Fifteen years ago social researcher Hugh Mackay wrote the bestseller Reinventing Australia, which analysed, with forensic skill, what was happening within Australian society.

 

In this year’s Nowik public lecture hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU), Mackay takes another hard look at Australians to see how far we have come.

 

“Given the swiftly changing character of modern Australian society, I will consider what Australian society might look like in the coming years: what will the next generation of Australian children be like? Why have we lost interest in politics? Why are our houses getting bigger while our households are shrinking? Can the decline of the public education system be reversed? Are we spending too much public money on the arts?,” he says.

 

Mackay maintains that while we enjoy unprecedented levels of prosperity and the promise of more to come, we are still battling an epidemic of depression, taking on record levels of debt, and yearning for a deeper sense of meaning in our lives.

 

“While many Australians complain about feeling powerless and isolated, I see some encouraging signs that we are learning how to absorb the impact of the revolutionary changes that have reshaped us.”

 

Hugh Mackay is the author of eleven books, including four bestsellers in the field of social analysis, and four novels. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie and NSW universities. He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the 2004 Alumni Award for community service from the University of Sydney. A former deputy chairman of the Australia Council, he is currently an adjunct professor in CSU's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.

 

He writes a weekly column for the Sun-Herald and the West Australian, and is a frequent guest columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is also a frequent broadcaster on ABC radio.

 

The Nowik Lecture, hosted by Professor Gail Whiteford, Head of the University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus, is a major annual event for Charles Sturt University. It is named after Dr Henry Nowik, a stalwart for economic development in regional Australia.

 

“Providing a forum for such challenging ideas and opinions shows how CSU is making an important contribution to the social and cultural life of our inland communities, as well as our economic development,” Professor Whiteford said.