Balwyn High School 1957 to 1962 Reunion
Balwyn High School 1957 to 1962 Reunion
  • Welcome
  • About our 50 year reunion
  • FEEDBACK on Get-together 27 October 2012
  • Photos from 2012 Reunion Dinner
  • Lost and Found
  • Vale
  • Students' Stories: What have you been doing for the past 50 years?"
    • Andy Blunden
    • Anne Hawker (Jubb)
    • Brian Stagoll
    • Diane Kerr (Davidson)
    • David Slater and Dorothy Fergusson
    • Carol Poon
    • Dorothy Vietz (Gibson)
    • Gerd Kratzer
    • Gisela Olbrich
    • Helen Vallack
    • Ian Priestly
    • Ian Stavely
    • John Sinclair
    • John Willis
    • Kath Semmel (McKay)
    • Lindsay Cook
    • Michael Alston
    • Otto Rehak
    • Pam Heath
    • Paul Barnard
    • Peter Barter
    • Peter Thomas
    • Peter Winford
    • Phyl Coath
    • Ray Walker
    • Robyn Dalziel
    • Roger Schnagl
    • Sue Foster (Jones)
    • Sylvia Garnham (Geddes)
    • Tim Green
    • Val Brooks (Bennett)
    • Warren Pill
  • Mac Ronen: A 1962 Teacher's Story
  • Photos and Memories of our time at BHS 1957 to 1962
    • Personal reminiscences >
      • Brian Stagoll Memories
      • Gerd Kratzer
      • Kath Semmel (McKay)
      • Lindsay Cook Memories
      • Michael Alston
      • Paul Barnard
      • Peter Barter - Nostalgic Memories
      • Peter Thomas reflections on BHS
      • Sylvia Garnham (Geddes)
      • Val Brooks (Bennett)
    • 1957 Group photos
    • 1958 Group Photos
    • 1959 Group photos
    • 1960 Group Photos
    • 1961 Group Photos
    • 1962 Group photos
    • 1963 Group Photo
    • 'Feeder' Primary Schools
    • Biology Field Trip
    • Broken Hill and Canberra Excursions 1961 and 1962
    • School Social May 1962
    • 1962 teachers
    • The Voice of the Three Per Cent
    • A student debate
    • Speech Night 1962 program
  • 1962 School Statistics
  • 'Organising mob' Contacts
  • Share your thoughts and comments Blog
  • Forum
  • 14 July 2013 gathering
  • 16 August 2014 Gathering
  • 11 November 2017 Gathering
  • 10 November 2018 Gathering
  • 70 YEARS OF BALWYN HIGH
  • 1962 Group photos

A Student Debate on Equal Pay 

The following two articles are taken from the Balwyn High School magazines of 1959 and 1960. In the first, Ray Jacobsen argues against granting equal pay for women on a range of grounds. This article must have nettled a number of students as, in the following year's magazine, Yvonne Sullivan provides a response, arguing FOR equal pay for women.  Both these students were ahead of us at BHS. However, as younger students, we would have been most impressed by the debate, whichever side you took. At this time in Victoria, women still had to leave work when they married - if they were employed by government or instrumentalities e.g. schools, hospitals, local government, state government etc. It was not until 1972 that full equal pay was granted to all women in Australia, though some States granted it well before that. The articles also provide an interesting comment on the encouragement of students to participate in current affairs and to air their opinions. And remember, in those days, BHS was a co-educational school but male and female students were strictly segregated with separate 'girls' and 'boys' doors, locker areas, lunch areas etc and even separate sides of the classroom. And even though we had many fine and well-educated women teachers, it is sobering to think that they were paid probably 75% or less of what the male teachers were paid.
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Article by senior student Ray Jacobson from the 1959 Balwyn High School magazine.
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Article on Equal Pay for Women by Yvonne Sullivan in the 1960 Balwyn High School magazine.
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