Does a larrikin culture produce responsible & attentive fathers?

On this week’s Afternoon Light Georgina Downer speaks with Kate Murphy about the evolution, expectations and lived reality of fathering across Australian history. A foundational topic in shaping the health of the nation but one which Aussie blokes, let alone historians, have often been reticent to speak about.

Want to learn more about the cultural history of the Menzies era? Listen to these episodes of Afternoon Light:

Matthew Bailey on the Rise of the Australian Shopping Centre: “A Triumph of Consumer Capitalism”

Lauren Samuelsson, ‘We don’t have a cuisine, but we do have a food culture’ The history of what Aussies eat

Jackie French & Kate O’Donnell on the History of Book Week: “United Through Books”

Kate Murphy is a Senior Lecturer and historian of Australia at Monash University, with a particular focus on twentieth century social and cultural history. Kate’s research interests include the history of the family and disability history. She has published a major co-authored book on the history of fathering titled Fathering: An Australian History (Melbourne University Publishing, 2025).