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Why was Australia so rich?

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  • McLean, Ian W.

Abstract

Between 1870 and 1890 Australian incomes per capita were 40 percent or more above those in the United States. About half this gap is attributable to Australia's higher labor input per capita, and half to its higher labor productivity. The higher labor input is due in part to favorable demographic attributes stemming especially from the gold rush era, and partly to a favorable workforce participation rate. The higher labor productivity appears to result from an advantageous natural resource endowment. By 1914 the income lead over the U.S. had all but disappeared. This is ascribed to declines in Australia's advantages both in labor input per capita and in labor productivity. It is argued that these declines are due neither to the effects of the 1890s depression, nor to changes in trade policy, but to the transitory or unsustainable nature of Australia's earlier sources of income advantage.
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  • McLean, Ian W., 2007. "Why was Australia so rich?," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 635-656, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:44:y:2007:i:4:p:635-656
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    Cited by:

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    2. A. Bergeaud & G. Cette & R. Lecat, 2015. "GDP per capita in advanced countries over the 20th century," Working papers 549, Banque de France.
    3. Antonin Bergeaud & Gilbert Cette & Rémy Lecat, 2014. "Le produit intérieur brut par habitant sur longue période en France et dans les pays avancés : le rôle de la productivité et de l’emploi," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 474(1), pages 5-34.
    4. Williamson, Jeffrey G. & Panza, Laura, 2017. "Australian Exceptionalism? Inequality and Living Standards 1821-1871," CEPR Discussion Papers 11756, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Andrew J. Seltzer, 2024. "The Political Economy of Minimum Wage Setting: The Factories and Shops Act of Victoria (Australia), 1896-1913," CEH Discussion Papers 02, Centre for Economic History, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    6. Bergeaud, A. & Cette, G. & Lecat, R., 2015. "Productivity trends from 1890 to 2012 in advanced countries," Rue de la Banque, Banque de France, issue 07, June..
    7. Anderson, Kym & Lattimore, Ralph G. & Lloyd, Peter J. & MacLaren, Donald, 2007. "Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Australia and New Zealand," 2007 Conference (51st), February 13-16, 2007, Queenstown, New Zealand 10407, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    8. Stephen Broadberry & Douglas A. Irwin, 2008. "Real Product and Productivity of Industries since the Nineteenth Century: A Reply to Bryan Haig," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(267), pages 515-516, December.
    9. David Greasley & Jakob B. Madsen, 2017. "The Rise and Fall of Exceptional Australian Incomes Since 1800," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(3), pages 264-290, November.
    10. Antonin Bergeaud & Gilbert Cette & Rémy Lecat, 2016. "Productivity Trends in Advanced Countries between 1890 and 2012," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 62(3), pages 420-444, September.
    11. Seltzer, Andrew, 2024. "The Political Economy of Minimum Wage Setting: The Factories and Shops Act of Victoria (Australia), 1896-1913," IZA Discussion Papers 16788, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. David Merrett & Simon Ville, 2011. "Tariffs, Subsidies, And Profits: A Re‐Assessment Of Structural Change In Australia 1901–39," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 51(1), pages 46-70, March.
    13. Simon Ville & Olav Wicken, 2013. "The dynamics of resource-based economic development: evidence from Australia and Norway," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(5), pages 1341-1371, October.
    14. Ian W. McLean, 2010. "Responding to Shocks: Australia's Institutions and Policies," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2010-30, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
    15. Grant Fleming & Zhangxin (Frank) Liu & David Merrett & Simon Ville, 2021. "Underpricing in a developing capital market: Australian equity issuances, 1920–39†," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 74(3), pages 831-855, August.
    16. Andrew J. Seltzer, 2021. "Globalisation, migration, trade and growth: Honouring the contribution of Jeff Williamson to Australian and Asia‐Pacific economic history—Guest Editor's introduction," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(2), pages 128-135, July.
    17. Keir Reeves & Lionel Frost & Charles Fahey, 2010. "Integrating The Historiography Of The Nineteenth‐Century Gold Rushes," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(2), pages 111-128, July.
    18. David Greasley & Jakob B. Madsen, 2010. "Curse and Boon: Natural Resources and Long‐Run Growth in Currently Rich Economies," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 86(274), pages 311-328, September.
    19. Stephen Broadberry & Douglas A. Irwin, 2007. "Lost Exceptionalism? Comparative Income and Productivity in Australia and the UK, 1861–1948," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 83(262), pages 262-274, September.
    20. Maruta, Admasu Asfaw & Banerjee, Rajabrata & Cavoli, Tony, 2020. "Foreign aid, institutional quality and economic growth: Evidence from the developing world," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 444-463.
    21. Rajabrata Banerjee & Martin Shanahan, 2016. "The Contribution of Wheat to Australian Agriculture from 1861 to 1939," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(2), pages 125-150, July.
    22. Seltzer, Andrew J., 2021. "Globalisation, migration, trade and growth: honouring the contribution of Jeff Williamson to Australian and Asia-Pacific economic history—Guest Editor's introduction," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111038, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N17 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Africa; Oceania
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

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