This paper addresses the need to sustain rural towns in Australia through private and public investments. Rural and remote areas of Australia have provided the national economy with crucial export earnings and provided governments with royalties and taxes collected on regional resources. However, government funding for upgrading infrastructures and services in rural areas have been inadequate. Population statistics and trends in two rural regions of Australia indicate that population growth continues in non-metropolitan areas, a fact that dispels the notion that country towns are dying. This report includes analyses of seven northern Australian towns, four of which have received significant government input and three that have received minimal government investment. These analyses illustrate that relatively small expenditures by the government can encourage economic growth through providing necessary infrastructures to attract private investment. Rural education in Australia is one of many services considered inferior to that in larger urban areas. However, rural dwellers expressed advantages of the rural life style, which outweigh the problems associated with living in rural areas. Long-term sustainable development in rural towns will best be achieved by diversification of their economic base through public and private investment. This report contains maps and tables providing descriptive information about the towns analyzed in the report. (LP)