LibGuides: Humanities: Industrial Revolution

Recommended books

Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue

Relevant Dewey Numbers

While there is a list of recommended books below, you might find other useful books at these numbers:

Print

Victorian times. Brasch, Nicolas. 331.0994 BRA

All in a day's work: a focus on teenagers. Fabian, S. & Loh, Morag. 331.3470994 FAB

Money for jam. Mason, Jim 658.0410994 MAS

The Industrial Revolution and its impact on Australia. Harding, Joseph. 909.81 HAR

The Industrial Revolution. Smith, Nigel. 941.081 SMI

A nation in the making: Australia at the dawn of the modern era. McGregor, Alasdair. 994 MCG

Jobs and industries. Brasch, Nicolas. 994.02 BRA

eBooks

The Industrial Revolution and its impact on Australia by Joseph Harding •This is the story of the Industrial Revolution and how Australia benefited - and suffered - from the great advances in steam power, gas lighting and mass production it brought.
Influencing Australia The story of the Industrial Revolution from its beginnings in England through the massive upheavals in business, government and society. Also shows how those changes affected Australia, particularly in the wool industry.

Impacts of the Industrial Revolution

This program provides an overview of the most significant impacts on working conditions and the environment during and after the Industrial Revolution. The time period is notorious for its dangerous factory conditions, lack of worker and child labour rights, and for overcrowded, unsanitary and polluted cities. As a result, protests and new laws improved labour and environmental issues, though problems still exist today. (17 minutes)

Industrial jobs

In this episode intrepid Tony Robinson works directly in harm's way as a bridge builder, legger, soap boiler, glass blower, knocker upper, bone cleaner, presser, matchmaker and at the terrible job children faced down the mines (50 minutes)

Click on the above image to go to Encyclopaedia Brittanica. From there you can access the Primary, Middle and High levels of Brittanica.

Brittanica online provides research materials including articles, images and videos.

Look in the section “Victorian Britain (1837-1901)”. Here you will find many articles on technology and innovation, daily life and health during the time of the Industrial Revolution. Particularly interesting are the animations of innovations like the spinning mill and steam engine. And who wants to be a cotton millionaire?

This website describes the movement to abolish child labour in the UK during Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Topics include life in the factory, reformers, supporters of child labour, factory workers, tactics, issues, Factory Acts and statistics.

This BBC essay: Women's Work by Professor Pat Hudson, describes how many women in Victorian Britain supported their families with wage-paying jobs alongside their already heavy domestic burdens.

This article from the Australian Bureau of Statistics provides a statistical snapshot of the population, workforce, housing and income in Australia in 1901. Comparisons are made with 2001.