THE LIVING WAGE IN AUSTRALIA -- THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT.

The article discusses the setting of a living wage policy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Australia and the history of federal intervention in economic and social matters. A range of laws enacted by colonial, state, and Commonwealth governments to regulate wages and working conditions in the private sector between 1890 and 1910 are examined. How these early regulations reflect the importance of fixing minimum wages and forms the basis for current wage-fixing procedures is explored. The establishment and enforcement of the 'Seven Shillings a Day’ living wage standard for unskilled labor is detailed.