The ten essays and fifty-three photographs in this book together present the case for regionalism in Australia's visual arts. Regionalism is a concept widely embraced in Europe and America but in Australia, where the capital cities have maintained a strong hegemony in most spheres of life, itis only now beginning to be considered. Taking the Regional Galleries of New South Wales as a model, Cultivating the Country examines the rich diversity of arts practice which exists outside the capital cities. It is a vital part of Australian cultural heritage which, until now, has beenundervalued. The writers are Peter Skrzynecki, Mary Rose Liverani, Professor Bernard Smith, John McDonald, Beatrice Faust, Michael Bogle, Daniel Thomas, Robyn Williams and Jack Davis. Their essays are beautifully complemented by Gerrit Fokkema's photographs, taken in and around the regionalgalleries. The result is a lively, though far from uncritical, picture of what it means to be involved in the arts in rural Australia, and the need to appreciate the contribution regional arts make to Australian cultural life and heritage.