Working The Nation explores the historical significance of Federation and the impact it has had on working life in Australia. This collection of essays, from Australia’s leading labour historians, identifies the formative influences on working life in the period 1890 – 1914, and how national policy development affected the working culture of the emerging nation.

Organised around key themes, this book draws together innovative research on employer-employee relations, the role of the state, wages and arbitration, gender, race, culture and individual experience.

Contributors include Stuart Macintyre, Raelene Frances, John Bannon, Lucy Taksa, Ray Markey, Joy Damousi, Anne Dunne, Erik Eklund, Terry Irving, Neville Kirk, Lenore Layman, Gaby Ramia, Glenda Strachan, Kay Saunders and Nick Wales. 345 pages (including illustrations). First published 2001. ISBN 1 86403 135 2