Working conditions in
Australia around the turn of
the century
By
Ms S. Angelo
Head Teacher History
East Hills Girls Technology High School
Asking Historical Questions





What image is created by the expression
“A Working Man’s Paradise”?
What kind of conditions do you think
would exist in “A Working Man’s Paradise”?
Does the expression include all workers?
Who would use the expression?
Why would they use it?
A Working Man’s Paradise



Australia was considered to be a ‘working
man’s paradise’ in the early 1900s
It was a phrase used by colonial politicians
and employer groups to attract workers to
the colonies that made up Australia in the
1800s
It suggested that Australia was a better
place to work than Britain
An Accurate Image?
Primary Industries

From Federation to World War I Australia
continued it’s economic growth






Exporting primary products – wheat and wool
Overseas borrowing to finance development
After 1903 the wool industry rapidly grew
Refrigeration allowed the export of mutton
William Farrer developed a rust resistant strain of
wheat and led to a doubling of wheat exports 1901 –
1913
Development of railways, irrigation schemes helped
expand Primary Industries
Mining and Manufacturing

Mining continued to expand





copper and tin (Qld & TAS)
Silver and zinc (NSW- Broken Hill)
Iron ore (SA) 1909
Iron and steel works – (NSW – Newcastle)
Although Australia was not highly
developed in its manufacturing sector


Factory workers almost doubled 1901 – 1913
Australia needed tariffs to help protect its
manufacturing sector from cheaper imports
Working Conditions







Middle class people generally worked in “White
Collar” jobs – offices, professions, self-employed
Poorer people tended to work in “Blue Collar”
jobs – factories and in service
Conditions of employment were very tough and
would not be accepted today
Employers tended to ignore laws about working
conditions
Hours were long and wages were low
Women only earned 50% of a man’s wage for
the same work
Men were considered to be the “Bread Winner”
Some Positives







Skilled workers were well paid in comparison to
other countries
Working conditions tended to be better than
other countries as well
Australia led the world in industrial relations and
social welfare
Australia had a warmer climate than Britain
Workers generally had a better diet in Australia
compared to Britain (meat and tea)
A higher percentage of workers in Australia
owned their own homes compared to Britain
8 hour day achieved in Australia before Britain
Some Negatives




Conditions in factories in summer were often
unbearable in the heat
Rural workers had to contend with drought,
bushfires and isolation
Rents were higher in Australia compared to
Britain
Majority of unskilled workers in Australia did not
get the benefit of the 8 hour day including
women, child workers, Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander, or Chinese workers
Women and Work: Using Sources


Read Sources 1.14, 1.15, and 1.16 in
Investigating Australia’s 20th Century
History on page 13
Answer Questions 1 - 3
Work Place Laws

After an economic depression the 1890s saw a
number of strikes







Maritime Strike of 1890 in Vic, NSW, Qld, SA
Shearers’ Strikes in 1891 and 1894 in Qld
Miners’ Strike in 1892 – Broken Hill NSW
Government supported the employers
Police were used to control demonstrations
Unions were defeated and returned to work
Previous gains were lost
End of Presentation