National Youth Young Adults Ministry

Advance Australia Where?

Mackay writes with a uniquely insightful style that penetrates to the core of Australian culture, values and society. In this book Mackay examines Australian society and it movement towards the future and makes some uncomfortable observations along the way.

If you took any survey on any street and asked the question what were Australian values most answers would reflect a bush lifestyle egalitarianism and mateship.

Mackay suggests that these ideals are probably mythological if you look at the values that actually are demonstrated by what Australians do: city living, self focussed, out to make a dollar and trying to stay with the latest trend in technology.

Mackay suggests that the reality is seen in the continuing poverty and ill health of aboriginal people, the climbing disparity of income for workers versus the super executives and the way that most people couldn't find the bush with little hope of understanding or surviving in a non-urban context and much more.

Biting deep into the psyche Mackay asks the question' just where is Australia advancing'? His 13th, 14th and 15th chapters hold a clue as to where Mackay thinks this is heading, in these chapters he engages with the question of what young people are showing signs of becoming interested in. Emerging from what Mackay calls the dreamy period of good economic and social times that has turned people's interests inwards to themselves and to self absorption,

Mackay observes that young people are re engaging with community but in a radically different way, using smaller networks and technology as a tool, they are asking questions of values and morality as they observe the failures of their preceding generations, they are engaging with the questions of future, of environment of materialism and its alternatives. All of these point to a new construction of Australian society.

Mackay highlights the need to engage with six areas of life, global warming, politics, the monarchy, public education, poverty and arts funding, suggesting that to grapple with questions in these areas will provide an understanding of who Australians will become.

This book will challenge and provoke thoughtful engagement with life in Australia and for anyone working with people in our community.                              

(Source: Ernest Sorenson, SA Synod)

An extract on Australian identity is downloadable here.