The Coal Mines Regulation Act of 1862: The Beginnings of the Child Labor Debate in Australia

In New South Wales, the coal mining industry was the first to enact a law banning the labor of those below a certain age. This prohibition came about almost by accident. As miners pushed to secure better working conditions and parliamentarians began debating the perils of mine work, the issue of child labor slipped into the conversation, opening up a larger discussion on the specific nature of Australian childhood. Examining the origins of child labour laws in New South Wales, this article highlights the ways in which middle-class politicians' rhetoric drew from a growing transnational focus on the young while also reflecting local concerns with health, education, and national development. It is worth charting the history of the Coal Mines Regulation Act of 1862 because it would eventually prove to be a critical piece of legislation in the history of New South Wales—providing the opening salvo in what turned out to be a broader movement that eventually led to banning the labor of anyone below fourteen throughout the colony's paid workforce.