White Australians living in rural and isolated areas were administered indices of communication apprehension, receiver apprehension and communication flexibility, and were asked about their previous contacts, communication success, and concerns with Australian Aborigines. Greater receiver apprehension and communication inflexibility were associated with a reported inability to communicate with Aboriginies and a lack of informal, social contact between the groups, although generally not with amounts of previous contact or majority concern for the minority. These particular interpersonal apprehensions relating to communication, if not considered, may diminish the effectiveness of cross‐cultural training programme