Agrarian Myth: Its History and Use by the Australian Country Party

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that agrarian myth was an important component of the Australian Country Party's ideology. This thesis undertakes a detailed examination of the nature of Australian agrarian myth and the manner of its use by the Country Party. The first chapter provides a theoretical framework for the study of myth and its relationship with ideology. The focus of the work then shifts to an examination of the characteristics of agrarian myth, first in Europe and then in America, where the land and the circumstances of its settlement brought about changes in the imported mythology. Some discussion of myth in the European tradition is essential, first to illustrate the strength and duration of the myth which Australia has inherited, and second to provide a model with which Australian agrarian myth can be compared. This also provides the reason for considering rural myth in the American context.