Recent Literature on Manufacturing in Australia

Summary

This article reviews recent literature on manufacturing in Australia, noting that geographers have paid little attention to this sector, which employs about 30% of the national workforce. It categorizes key sources, including the manufacturing map in the Atlas of Australian Resources, official surveys, industry studies, regional and town-planning reports, and literature on location factors such as transport, fuel, and power. The main finding is that available materials provide useful information on industrial structure and distribution, but detailed regional analysis is limited by statistical disclosure rules. The author calls for more geographical research, especially on the location of manufacturing and the factors influencing it.