"Getting a life" is a challenging process for all young Australians. Young people growing up in rural areas and isolated areas face particular challenges because the structural change to the rural economy has dramatically affected the very fabric of their communities.

This paper will explore the structural, cultural and social challenges facing young people living in rural Australia The challenges which emerged were transport, accommodation, education, training, gender relations, suicide, social isolation and social division. The paper draws on the available literature and research in the area. It also draws on a range of research that has identified community strategies that are being developed to meet these challenges. The community strategies have a number of common processes that are vital for success, with the role of young people being an important ingredient in this success.