National Family Survey, 1975

Abstract

Over the past two decades in Australia there has been growing community and governmental concern over the steady increase in the number of unmarried mothers and deserted wives seeking public assistance. Many people feel that this increase reflects a basic change in attitudes to marriage and family life. However, very few family studies have been undertaken and there is little data available to explain these changes. It has been increasingly recognized that there is a lack of basic knowledge about the family in this country, and both government and voluntary agencies have only limited data to help in planning family services at state and national levels.