The Real Matilda: Woman and Identity in Australia, 1788 to 1975 - Miriam Dixson

In The Real Matilda, historian Miriam Dixson presents a landmark study of Australian women's history, examining how ideas about gender, family and national identity evolved from the arrival of the First Fleet through to the social changes of the 1970s. Challenging the traditionally male-centred narrative of Australian history, Dixson argues that the nation's culture and institutions were shaped by a distinctive imbalance between the sexes and by enduring assumptions about women's roles in work, marriage and public life. She traces the experiences of women across colonial settlement, frontier society, industrialisation and the emergence of modern Australia.

Drawing on historical records, social commentary and feminist scholarship, Dixson explores themes including motherhood, domestic labour, employment, education, sexuality and political participation. She considers how the myth of the rugged Australian male influenced women's opportunities and identities, while highlighting the resilience and contributions of women whose stories had often been overlooked. First published in 1976, The Real Matilda became one of the foundational works of Australian feminist history and remains an influential study of gender, culture and national identity.