Introduction
Australia's national workplace relations tribunal was established as the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration by the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904.
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Content
The Australian Constitution was changed to include an 'industrial power' allowing the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws about 'conciliation and arbitration for the prevention and settlement of industrial disputes extending beyond the limits of any one State’.
The Fair Work Commission and its predecessors are some of Australia’s oldest key institutions. The tribunal has made many decisions affecting the lives of Australian workers and employers. Since our creation in 1904, we have evolved in line with substantial legislative, social and economic changes.
The Commission over time
| Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration | 1904‒1956 |
| Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission | 1956‒1973 |
| Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission | 1973‒1989 |
| Australian Industrial Relations Commission | 1989‒2009 |
| Fair Work Australia | 01/07/2009 to 31/12/2012 |
| Fair Work Commission | 01/01/2013‒ongoing |
Sir Richard Kirby Archives
The Sir Richard Kirby Archives was set up in 2002 at our Melbourne office. It’s named after the tribunal’s longest-serving president and is used to store and organise important materials from our history.
Since 2002, the Kirby Archives collection has grown to include photographs, documents and memorabilia as well as a series of oral history interview recordings with former members, registry staff and other key industrial relations figures.
The collection has also been used to stage public exhibitions on themes highlighting our role in Australian industrial relations and society.
Equal Pay – A history of women’s wages and the Commission
The ninth exhibition from the Sir Richard Kirby Archives, Equal Pay – A history of women’s wages and the Commission, looks at how Australia’s workplace relations tribunal has helped close the pay gap between men and women.
A series of landmark cases, from the 1912 Fruit-pickers case to the 2022–24 Aged Care Work Value case, shows how decision-makers have continued to review and improve equal pay in jobs mostly done by women.
This exhibition was launched by the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG in November 2024. Read his speech (pdf) given at the exhibition opening.
Waltzing Matilda & the Sunshine Harvester Factory
The Harvester case was important in the history of working conditions in Australia. Find out more at our Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory page.
Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory book
The book is a history resource for the general reader and for secondary and tertiary students. It is about the early history of the Arbitration Court, the Australian minimum wage, working hours and paid leave.
Read more about the book on our Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory education resources page. This page provides a range of educational materials and resources for teachers and students. You can download the book for free from this page.
Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory documentary
The Honourable Bill Shorten, MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, launched the documentary film Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory in August 2012.
The film covers the same material as the book. You can download the documentary for free from our Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory educational resources page. A transcript is available from this page.