Finding details on the status of women in the workplace can be difficult, especially in the early period of New South Wales history. What follows is a mix of general details of the ongoing struggle for equal pay and better working conditions and also a list of specific record series that highlight working women.
The following agencies relating to women are listed in Collection Search under Advanced Search: Agency No. These may be useful starting points for further research:
| Agency | Title |
|---|---|
| Agency No. 1128 | Women's Policy Unit (c.1977-1978) / Women's Coordination unit (1978-1993) |
| Agency No. 1129 | Ministry for the Status and Advancement of Women (1993-1995) |
| Agency No. 1130 | Department for Women (1995-2004) Agency No. 1130 |
| Agency No. 4119 | Office for Women (2004 - ) |
A Collection Search using the keyword "women" also brings up 400+ series results.
More specific searches about women in the workforce can be undertaken using the following phrases as an Advanced Search: Record Item - Item Title:
- "Affirmative action"
- "Equal employment/opportunity"
- "Equal pay"
- "Women's group"
- "Women's trade union"
- "Technical jobs"
- "New Careers"
- "Anti-discrimination"
Industrial relations
The following agencies relating to industrial relations may be useful starting points for further research:
| Agency | Title |
|---|---|
| Agency No. 413 | Department of Labour and Industry (1986-119) |
| Agency No. 414 | Industrial Arbitration Office (1901-1926) / Industrial Registry (1926 - ) |
| Agency No. 430 | Court of Industrial Arbitration (1912-1926) |
| Agency No. 473 | Office for Women (2004 - ) |
| Agency No. 474 | Industrial Commission of New South Wales (1926-1996) |
Women's Directorate, Industrial Relations - Committee to Inquire into the Status of Women in Employment in Commerce and Industry
The Committee to Inquire into the Status of Women in Employment in Commerce and Industry was established by the Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment, the Honourable P.D. Hills, in November 1985. It was a tripartite body with three representatives each from trade unions, employer organizations and government, with an independent chairperson. The functions of the Committee were to inquire into the status of women in New South Wales in employment in commerce and industry.
The following record series relating to the Women's Directorate can be found in Collection Search: Advanced search: Record series number - 5560, 5561, 5562, 5563, 5567 and 5568.
Industrial Cases/hearings
The Court of Arbitration was formed in accordance with the Industrial Arbitration Act, 1901,(Act No.59,1901). The purpose of the Court was to hear and determine industrial disputes. Some of the most important early cases involving women in the workplace will be found in the series listed below.
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 5339 | Industrial arbitration: Extracts and transcripts [7/1857] | 1902-1920 |
| NRS 5340 | Transcripts of proceedings of the Court of Arbitration [2/59-117, 2/5694-721] | 1902-1908 |
| NRS 5341 | Transcripts of proceedings of the Industrial Court [2/5722, 2/118-23, 2/125-70, 2/215-45] | 1908-1912 |
| NRS 5342 | Transcripts of proceedings of the Court of Industrial Arbitration [2/171-214, 2/246-388] | 1912-1926 |
| NRS 5343 | Transcripts of proceedings of the Industrial Commission, 1926-81, 1926-39 [2/389-543] and [7/10956-11041], 1940-59 [11/1518-750, 7/1876-71, 7/1873-74], 1960-81 [6/10858-11169]. | 1926-1981 |
Judges notebooks
The Collection lists the notebooks of Judges and transcripts of proceedings before the Industrial Commission (Agency No. 474) and the Workers' Compensation Commission [I] (Agency No. 415).
Department of Education and Communities
Department of Education subject files, 1875-1948 include some references such as: Married Women Teachers' (Dismissal) Act, 1937-48, [20/13375 (pt)].
Parliamentary Counsel's records
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 10886 | Bill files [9/3014-24, 9/5064-101] - may contain details about relevant legislation to women in the workforce. Much of this material is closed to public access and it will be necessary to obtain permission to view the records from the Parliamentary Counsel's Office. | 1973-1977 |
Fire records
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 475 | NSW Fire Brigades subject files includes Womens Fire Auxiliary (Item 598) | dating from 1940-46 |
Special bundles
A comprehensive search of the Special Bundles, listed electronically in the reading room, may also provide further areas of research. Examples of the types of records that can be found include:
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 10923 CLOSED TO PUBLIC ACCESS |
Police: Women Police, 1957 [10/2195 pt] | 1957 |
| NRS 12061 | Premier's Department: Employment Council report - Equal pay for equal work for both sexes [9/2495 pt] | 1938 |
| NRS 12294 | Special Bundles
|
1933-1936 |
| NRS 14194 | Treasury: Women in Industry [7/2268.3] | 1931-1933 |
Employment records
If you are searching for the personnel or employment records for a specific woman who worked in a New South Wales government department then try a Collection Search under the department name. These records may be Closed to Public Access.
Professsions
Professions and Occupations can be searched by occupation for specific record item details for various occupations. Women may be included alongside their male colleagues as in professions such as Medical Practitioners or School Teachers. Traditional female dominated industries such as Nursing are included.
Public Sector
Information about women employed in the public sector is available in the Blue Books (Returns of the Colony) as well as the Public Service Lists, records of the Public Service Board (History Cards), the Department of Education (Teachers Rolls) and the State Rail Authority (Personal History Cards). Additional information on the employment of women in the public service will be found in the records of the Public Service Board (Agency No. 573) and other agencies that created and maintained separate employment records.
School and training records
A number of records relating to school education can be found in the Schools index, including records for schools such as Crown St Superior and Hunter Girls High. Other agencies involved in training girls and women include:
- Agency No. 398 Female Orphan School (see also NRS 15051 Photographic collection - Female Orphan School, 1824)
- Agency No. 460 Newcastle Public Industrial School for Girls (1867-1871) / Biloela Public Industrial School for Girls (1871-1887) / Parramatta Industrial School for Females (1887-1912) / Girl's Training Home, Parramatta (1912-1975) / Kamballa (1975-1983)
- Agency No. 461 Newcastle Reformatory School for Females (1869-1871) / Biloela Reformatory School For Females (1871-1880) / Shaftesbury Reformatory (1880-1904)
- Industrial Schools Index includes records from NRS 2438, NRS 14722-24, NRS 14730 and NRS 14739.
| Series | Title |
|---|---|
| NRS 15051 | Photographic collection - Female School of Industry |
| NRS 1095 | Parramatta - Female Factory Hospital |
| NRS 12228
|
Female Factory, females discharged |
| NRS 12229 | Female Factory, medical case book |