Reconsidering Women's Role in the Professionalisation of the Economy: Evidence from the Australian Census 1881–1947

Abstract

Scholarly histories of the professions have generally ignored the role of women in most professional work. This article uses data from the Australian Census to analyse patterns as the professions grew to occupy a significant portion of the labour force. The article discusses the strengths and limitations of the Census, especially for women. It finds a relatively high proportion of women professionals as a percentage of the female labour force throughout the period. Much of the professional work done by women was derived from social, household-based work. This suggests a need to reconsider the role of women in the professionalisation of the wider economy.