History / Politics / Gender Studies
Book Details

Beyond the Ladies Lounge

Australia's Female Publicans

Clare Wright

Beyond the Ladies Lounge challenges the myth of the Australian pub as a male domain by documenting the central role that women have historically played in hotelkeeping from colonial times to the present.

Awards

Commendation, Victorian Community History Awards 2004
Special Mention, Centre for Australian Cultural Studies Awards 2003

Opinion

Beyond the Ladies Lounge 'presents fresh insights into the Aussie pub, that cultural icon so much a part of our life and consciousness. Beyond the Ladies Lounge is anything but a dry argument, thanks largely to Wright's interviews with numerous women publicans. Larger than life characters all of them, they give vibrancy and colour to the book and, for Wright, opened the doors to the world beyond the lounge.' (The Age, 23/9/2003)

'This is one of those simple ideas that illuminate the corners of history: Clare Wright's detailed examination of the lot of the lady publican speaks volumes about the way women have negotiated private and professional life for the past 200 years.' (The Age, 15/11/2003)

About this Title

The Intoxicating History of Australia's Female Publicans

Clare Wright's award-winning research challenges the myth that the Australian pub is a male domain, revealing the enduring and dynamic presence of female publicans behind the bar. Wright takes the reader on a pub crawl through this history: from Sarah Bird, the 27-year-old convict who was Australia's first female licensee, to Big Poll the Grog Seller, the miners' darling on the goldfields, to Cheryl Barassi and Dawn Fraser today.

Handsomely illustrated and weaving oral history interviews, archival sources, folk songs, bush ballads and other popular literature throughout the narrative, this groundbreaking book exposes the remarkable visibility and dominance of women in Australian hotelkeeping culture.

About the Author

Clare Wright's career spans the academic, media, political and teaching spectrum. She holds a PhD in Australian Studies from the University of Melbourne, and is currently the Executive Officer of the History Council of Victoria. Making use of her many talents, Clare continues to foster her passion for public history. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and two sons.

978-0-522-85071-0