Being Australia

Book excerpt: Going back where you came from is harder if it's where you already are...Migrants arrive in the Lucky Country from lands their forebears knew for a thousand years. They know where they are and why they're here and what they face. Then there are their children, born in a country that can't spell their names, and of a heritage that doesn't know they were born. Reminded every day that he doesn't quite belong, and reminding himself where others forget or couldn't care less, second generation Ed Casper sets out on a journey to not only be an Australian but to be his country, to "be Australia," with Henry Lawson as his guide. Determined to "romance the swag," Ed abandons his career for outback sheep stations and works his way to an iconic identity while at a crossroads in his life, while at a crossroads in his nation. The chronicle explores the changing face of Australia, and a name among many that it went by, Ed Casper. It examines the decisions we make and the worlds we build because of them. Reinventing the past. Another story from the 'BEING' series.