'Dad's Trip to Brisbane (from Our New Selection)' Summary

'Dad's Trip to Brisbane' is a chapter from Steele Rudd's popular 'Our New Selection' which follows the amusing antics of a family on their Australian farm. After years of planning, Dad, a character who embodies the quintessential Australian bushman, finally decides to embark on a trip to Brisbane. The entire family, though initially happy for Dad's 'change of scenery,' is thrown into disarray by his absence. Dad's absence uncovers the chaos he usually keeps in check, and the family is left to manage the farm and its inhabitants (including a mischievous bull and a love-struck Billy Bearup) on their own. Steele Rudd's witty prose and endearing characters capture the essence of rural Australian life, highlighting the resilience, humour, and unexpected challenges of living in a remote, family-oriented environment. Throughout the story, Rudd uses the events on the farm to subtly satirize aspects of rural life, emphasizing the differences between the perceived and actual demands of farm life, and the humorous contradictions between Dad's self-importance and the reality of his absence.