Australian Social Work History Network

In 2025 the University of Sydney's School of Education and Social Work, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s Department of Social Work, is establishing the Australian Social Work History Network. This is timely as 2029 will be the centenary of the first formal social work education in Australia.

Early Australian Social Work Education

The first formal social work education commenced in Sydney in 1929 and in Melbourne in 1930. In 1935 they were joined by Adelaide.

In 1940 both the Universities of Sydney and of Melbourne welcomed Social Work into their universities, their local courses having been deemed to have met a suitable educational level for a university. Adelaide followed in 1942.

These three courses alone carried the education of Australian social workers until 1956 when Social Work education was established at the University of Queensland.

Upcoming anniversaries

In 2025 Sydney and Melbourne’s first university courses will be 85 years old and the Australian Association of Social Workers which was established by graduates and staff of these universities will celebrate its 80^th birthday next year in 2026.

Why is history important for social workers?

Understanding social work history is important in helping social workers to understand themselves and the environment in which they practice.

It contributes to the forging of a positive personal and professional identity. Many debates and dilemmas have recurred over the 80 years of Australian social work. An understanding of the past can help understand and resolve problems of the present.

It has been argued that understanding our past will help to guarantee our future.

What is this network and website?

Initially this will be an informal network of social work academics and practitioners. It is anticipated that in time historians, archivists, researchers, educators, students and social policy makers may join the group.

The group is inspired by and loosely based on the British Social Work History Network which was established in 2000 and is led by Stephen Martineau of King’s College London.

This website will act as a resource for researchers including students with an interest in Australian social work history. Across this website we will profile previous and current projects and web based resources, with view to support new and exciting endeavours.

If you are interested in sharing and showcasing your social work history projects, please get in contact with the Network to further discuss.

We look forward to creating this shared conversation whilst celebrating Australian social work history.

Resources

The Origins of Social Work Education in Victoria; Dr Jane Miller, 25/03/2025. Available as an .
, Joe Henley, James Blewett, Jane Tunstill, June Thoburn, King’s College London

, Dr Jane Miller, Monash University Publishing
Doing Good Well: Social work education at the University of Sydney 1940-2010, Associate Professor Michael Horsburgh (2010), The University of Sydney
, Dr Jane Miller (2016), Australian Scholarly Publishing
Social Work in the University of Queensland: The First Twenty-Five Years, 1956-1981 (1981), Helen Pavlin, The University of Queensland
, Elspeth Browne (1996), Trend Lithographics Pty Ltd.
, Professor John Lawrence (1965), Australian National University Press
Establishing Medical Social Work in Victoria: Discussion and Documents, University of Melbourne Department of Social Studies, Laurie O’Brien & Cynthia Turner (1979), The University of Melbourne
Introduction – Australian Social Work in Historical, International and Social Welfare Context’ by Professor John Lawrence (1976) in the book Social Work in Australia: Responses to a Changing Context edited by Phillip Boas and Jim Crawley

, Dr Jane Miller, London School of Economics and Political Science, 10/05/2022
, Dr Jane Miller, London School of Economics and Political Science, 22/09/2021
, John Lawrence (2017)
, complied by Professor John Lawrence (1969), The University of Sydney
, Fay Marles (2012), Melbourne University Press
, Joan Innes Reid and Rosamund Thorpe (1996), James Cook University
A Love of Truth and a Love of Service: The Social Work Legacy of Leonard Tierney, Dorothy Scott and Jane Miller (2019), The University of Melbourne
(2022), Australian Social Work History Network, The University of Sydney
(2025), Australian Social Work History Network, The University of Sydney

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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences