From breadwinners to Bluey's Bandit — a history of Australian fathers and their families

Fathering: An Australian History chronicles changing expectations and lived experiences of fathers in Australia across the twentieth century, combining archival sources and oral histories. The book explores how cultural ideals, economic structures and policy shaped fathering roles and how many men lived outside dominant prescriptions. It includes portraits of individual fathers and families to illustrate diversity in fathering practices, including working-class and Indigenous examples. The authors analyse intersections between paid work, welfare policies and family life to show how structural forces constrained or enabled father involvement. The volume serves as a resource for researchers, policy-makers and parents interested in the social history of fatherhood in Australia.

A Fair Day's Work: The Quest to Win Back Time traces the history of campaigns for shorter working hours, from the eight-hour movement to contemporary debates about work–life balance. Sean Scalmer examines the political and social arguments used by workers to secure time for family, leisure and civic life, highlighting how these movements were shaped by gendered assumptions. The book discusses how labour activism, employers and policy responses influenced the distribution of paid and unpaid work across society. Scalmer analyses the limits of past victories and how rising demands for longer hours have complicated efforts to rebalance time. The work situates contemporary proposals like four-day weeks within a longer history of struggles over work and care.