New South Wales.
Each of these stories helps to build a broader narrative that life in rural Australia is not a simple picture of economic hardship, shrinking opportunities and outward flows of migration. Rather, Chan presents a complex and detailed look at what life is like in rural Australia for people from a variety of class and cultural backgrounds. It appears that her core argument in this half is that when it comes to rural Australia, don't jump to conclusions about what the people in those communities want as it's often nowhere near as simple as you may think.
As the first half sets the scene and gives the reader the necessary background of what it is like to live in rural Australia, the second half of the book is where Chan's experience as a Federal political reporter shines through. She tackles a vast number of policy issues facing both rural and metropolitan Australia, including voter dissatisfaction with major party politics, unemployment, climate change and environmentalism, challenges of service provision and funding, and immigration and cultural integration.
Overall, Chan argues that to bridge the divide between metropolitan and rural Australia, something needs to change. She presents a compelling case that "politics as usual" isn't working and without a shift to policy implementation that is more consultative, respectful of the wishes of local communities and which is helped, not hindered, by all levels of government, the growing divide between the "two Australias" will leave Australia worse off as a whole.
This book was a very interesting read but it was not prefect. While the first half laid the necessary groundwork for the second half, it did feel like it was less than the sum of its parts. Each story told in the first half is worth reading, but ultimately I was left understanding the overall argument Chan was seeking to make in the first half well before she moved along to the latter half of the book.
That said, this book is definitely one worth reading and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in Australian politics or policy.
November 16, 2019
In recent months I have taken an increasing interest in politics, especially as it pertains to country Australia. In part, I picked up this book to help answer questions like "Why do people vote for Barnaby Joyce?" and "Why do I feel so disconnected from these people?".
Chan's unique perspective as a political journalist, born in Sydney and moved to rural Australia, allows her to write what is almost a collection of essays. These essays helped answer my questions, as well as guiding my thoughts through explanations of some political history, like how the Nationals came about, to more contemporary issues, like the importance of place, education, opportunity, choice, and the impacts that insufficient diversity of representation can have in issues such as providing targeted, meaningful economic impact to country areas.
In particular, I enjoyed some insight into the Voices for Indi (V4I) campaign. I see a resonance between the the way they operated and the best parts of how we work at Atlassian; connecting with locals through benchtop discussions, agreeing on and committing to their prioritisation of issues up front, attempting to work with existing government, and doing whatever was needed to get outcomes for their town. It is a story of collaboration, which is what I believe is what ultimately drives the divides in Australian politics.
While reading I had the opportunity to reflect and acknowledge that I am too often caught up in the concerns of a city dweller, and I don't look for understanding when I see differences. I finally understand why people vote for Barnaby Joyce. Now what I want is the opportunity for what Barnaby provides to not be seen as requiring the sacrifice of respectability.
I recommend this read if you're looking for the opportunity to better understand politics as experienced by those in small and rural communities.
Chan's unique perspective as a political journalist, born in Sydney and moved to rural Australia, allows her to write what is almost a collection of essays. These essays helped answer my questions, as well as guiding my thoughts through explanations of some political history, like how the Nationals came about, to more contemporary issues, like the importance of place, education, opportunity, choice, and the impacts that insufficient diversity of representation can have in issues such as providing targeted, meaningful economic impact to country areas.
In particular, I enjoyed some insight into the Voices for Indi (V4I) campaign. I see a resonance between the the way they operated and the best parts of how we work at Atlassian; connecting with locals through benchtop discussions, agreeing on and committing to their prioritisation of issues up front, attempting to work with existing government, and doing whatever was needed to get outcomes for their town. It is a story of collaboration, which is what I believe is what ultimately drives the divides in Australian politics.
While reading I had the opportunity to reflect and acknowledge that I am too often caught up in the concerns of a city dweller, and I don't look for understanding when I see differences. I finally understand why people vote for Barnaby Joyce. Now what I want is the opportunity for what Barnaby provides to not be seen as requiring the sacrifice of respectability.
I recommend this read if you're looking for the opportunity to better understand politics as experienced by those in small and rural communities.
October 15, 2019
Another book from the series of talks at the Adelaide Writer's Festival on the rise of populist and right-wing parties. In this book by long-time political journalist for The Australian and The Guardian (Australia), Ms Chan dives in with an insiders view, having married a farmer from New South Wales and lives in a community about 2 hour drive from Canberra. In 1996, the year Pauline Hanson first came to national politics, Ms Chan, who was raised in inner-city Sydney Chinese migrant daughter. Her move was a huge cultural shock softened by her marriage into a well-established family of the town. In the book, she points how city people are now so disconnected with how their food is produced and what the challenges are to the lives of farmers and farm communities to the point where they don't want to be educated. She covers a lot of bases, from the failure of the education system to take in the needs of country people, such as trade schools as an alternative to uni. She discusses how the traditional political parties of the country/farming life are now controlled by big city leaders who don't really have the interests of farms in their sites, despite saying some nice platitudes. She also talks of how country kids don't really feel comfortable if they get the chance to go to a big city uni, and if possible they change to a regional centre, such as Albury-Wodonga. And she talks about the need for the need for a new dialogue between city and country people and politicians and especially policy makers. This was a well reasoned balanced book and essential reading especially for Australians
October 15, 2018
Reading this book is like being stuck at the relatives table at a wedding, next to a drunk Aunt or Uncle who just can't seem to make a coherent point. I'm assuming the author is used to meeting a particular word count, since there is so much waffle.
Pity, since the topic is interesting but this book misses the opportunity with pointless anecdotes and filler text.
Pity, since the topic is interesting but this book misses the opportunity with pointless anecdotes and filler text.
January 17, 2019
I recommend evet politician and aspiring politician read this book.
January 24, 2019
Excellent analysis of Australian context
July 3, 2021
Such an important book for city Australians but even more so for policy/program officers in government
July 13, 2025
As a small town boy - this was a special read. Chan paints a careful, textured picture of regional and rural Australia, complete with its contradictions, strengths and flaws. Remains more relevant than ever in understanding the culture, politics and resilience of our regions.
January 26, 2019
This book made a lot of sense about the divide between the city and the country, between the haves and the have nots, and between those towns in a safe seat vs those that aren't. Gabrielle is a really good writer, this has been researched well, and even the case studies cover all bases. I often stopped to think about a sentence here or a paragraph there; that resonated with me, a rural-based reader.
June 3, 2023
I wanted to like this book. It's easy to read and I sense the author is well educated and well regarded in her field. Structurely, the book felt more like a monologue than a cohesive, well thought out argument. I learned things I wanted to know about country Australia but I wish I'd learnt them in a more robust way.
November 18, 2018
Gabrielle Chan is an Australian journalist seen by me on both television and in print, and here she writes about her experience moving from the inner city (Sydney) to a small country town (Harden), having married a local, who she calls "the farmer" throughout.
This forms the background for an intriguing, interesting and relevant series of observations (the chapters are called "Lessons") about rural society, its politics and desires and its differences and even alienation from urban Australia in particular, but also the politicians who claim to represent them.
She writes in an easy ro read, sometimes languid, prose, and the book contains interviews and stories from locals and others in similar environments as well as the political world in Canberra, a couple of hours' drive away.
The structure of the book interweaves Chan's personal experience of engaging with her new community and the ways that community operates, and she makes clear that she doesn't necessarily agree with all that her interviewees think, believe and say, and also doesn't judge them, which is excellent as far as this reader is concerned.
This book was out for a while before I decided to buy it. I think it's an essential read for Australian citizens and voters as well as, obviously, politicians, economists, banks and corporations.
This forms the background for an intriguing, interesting and relevant series of observations (the chapters are called "Lessons") about rural society, its politics and desires and its differences and even alienation from urban Australia in particular, but also the politicians who claim to represent them.
She writes in an easy ro read, sometimes languid, prose, and the book contains interviews and stories from locals and others in similar environments as well as the political world in Canberra, a couple of hours' drive away.
The structure of the book interweaves Chan's personal experience of engaging with her new community and the ways that community operates, and she makes clear that she doesn't necessarily agree with all that her interviewees think, believe and say, and also doesn't judge them, which is excellent as far as this reader is concerned.
This book was out for a while before I decided to buy it. I think it's an essential read for Australian citizens and voters as well as, obviously, politicians, economists, banks and corporations.
October 16, 2019
A great book about the country/city divide. Political parties have the votes in the cities now to maintain power and rural people only have power with independents who can do deals. The National Party has miserably failed its constituent base and have become the lapdogs of the Liberals. It's no wonder rural Australians feel left behind with some services thrown at them like scraps to dogs.
A great book written by someone who has lived on both sides of the fence and understands the issues. Well done.
A great book written by someone who has lived on both sides of the fence and understands the issues. Well done.
November 19, 2019
Having heard Gabrielle Chan speak, I was interested in reading her book. This is an approachable read and to me as a rural dweller it really resonated with what I know and believe. I found a lot to relate to in her critiques of education, political parties, government regulation and response to rural and pressing issues, immigration debates, and the rural-city divide. This is well worth reading if you want to understand the back story to current Australian politics and to the issues that count going forward.
January 24, 2019
Chan obviously loves her small country town, and I understand why. I also completely understand how it can frustrate her at times. Perhaps the secret to wherever you live, is being present and accepting with gratitude the joys and pleasures (as well as the niggles and annoyances) that abound in any place, with as much good grace and mindfulness as you can manage.
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2018/...
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2018/...
February 20, 2019
The title pretty much says it all, but there's a lot more nuance here than you'll find in even the most analytic of our news outlets. An excellent overview of the reality behind the stereotypes, with not a few warnings to major parties that will most likely fall upon deaf ears. Definitely worth your time if you're looking for something more than the pat explanations we usually get for the rise of the minor parties and independents in this country, and why that phenomenon is likely to continue.
July 30, 2019
Every Australian should read this. It does a great job at breaking down barriers between city and country and offers valuable insight into the similarities and differences between the two. This flat white-sipping, city dwelling leftie, who grew up on a farm, feels he can be a better ally and advocate for those less fortunate in both cities and the country. There better be decent coffee when I come to visit though...
August 11, 2019
I think I get more out of this book than most because I am very familiar with Harden and a lot of the topics Gabrielle talks about. I have no idea how to deal with regional decline in the light of the fact that high speed rail may never happen, but I am often struck by the similarities between my own town and euthanasia. If we are to die, can we not be afforded some dignity? Why must we beg for clean water, education or heaven forbid a doctor?
March 9, 2019
Enjoyable and interesting - Guardian writer and Canberra press-gallery regular moves to small town Australia, and writes about the gulf between our country towns and big cities in an informative and well-written book. I'm keen to understand more about the country Australian mindset and this book certainly helps.
March 11, 2019
A brilliant book that really, really spoke to me. Very well written, the author is in a unique position to write a book such as this, as she straddles so many disparate worlds. I like how she combined the broader issues facing our country with inspiring individual vignettes. Maggie-Kate's story from small town schoolgirl to medical doctor has to be the most inspirational I have ever read.
January 4, 2021
An interesting book on an important topic, that shares plenty of unvarnished local views. The writing isn't particularly strong or structured, and the arguments are not always coherently presented, but I still learned a lot and gained some useful insight. Worth reading if politics, policy, regional or national development, or social cohesion interest you or relate to your work.
March 10, 2019
Great analysis. Very interesting for a big city/suburban person to get a country view. I skimmed the last two chapters and they were a little repetitive. Besides that, I think this is important reading for anyone interested in Australian politics.
July 22, 2019
City folk bewildered by the results of the last federal election would do well to read this book. They will hopefully come to the conclusion at the end of it that as Australians we are all in this together, not that we inhabit two countries.
June 20, 2019
An interesting exploration of politics and rural Australia.
gave-up-on
June 27, 2019Abandoned 15%
July 5, 2019
A close inspection of the politics of country Australia, with a foot on each side of the deepening city-rural divide. Necessary reading.
June 19, 2020
An important voice that clearly conveys the complex issues faced by regional Australia, while also making a case for its important role in the future economic development of Australia.
August 20, 2020
A good read for Australians that lived only in large cities.
September 20, 2020
Filing next to 'Hillbilly Elegy' and 'The Trouble with Kansas'.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews