Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory – educational resources

The Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory documentary is a history resource for both educational institutions and those with an interest in the history of our nation.

It examines the early history of the Arbitration Court, the Australian minimum wage, working hours and paid leave, including:

• the reasons why the Australian Parliament established the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in 1904
• the establishment by the Court of a minimum wage, beginning with the Harvester decision of 1907 that 7 shillings a day for an unskilled labourer was ‘fair and reasonable wages’
• the later change in the 1960s and 1970s to equal award pay for women and Aboriginal stockmen, and the development of special lower minimum wages for adolescents and apprentices, and
• the gradual development of sick leave, annual leave, maternity and paternity leave in the 1930s–1990s.

Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory is a documentary based on the book. It is for those with a general interest in Australian history, and for secondary and tertiary students.

Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this documentary may contain images and voices of deceased persons. 

Recordings, text and illustrations from earlier eras may reflect the attitudes of the time.

The Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory book is a history resource for both educational institutions and those with an interest in the history of our nation.

An electronic version of the book, and extracts from it, are available at no cost from the links below.

Download in iTunes Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory

This book can only be viewed using iBooks 3.0 or later on an iPad (iOS 5.1 or later is required).

Download PDF:

• Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory (pdf)
• Part 1—Waltzing Matilda and the Great Strikes (pdf)
• Part 2—Establishing an Australian Minimum Wage (pdf)
• Part 3—The Campaigns for Equal Pay for Women and Aboriginal Stockmen and Minimum Wages for Adolescents (pdf)
• Part 4—Leave and Other Entitlements (pdf)

Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this book may contain images of deceased persons. 

Text and illustrations from earlier eras may reflect the attitudes of the time.

A suite of free downloadable resources is available to support the book and film Waltzing Matilda and the Sunshine Harvester Factory. These include:

PowerPoint Presentation

This PowerPoint presentation by the Honourable Deputy President Reg Hamilton provides an overview of the themes included in the book and the film.

Download presentation (pdf)

Download presentation (PowerPoint)

Teachers’ Kit

The Teachers' kit (pdf) is designed for Years 9 and 10 in secondary school. It covers:

• the creation of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration (1904)
• the Harvester decision (1907) establishing a minimum wage of 7 shillings a day
• changes in the 1960s and 1970s about equal pay for women and Aboriginal stockmen, and youth and apprentice wages
• evolution of leave entitlements, such as sick, annual, maternity and paternity leave, from 1930s to the 1990s.

The kit includes a guide to pre-decimal currency (pounds, shillings, pence).

Student Activities Guide

Feedback

Feedback or suggestions about the content in the Teachers' kit can be sent to chambers.clancy.dp@fwc.gov.au.