''Our Rural Magazine'' was a monthly magazine produced between 1926 and 1946 by the WA Correspondence School of the

Education Department of Western Australia The Department of Education (WA) is the government department responsible for education in Western Australia as well as on Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The Department's head office, commonly referred to as 'Silver City' or ' ...

for school children who were located in isolated circumstances. In the

inter-war period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relative ...

, many isolated rural localities did not have primary schools, and the students were required to have their education by correspondence. The magazine was based in Perth. It was operated by the Education Department, with writers such as James Pollard and

John K. Ewers John Keith Ewers (13 June 19049 March 1978) was a novelist, poet, schoolteacher and short story writer from Western Australia.Gregory, Jenny, 'Ewers, John Keith (1904–1978)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, ...

. Heads of various institutions wrote on topics related to their position; in the September 1933 edition the Government Botanist C.A.Gardner wrote an article, and the curator of the museum

Ludwig Glauert Ludwig Glauert MBE (5 May 1879 – 1 February 1963) was a British-born Australian paleontologist, herpetologist and museum curator. He is known for work on Pleistocene mammal fossils, and as a museum curator who played an important role in na ...

conducted a correspondence column. Senior community leaders made encouraging messages to the isolated students, such as this one from Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood:

I earnestly advise you to take full advantage of the educational correspondence classes that are open to you and by which my two grand-daughters have started their education. Be guided by the help and valuable instruction to be derived from 'Our Rural Magazine' and do not forget that the country districts, handicapped as their people may be in many respects, have been responsible for many of the most able leaders in the public life of Australia."OUR RURAL MAGAZINE". (18 October 1934). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879-1954), p. 14. Retrieved 16 July 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32812573

Notes

{{Reflist 1926 establishments in Australia 1946 disestablishments in Australia Children's magazines published in Australia Monthly magazines published in Australia Defunct magazines published in Australia Distance education in Australia Education magazines Magazines established in 1926 Magazines disestablished in 1946 Magazines published in Perth, Western Australia

See also

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