The historical development and future challenges for occupational health services in Australia

Abstract: The development of occupational health services in Australia was influenced by numerous historical events. Australia was first established as a British penal colony in 1788 and slowly developed with free settlement during the 1800s. Gold was discovered in 1851, which led to an explosion in the amateur and largely unregulated mining industry. By the early 1900s, industrial development had begun on a wide scale. Early occupational health services appeared, largely in response to the unacceptable working conditions which employees were facing at the time. Occupational health research also emerged, as physicians and scientists explored the origins of workplace hazards and disease. Social forces played a major role in the late 20th century, as quality of life, including work life, became an increasingly important issue in the wider Australian community. Although great strides have been made in occupational health services during the past 200 years, a continuous decline in funding for worker''s health research poses probably the most serious challenge in contemporary Australia and one that continues into the new millennium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]