The condition of the urban wage earning class in Australia in the 1880's

Abstract

A comprehensive study of the condition of the urban wage earning class in Australia in the 1880’s would provide a very wide and diffuse subject. It would, indeed, be nothing less than a detailed survey of workplace, home, leisure, interests, attitudes, of the economic, political and social life, of a numerous and scattered class. While this may be attempted by the contemporary investigator for a small number of subjects, or less intensively for a larger group, in an historical study the ephemeral evidence of everyday life is not available, and the records from which some of it might be reconstructed are unsatisfactory or limited. Though a complete picture of the daily life of urban wage earners in Australia at this time cannot be pieced together, the utility of a more restricted enquiry is not thereby lessened, such a study is necessarily selective, but the limitation of the field permits the concentration of attention on such aspects as provide a coherent and significant account. In an attempt to do this the thesis will, in part I, outline the economic background to the 1880’s and specify the section of the population with which the theses is concerned, namely the urban wage earners in general, and certain group of wage earners in particular. Part II is concerned with working conditions _ the circumstances of the working lives of urban wage earners in the factory, shop or other workplaces, legislation affecting these, and hours of labour. Part III deals with wages, including methods of payment, rates and earnings, with prices as they affected real wages and with unemployment. Part IV treats of living conditions, primarily housing. Finally, the organisations of workers, mainly trade unions, are examined, and some brief attention is paid to other social institutions to the extent to which they affected conditions of life; from this an attempt is made to sum up working class attitudes. Show more