The main objective in this paper is to promote thinking on what "sustainable development" or "ecologically sustainable development" means for a small trading country. After a brief acknowledgement of some of the diverse literature on sustainability, there is a consideration of some realities facing a small trading economy. The balance of the paper comprises a discussion of the scope for a small country to enhance sustainability. This is done under several headings, corresponding to different classes of resources. Although some of the discussion in the paper is couched in general terms, much of it is in the context of Australian conditions.