Meet the Neighbours (ATOM Study Guide)

Two hours west of Melbourne, the town of Maryborough is home to around 8000 people. Back in the gold rush days of the 1850s, Maryborough used to be one of the most vibrant, multicultural and wealthy places on earth. But these days the town’s population is ageing fast, with retirees outnumbering children under the age of fifteen by two to one. Today, Maryborough is one of the whitest and most disadvantaged towns in Australia.

In a unique social experiment, eight diverse households are invited to leave their city lives behind and make this place home. They all sign up to participate in a local council-backed three-month Pilot Project that could show the way for struggling towns right across Australia. Could these new migrant residents breathe new life into the town? Will the move to Maryborough be life-changing for them? Or will local resistance to different cultures and people be a problem?

With the town’s future at stake, will the experiment work? Over the next three months, series presenter Myf Warhurst checks in on the progress of the unique social experiment, and asks what the future holds for Maryborough and the many other small towns doing it tough right across the country. The trials and tribulations of the new residents and the town are closely followed. How are the newcomers from different multicultural backgrounds welcomed by a town that is one of the least diverse in Australia? What happens when households swap the hustle and bustle of the city for a life in sleepy regional Australia? And how valuable will the town’s new workers prove themselves to be?

This is a story that connects with all Australians: about generational disadvantage, housing shortages, bureaucracy and a potentially divided nation – city versus country. The issues addressed in Meet the Neighbours have implications for all Australians. As the new residents settle, live and then decide whether to make this town home or not, we reflect on what the bigger solutions might be and what the future could look like. 

Curriculum Links:

Meet the Neighbours can be linked to the following subject areas within the Australian Curriculum. Please note, this list is not exhaustive.

• Senior Secondary English
• Year 11 Modern History
• Year 10 History
• Year 10 Media Arts
• Year 10 Civics and Citizenship