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https://aifs.gov.au/facts-and-figures/births-australia

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The facts and figures page taken from the Australian Government's Institute of Family Studies gives information on the birth, fertility as well as ex-nuptial birth rates over the past 70 years. The Institute researches what are possibly issues for Australian families and releases this information to the public. The main page gives a summary of data, whilst further links show data in more detail.

The page is useful in understanding the statistics behind the family set up during the period the Dressmaker was set in. The ex-nuptials figures are extremely helpful, in regards to learning how many women were in the same position as Tilly's mother during the 1950s. The page is also valuable when comparing how values have changed regarding family composition between the 1950s and today.

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https://www.news-mail.com.au/news/life-house-wife-1950s/1885861/

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The online article, written by MDERRY, focuses on discussing the 'hardships' women faced in Australia throughout the 1950s. The article is centred on an interview with Mrs Beris Gaal, who explains her life as it was during the decade. Within the piece, she explains her daily chores, consisting of but not limited to: hand washing her clothes, washing and polishing the floors, polishing her silverware, shopping daily for food, cooking said food and making her own clothes. She also details her experience of having to give up her life as a working woman once she became married.

The source is useful in understanding a first hand account of a woman who lived through the 1950s. For a reader, it gives a true insight into the daily life and gender roles of a female throughout the decade. However, due to the article being primarily an interview, facts and statistics are not used, which leaves a lack of detail for the reader.

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https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004C05265

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The Matrimonial Causes Act is taken from the Australian Federal Register of Legislation. This particular Act was enacted in 1959  and then repealed in 1975 when the Family Law Act become the enforced law. The Act discusses the 14 reasons for an application for divorce, with one party having fault for the dissolution of the marriage. This is in stark contrast to what occurs today.

The act is helpful in understanding how divorce worked at the time the Dressmaker was set. For the audience of the film, the act can be helpful in understanding the struggle between Evan and Marigold Pettyman. For Marigold to divorce Evan, it would have been very difficult, as can be seen through this piece of legislation. The act also gives an insight into the stark difference between the position of men and women during the 1950s. Several times, the Act mentions that men should be able to financially support their wives, whilst the opposite is never stated.

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https://www.crikey.com.au/2012/03/01/forced-adoption-stories-from-the-mothers-who-had-their-babies-taken-away/

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https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/1956-and-no-fault-divorce/3347626

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The Law report on Radio National discusses the difficulties faced in order to become divorced in the 1950s. Damien Carrick interviews several former Family Court judges and barristers about their opinions on their time in family law, as well as fault-based divorce. It also discusses the stark contrast between the position of men and women in regards to divorce throughout the 1950s.

The segment is helpful in understanding how fault based divorce impacted people living in the 1950s. It also displays the rather sexist attitudes that plagued the court and family law system at the time. Judge John Fogarty explains the differences required of men and women to blame their partner for the fault in their marriage. This can be applied to the relationship between Evan and Marigold Pettyman, where it would have been difficult for her to prove she was being abused according to 1950s law. This can be helpful for the audience of the Dressmaker to understand their strained relationship.

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https://iview.abc.net.au/show/back-in-time-for-dinner

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The ABC's 2018 T.V. program follows the Ferrone family as they travel back into the past to discover what daily life was like in Australia. The first episode takes place in a freshly renovated 1950s themed house, with the whole family embracing the decade. Throughout the episode, it is highlighted how hard women worked in the home, without modern day appliances. Through research for the program, it was found that women often worked an average of 77 hours a week at home completing housework. The mother of the family, Carol becomes overwhelmed due to this immense workload, highlighting the difficulties women faced during the decade.

The source is useful in understanding the immense difference between the position of women now and in the 1950s. It shows both the immense workload in the home, as well as the inability for a married woman to have a career. The program also highlights how men's gender roles have changed since the 1950s. The father in the show, Peter, struggles to adapt to a world where men are the sole breadwinners and do not help in the home. Of course the source is not set in the actual time frame, but does give insight into the 1950s.

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https://trove.nla.gov.au/aww/read/319236?q=womens+weekly+1950&s=0&resultId=num1#page/1/mode/1up

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https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/explainer/what-forced-adoption

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The August 1950 edition of the Australian Women's Weekly highlights the position of women and their typical gender roles. Most articles within the piece focus on fashion, beauty, cleaning or the home. Although there are a few exceptions, such as one discussing young women signing up for the navy as secretary workers, the magazine highlights the way women were seen in the Australian gender landscape.

The articles in the 'Women's Weekly' are useful in understanding the position of women and their roles within society during the decade of the 1950s. The ads displayed in the magazine also give the reader an insight into what life was like for women. The sheer dependence of women on men at the time is shown as women are introduced by their husband's names in multiple articles. the magazine also displays the daily life of a housewife, with much entertainment coming from the magazine, despite it being rather sexist by today's standards.

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The SBS article, written by Madeleine King discusses the practice of forced adoption that was faced by unwed mothers and fathers between the 1950s and 1970s in Australia.  The article gives an overview of the practice's definition, why and how it occurred and its long lasting legacy. The article is written as a supporting piece to SBS's television show 'Forgotten Fathers', which looks into the agony felt by the biological fathers of adopted children. The article also explains the National Apology and Senate Inquiry which took place into the matter in 2013. The article shows that being a single parent, or unmarried parent was very rare in the 1950s.

The 'explainer' is useful in gaining an understanding in the topic of forced adoption with no prior knowledge of the reader. It is a great place to start in terms of reading about the practice.Some personal stories are used in the piece, however further research into victims' stories would be beneficial.

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The compilation of stories is taken from 'mothers who had their babies taken away' during the period in which forced adoption was a practice. Women in the piece tell their stories of finding out they were pregnant, being coerced to give up their children, their physicians treatment of them and their post birth experiences. The stories have been compiled as a result of the 2013 Senate Inquiry into the Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices.

These stories are quite helpful after a reader has an understanding of the practice of forced adoption. They are useful in understanding the distress and agony of the mothers that were coerced into giving their children away if they were born out of wedlock. Of course, their reliability and validity could vary, due to being personal accounts, and they do not have the use of statistics and figures.