Introduction
Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory is a book about the establishment and development of Australia's unique industrial relations system.
Content
It is a history resource for both educational institutions and those with an interest in the history of our nation.
The book discusses the early history of the Arbitration Court, the Australian minimum wage, working hours and paid leave, including:
- the reasons why the Australian Parliament established the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in 1904
- the establishment by the Court of a minimum wage, beginning with the Harvester decision of 1907 that 7 shillings a day for an unskilled labourer was ‘fair and reasonable wages’
- the later change in the 1960s and 1970s to equal award pay for women and Aboriginal stockmen, and the development of special lower minimum wages for adolescents and apprentices, and
- the gradual development of sick leave, annual leave, maternity and paternity leave in the 1930s–1990s.
Printed copies of the book may be purchased (RRP $20) from Fair Work Commission offices.
Electronic versions of the book, and extracts from it, are available at no cost from the links below.
Download in iTunes:
Requirements: This book can only be viewed using iBooks 3.0 or later on an iPad. iOS 5.1 or later is required.
Download PDF:
- Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory (PDF)
- Part 1—Waltzing Matilda and the Great Strikes (PDF)
- Part 2—Establishing an Australian Minimum Wage (PDF)
- Part 3—The Campaigns for Equal Pay for Women and Aboriginal Stockmen and Minimum Wages for Adolescents (PDF)
- Part 4—Leave and Other Entitlements (PDF)
Please note: This book may show images of Aboriginal people who have died, which may cause distress to their relatives. Care and discretion should be used if viewing such an image. Text and illustrations from earlier eras may reflect the attitudes of the time.