Sheep's Back

For a golden century, the wool industry gave Australia one of the highest living standards in the world. The economy rode high on wealth from primary exports. By the 1950s, wool was synonymous with the Australian way of life. Yet barely a decade later, Australia had jumped from the sheep's back on to the iron ore train. As the fortunes of the rural sector wane, city identification with rural Australia is fading too. What does the future hold for farmers and their families? And what will become of the rural symbols and legends upon which the Australian identity once depended?