This study investigates child factory labour in Victoria, the most populous and industrialized colony in Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century. Three sources of primary data are analysed: Royal Commission reports, texts of bills and statutes, and parliamentary and public debates. The findings inform current academic debates by enhancing understanding of the role played by child workers during industrialization. They show that children were low-cost substitutes for adult males and that child labour was central to ongoing industrialization. A wide range of industries and jobs is identified in which children were employed in harsh conditions, in some instances in greater proportions than adults. Following the reports of the Royal Commission, the parliament of Victoria recognized a child labour problem serious enough to warrant regulation. While noting that circumstances were not as severe as in Britain, it passed legislation in 1885 with provisions that offered more protection to children than those in the British factory act of 1878. The legislation also offered more protection than factory laws in other industrializing colonies and countries. The findings throw light on the character of colonial liberal reformers in a wealthy colony who sought to create a better life for white settlers by adopting policies of state intervention.

中文翻译：

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1873-1885 年澳大利亚工业革命期间童工的作用和监管

本研究调查了 19 世纪下半叶澳大利亚人口最多、工业化程度最高的殖民地维多利亚州的童工。分析了三个主要数据来源：皇家委员会报告、法案和法规文本以及议会和公共辩论。这些发现通过加深对童工在工业化过程中所扮演角色的理解，为当前的学术辩论提供了依据。他们表明，儿童是成年男性的低成本替代品，童工是正在进行的工业化的核心。确定了广泛的行业和工作，其中儿童在恶劣的条件下就业，在某些情况下，其比例高于成人。根据皇家委员会的报告，维多利亚州议会承认童工问题严重到需要监管。虽然注意到情况不像英国那么严重，但它在 1885 年通过了立法，规定对儿童的保护比 1878 年英国工厂法中的规定更多。该立法也比其他工业化殖民地和国家的工厂法提供更多保护. 这些发现揭示了一个富裕殖民地的殖民自由主​​义改革者的性格，他们试图通过采取国家干预政策为白人定居者创造更好的生活。该立法还提供了比其他工业化殖民地和国家的工厂法更多的保护。这些发现揭示了一个富裕殖民地的殖民自由主​​义改革者的性格，他们试图通过采取国家干预政策为白人定居者创造更好的生活。该立法还提供了比其他工业化殖民地和国家的工厂法更多的保护。这些发现揭示了一个富裕殖民地的殖民自由主​​义改革者的性格，他们试图通过采取国家干预政策为白人定居者创造更好的生活。