Australia Child Labour Laws History

The first Australian state to introduce legislation specifically addressing child labour was Victoria, with the passage of its first Factory Act in 1873. This act included provisions that limited the working hours for females (including girls) in factories to a maximum of eight hours per day. 

In Australia the child labour laws have evolved over time, with the first regulations targeting factory work emerging in the 1870s, specifically in Victoria. While these early laws restricted working hours for children, particularly in factories, child labour continued to be prevalent in other sectors, such as agriculture, well into the 20th century. 

It was with the introduction of compulsory schooling and other regulations that really started a change in beginning to limit child labour. Except in the area of agriculture as many farmers relied on their children to help with the farm work.

The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 defined a child as someone of compulsory school age, which was then sixteen years old. 

The International Labour Organization (ILO) developed the Minimum Age Convention in 1973, which Australia signed. By the 1990’s we saw the start of the rights of the child being considered.

The Child Employment Act 2006 was introduced in Queensland, aiming to protect children working in various industries. 

Today, child labour laws in Australia are primarily state-, with the Commonwealth Government having some oversight through various international treaties and legislation. The Child Employment Act 2006 and the Child Employment Regulation 2016 in Queensland, for example, aim to safeguard children from harmful work and ensure that their education is not negatively impacted. 

• South Australia and New South Wales: No minimum working age. 
• Victoria: Minimum age of 11 for delivering newspapers and advertising material, and 13 for retail and hospitality. 
• Western Australia: Minimum age of 10 for delivering newspapers and advertising material, and 13 for retail and hospitality. 
• Queensland: Minimum age of 11 for certain types of work, with a general prohibition on children under 13 working unless in the entertainment industry or delivering supervised materials. 
• Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory: Minimum age of 15. 
• Tasmania: No minimum working age for casual or part-time work, but restrictions apply to specific types of work, such as working behind a bar (minimum age 18). 

Ok that will do for this post next week we will look at America.

 

 

Freedom Hodgepodge

 

Here I am doing another hodgepodge which is brought to you by Joyce over at http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/

Here are this week’s questions.

What does freedom mean to you?

Freedom for me to be able to be whatever religion I choose or to have no religion, to travel without asking permission to do so, you know the usual stuff.

How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? If you live outside the USA answer this question as it relates to your own country's patriotic holiday, wherever that may land on the calendar. 

Tim and I don’t do anything to celebrate Australia Day, however, 2 of my sisters and my brother have BBQ and get drunk

This or that...red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Watermelon, home-made ice cream, or blueberry pie? How do you feel about fireworks? 

No stars and stripes on our, well we do have stars 6 of them, never had home-made ice cream or a blueberry pie, we would have a pavlova. I love fireworks and miss the days when we could buy them and set them off ourselves.

What have you purchased recently that made you excited? 

Clothes and other things off Temu as birthday/Christmas gifts

I'm thankful to live in America (or fill in whatever country you call home) because____________.

I love living in Australia as it feels like a safer country generally speaking, of course there is violence and crime but it’s for most not in your face.

Insert your own random thought here. 

Contentment is finding joy in simplicity, embracing life’s blessings, big and small. It’s gratitude for what’s present, rather than longing for what’s not. Contentment brings peace, harmony, and a deeper appreciation for the beauty of the present moment.

 

Tuesday's Four On Wednesday

 

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4, who can be found here: https://lemonscottage.blogspot.com/ . 

Describe the best job you ever had why was it good? (if it was awful, tell us about that instead)

The only job I have ever had was that of mother and grandmother and love it, I love being around my daughters and grandchildren and watching them grow.

How did you learn to do your job?

The way most do on the job with guidance from my mum and my nan, I was lucky to have a great mum as not everyone does.

You are now in charge of your town's public relations committee. Tell us why we need to move to your town.

Because it is a large town with a small town feel to it, unlike Sydney it isn’t so easy to get lost in it.

It's lunch time! Build your perfect sandwich for us. What's in it and on it and what's in our cups?

I love a ham and cheese sandwich, we start with thick sliced bread, with one sliced buttered and the other has a cream cheese spread, we then have a slice of honey ham, then a slice of Colby cheese, then another slice of ham place the top slice of bread on it and cut into four pieces.  My drink would be Pepsi Max.

 

Tuesday's four on a Thursday

 

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4, who can be found here: https://lemonscottage.blogspot.com/ . 

What are the most memorable destinations you've visited, and what made them stand out? (this could include places like museums, art galleries, etc. not only a vacation site.)

The country of New Zealand been there three times want to go again, there is nothing that in particular that I can think of though at this time.

Which hidden gem locations have you explored that you'd recommend to others?

Caves with glow worms they are amazing, I have been to some in New Zealand and some here in Australia

What’s the most unique cultural experience you’ve had while traveling?

I can’t think of anything maybe that’s because I am writing this at 7.30pm and my brain doesn’t work great when I am tired.

What mode of transportation is your favourite for a long trip? How about a short trip?

Long trips would be either by plane or by train depending on where I am going, short trips by car with Tim driving.

 

June's last hodgepodge

 

Here I am doing another hodgepodge which is brought to you by Joyce over at http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/

Here are this

week’s questions.

What does adventure mean to you? 

It means doing something exciting and often somewhat dangerous and not something I would do.

What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd0 like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

Since I am in Australia it isn’t something, we are expected to do and wouldn’t like it if I was.

I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favourite treats at your house? What's your favourite flavour? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

I really like chocolate and vanilla except when it comes to soft serve then it has to be vanilla.

What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

Back in my day we could spend all day outside with our friends coming in when mum yelled your name and said it was teatime. I also walked to and from school on my own since the age of 7.

Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

Some up June? Let me think, painful, busy and happy

Insert your own random thought here.

As one grows old, one stops chasing the big things and starts valuing the little things: alone time, sufficient sleep, a healthy diet, long walks, and quality time with loved ones.
Simplicity becomes the ultimate objective.

History of child labour laws

 

While out blog visiting, I came across this post, https://itsmostamazingindia.wordpress.com/2025/06/12/child-labour-day

So decided to do a post about the history of child labour and child labour laws. This will properly be a two- or three-part series as there is a lot to cover.

I know that my dad’s father was working in the coal mines at the age of 14, this I know because his sister (Aunty Joyce) told me how when he was 14, he was injured while working in the mines and was in hospital. She would go and visit him and then go to the women’s ward and visit their mother who was in hospital as well, Aunty Joyce said she didn’t tell their mum at the time about Tom being injured.

Anyway, moving from that to the start of child labour changes.

Child labour laws began appearing during the Industrial Revolution, starting with the 1803 Factory Act in Britain. This act and subsequent ones, like the 1833 Factory Act, aimed to regulate working conditions, especially for children, by limiting work hours, children under 18 and banning night work, and requiring education. In 1878 The Factory and Workshops Act in Britain banned employment of children under 10.

By 1890, many European countries had implemented such laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 in the United States ended most child labour outside of agriculture.

Child labour laws in England began with the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act in 1802, which aimed to regulate the working conditions of pauper children in cotton mills. This was followed by further legislation, including the Factory Act of 1833, which established factory inspections and limited working hours for children. Compulsory schooling from the 1870s further restricted child labour.

Now days during school term time, children can only work a maximum of 12 hours a week. This includes: a maximum of 2 hours on school days and Sundays. a maximum of 5 hours on Saturdays for 14-year-olds, or 8 hours for 15 to 16-year-olds.

 

Swallowing Issues

 

Just a reminder that activities that relate to speaking and speaking and swallowing often become more challenging as Parkinson’s disease progresses. Struggles with swallowing, can create both challenging and dangerous circumstances for those who struggle with the symptom.

Not only can swallowing become a hazard for choking, but they may also cause people with Parkinson’s to withdraw from social activities. Also, when you inhale your food or liquid, you’re more likely to develop respiratory illnesses like Pneumonia, which is a leading cause of death among Parkinson’s patients.

Fortunately, it is possible to take a number of steps to minimize the risk that’s associated with changes to swallowing.

Strategies like taking small bites of food, or little sips can make food easier for PD patients to manage the swallowing process. It may be helpful to swallow more than once or to drink fluid between bites of food.