What’s Here

This site reflects past and current research interests and projects with which I have been involved.

The content mostly reflects current research interest concerned with the history of policies and legislative and administrative arrangements in Western Australia (WA), from its establishment as a British colony in 1829 to the recent present, that have been adopted to regulate and manage the problematic use of alcohol.

The site will outline and consider in particular detail the period since 1900, the time since self-government in 1890 and attainment of full statehood in January 1901, when WA federated with the other former British colonies of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland, to form the Commonwealth of Australia.

In relation to this area of research, a range of information will be referred that has been derived from texts, archival official reports, annual departmental reports, findings from official inquiries such as parliamentary Select Committees and Royal Commissions and other investigations and research.

In addition to analysis and review of this body of material, another outcome of this study has been the compilation of a number of arrays of time series indicator data that provide a perspective on the impact of problematic use of alcohol as a major cause of social and health problems over the period.

These impacts include outcomes from police implementation of laws concerned with public order and other offences, how these matters were dealt with by the courts and prisons system, the utilisation of support, treatment and rehabilitation services and the impact on medical and hospital services from problematic use of alcohol by individuals.