At Work continued

Today office work is considered a traditional area of women's work.  However, the first clerks, typists and stenographers were men.  In 1901 the State Government employed 38 male and 8 female typists/stenographers. WWI and the subsequent enlistment of men for war service created opportunities for women in the office. In 1914 the Western Australian State Government employed 24 male and 74 female typists/stenographers.  Men returning from the war were channelled into better payed and higher status jobs such as accounting and management.  Office work became women's work