Revisiting the past: the association for Australian rural nurses comes of age.

Abstract

It is timely for the Association for Australian Rural Nurses to review its achievements since the inauguration of the association in 1992. Undoubtedly the 1990s will be remembered as the period during which rural health and rural issues first gained a significant and much needed profile generated within political discourse. The launch of the Australian Journal of Rural Health in 1992 provided both an impetus and an outlet for debate on rural health issues and helped to focus national attention on the plight of rural communities.1 The new Journal's first issue highlighted that ‘rural areas have been shown to be a neglected concern and comparatively disadvantaged with respect to the provision of health services.’2 Moreover, its contents highlighted the significance of the thorny question of ‘when does urban become rural?’ and the need for further research to ‘determine the extent to which there exists a rural‐urban differential in health status.’3