The Households Research Unit (HRU) is an independently-funded research group within the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Economics and Commerce, The University of Melbourne whose aim is to investigate the economic structure of households and their interaction with the market economy. The Unit's research program began in 1986 as the major focus of the Centre for Applied Research on the Future and has continued in the HRU since 1991.

Staff & Associates	Contact Us
Current Projects	Recent Projects
Ongoing Research Program	Household Statistics
Publications by Staff & Associates	Links

Staff & Associates

As of 2007 the Unit's staff are

• Dr Duncan Ironmonger (Director), Reader and Associate Professor in the Department of Economics
• Mrs. Pamela Anderson, Researcher, Department of Economics
• Mr Vic Jennings, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne

The Unit has numerous academic associates, including :

• Prof Michael Bittman (School of Social Science, University of New England, NSW)
• Dr Bill Lloyd-Smith (The University of Melbourne)
• Ms Faye Soupourmas (The University of Melbourne)
• Prof Tran Van Hoa (Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University)
• Ms. Sue Donath (Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne)
• Prof Ross Williams (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic & Social Research, The University of Melbourne).

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Contact Us

The Households Research Unit is located off campus at Level 1, 161 Barry Street, Parkville. The unit's postal address and contact details are listed below.

   The Households Research Unit
   Department of Economics
   The University of Melbourne
   Parkville  Victoria   3010.
   Telephone: +61 3 8344 2131
   Fax: +61 3 349 4291

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• Gross Household Product (GHP) Estimates
• Economies of Scale in Time and Money
• Costs of Children and Costs of Adults

• Household Industries
• Cyclical Trade-Off Between the Two Economies
• Diffusion of New Household Technology 

• Household Welfare Systems 

• Estimates and Projections of Households by Size 
• Connections Between Fertility and Household Size 

• National Household Satellite Accounts - Input-Output Tables for Australia, Canada, Finland, the United States,and Sweden 
• National Time Accounts for Paid Work, Unpaid Work and Leisure - Trends in Time Use 
• Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS)
• Multinational Household Expenditures Study (MHES)

• HRD is a leading database of national surveys of household unit record files of data on time use, household expenditure and household income
• HRD provides Australian social and economic researchers with a world-class multi-discipline research environment to explore fundamental issues concerning the factors which determine how individuals and households obtain their income and spend their time and money
• The HRD, an established access centre for microdata files from various Australian and international household surveys, also manages the access and distribution of all Australian Bureau of Statistics micro data files made available through the ABS-AVCC scheme for The University of Melbourne.

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Click on the year for a complete list of downloadable publications:

1961 1972

1986 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

2008

Ironmonger, D.S (2008) The economic value of volunteering in Queensland - Updated Report May 2008   A report commissioned by  the Department of Communities, State of Queensland (Department of Communities): BrisbaneClick here to download full report from the Department of Communities website

2007

Ironmonger, D.S and Norman P (2007) "Travel Behaviour of Women, Men and Children: What Changes and What Stays the Same?". Paper presented to IATUR 29th Annual Conference, 17-19 October 2007 Washington DC USA. Please click here to download paper Please click here to download presentation

Ironmonger, D.S (2007) “Multiple Uses of Time Use Statistics in Developed Countries”. Indian Time Use Conference, May 2007, New Delhi Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (2007) “Forthcoming ‘Time Use’ Entry” The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics : Palgrave Macmillan Please click here to download paper

2006

Ironmonger, D.S and Norman P (2006) A System of Time Accounts for Melbourne. Paper presented to the 28th Annual Conference on Time Use Research, 16-18 August 2006, Copenhagen, Denmark . Click here to download presentation Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (2006) A system of Time Accounts for Melbourne, A Report commissioned by The Department of Infrastructure, Victoria, Australia, The University of Melbourne: MelbourneClick here to download full report

Ironmonger, D.S (2006) The economic value of volunteering in Queensland  A report commissioned by  the Department of Communities, State of Queensland (Department of Communities): Brisbane Click here to download full report

2005

Ironmonger, D.S., Soupourmas, F., Brown, P and Warner-Smith, P (2005)  ‘Testing the Practicality of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Questionnaire vs. a Beeper and Booklet (B&B) Questionnaire in a Random-Time Experience-Sampling Method (RTES) Context’ Annals of Leisure Research, Vol 8, No. 2-3:pp142-152.

Soupourmas, F (2005) ‘Work, rest and leisure – Changes in late adolescent time use in Australia in the 1990s’,  Society and Leisure Vol. 28, No. 2: pp. 571-589. Please click here to download paper

2004

Ironmonger, D.S (2004) `Bringing up Bobby and Betty: The inputs and outputs of childcare time', Chapter 5, in Nancy Folbre and Michael Bittman (eds), Family Time: The Social Organization of Care Routledge, London and New York.

Jennings, V.E., Lloyd-Smith, C.W., and Ironmonger, D.S (2004) “Global Projections of Household Numbers using Age determined Ratios”  Department of Economics Research paper Number 914, The University of Melbourne.Please click here to download paper

2003
Ironmonger, D.S (2003) `Progress in the Development of the Methodology of the National Accounts of Household Production', United Nations Seminar on National Accounts of Household Production, February 2003, Korean Women's Development Institute, Seoul, Korea. Click here to download presentation
Click here to download paper
 

Ironmonger, D.S (2003) `Agora and Oikos: The Market and the Household Economy', LoWR and DEMPATEM Conference on Consumption and Employment, April 2003, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies Amsterdam, Netherlands Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (2003)  `National Time Accounts: The dynamic modelling of time use using continuous time use surveys', The 25th International Association for Time Use Research Conference, September 2003, Brussels, Belgium. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., Soupourmas, F and Newitt, P (2003) ‘Counting and Valuing Household Outputs: Developing personal consumption diaries with time use dimensions’ The 25th International Association for Time Use Research Conference, September 2003, Brussels, Belgium. Click here to download paper

Click here to download presentation

Ironmonger, D.S (2003) `There are only 24 Hours in a Day! Solving the problematic of simultaneous time', The 25th International Association for Time Use Research Conference, September 2003, Brussels, Belgium.Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Soupourmas, F (2003) `Married Households and Gross Household Product', Chapter 13, pp. 293-317. In S. Grossbard-Shechtmann (ed.), Marriage and the Economy: How Marriage Affects Work, Spending and the Macro-Economy, Cambridge University Press. Click here to download chapter

2002

Ironmonger, D.S (2002) Valuing Volunteering The economic value of volunteering in South Australia.  A report commissioned by  the Office for Volunteers and the Department of Premier and Cabinet, South Australia.
Click here to download complete report

Ironmonger, D.S.,  and Soupourmas, F (2002) `Calculation Australia's Gross Household Product: Measuring the Economic Value of the Household Economy 1970-2000', Research Paper Number 833, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne. Click here to download paper
 

Ironmonger, D.S.,  and Soupourmas, F (2002) Giving Time: The economic and social value of volunteering in Victoria, Department of Human Services, Victoria, Melbourne.Click here to download complete report

Ironmonger, D.S (2002) `Household Economies Grow Faster than Market Economies: A Surprising Paradox of Development Revealed by Indian and Australian Data on Time Use', The 24th International Association for Time Use Research Conference, October 2002, Lisbon, Portugal. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Soupourmas, F (2002) `Household National Accounts: Output based estimates of child care in Australia and the United Kingdom', The 24th International Association for Time Use Research Conference, October 2002, Lisbon, Portugal.Click here to download paper
 
Ironmonger, D.S (2002) `Has anything a greater priority than child care'? The application of priority ranking to classifying simultaneous uses of time', The 24th International Association for Time Use Research Conference, October 2002, Lisbon, Portugal.

Jennings, V.E., Lloyd-Smith, C.W., and Ironmonger, D.S (2002) “Three Dimensional Modelling of Household Size Distributions”.  Paper presented at the 11th Biennial Conference of the Australian Population Association 2020 Vision: Australia’s Demographic Future Sydney, Australia  2nd October to 4th October 2002   Click here to download paper

2001

Ironmonger, D.S., (2001) `Household Production', International Encyclopedia of  the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Pergamon, Elsevier Science.Click here to download entry

Ironmonger, D.S., (2001) 'Household Production and the Household Economy', Research Paper Number 833, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D. S (2001) "Who will be volunteering in 2010 and Beyond?".  Paper presented to the 2001 Volunteer Conference - Volunteering SA, 4-6 August 2001, Adelaide.

Ironmonger, D.S (2001) ‘Caring for Kids: The Greatest Economic Use of Time’ Paper presented to the 2001 International Association of Time Use Research Conference, October 2001, Oslo, Norway. Click here to download paper

2000

Ironmonger, D.S., (2000) `An Overview of Time Use Surveys', Chapter 2, in Proceedings of the International Seminar on Time Use Studies, 7-10 December 1999, Ahmedabad, Central Statistical Organization, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi.Click here to download paper
 

Ironmonger, D.S., (2000) `Measuring Volunteering in Economic Terms: 2,200 Million Hours Worth $42 Billion a Year', Chapter 5, pp. 56-72, in J. Warburton and M. Oppenheimer (eds), Volunteers and Volunteering, Federation Press, Leichardt.. Click here to download chapter

Ironmonger, D.S., Soupourmas, F and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (2000)  `New Products of the 80s and 90s: The Diffusion of Household Technology in the Decade I985-1995', Prometheus, 18(4), pp. 403-415   Click here to download article

Ironmonger, D.S., Soupourmas, F and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (2000)  `New Products of the 80s and 90s: The Diffusion of Household Technology in the Decade I985-1995', Department of Economics Working Paper, The University of Melbourne Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., Jennings V.E., and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (2000) `Long Term Global Projections of Household Numbers and Size Distributions for LINK Countries and Regions' paper presented at the World Project LINK Meeting, Oslo, Norway, 3-6 October 2000 Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (2000) ‘Inequality in Money, Non-Money and Extended Income for Individuals and Households’  Canberra Group Meeting   Click here to download paper

Jennings, V.E., Lloyd-Smith, C.W., and Ironmonger, D.S (2000) “Global Projections Of Household Numbers And Size Distributions Using Age Ratios  And The Poisson Distribution”  Paper presented to the 10th Biennial Conference of the Australian Population Association Melbourne, Australia 29th November to 1st December 2000 Click here to download paper

1999

Jennings, V.E., Lloyd-Smith, C.W., and Ironmonger D.S (1999) `Household Size and the Poisson Distribution', Journal of the Australian Population Association, 16(1 and 2), pp. 65-84  Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Hill, H (1999) Women's economic participation in five Pacific Island Countries, International Development Issues No. 50 AusAID - Australian Agency for International Development, Canberra Click here to download complete report

Ironmonger, D.S., and Soupourmas, F (1999) `Less Work More Play: Has the Pattern of Time Use in Australia Changed from 1974 to 1997'?', International Association for Time Use Research Conference, University of Essex, Colchester, 6-8 October 1999 Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Soupourmas, F (1999) `Life Stages of the Household Economy: How Do Spending Time and Spending Money Change Through Life?', International Association for Time Use Research Conference, University of Essex, Colchester, 6-8 October 1999 Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (1999) “An Overview of Time Use Surveys”. Paper presented at UNESCAP Time Use Seminar Ahmedabad, India, 7-10 December 1999 Click here to download paper

1998

Ironmonger, D.S.,   Aitken C.K., and Erbas, B  (1998) `Economies of Scale in Energy Use in Adult-Only Households', in P. Stevens (ed.), The Economics of Energy, London: Edward Elgar

Ironmonger, D.S  (1998) `Measuring the Dollar Value of Volunteering', Australian Journal on Volunteering, 3(1), pp. 19-24 Click here to download paper

Jennings, V.E., Lloyd-Smith, C.W., and Ironmonger D.S (1998) `A New Method in Household Demography', University of Melbourne, Department of Economics Research Paper No 624, The University of Melbourne.   Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (1998) `Towards a more comprehensive knowledge of all forms of work: Statistics for the development and monitoring of social and economic policies', invited keynote paper for the Expert Group Meeting on Engendering Labor Force Statistics, United Nations Development Program, United Nations, New York, 31 March 1998.Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S.,  (1998) `Gender dimensions of labour markets in LINK countries and models', for the Project LINK Meeting, Rio de Janeiro, 14-18 September 1998.Click here to download paper

1997

Ironmonger, D.S (1997) `National accounts of household productive activities', invited keynote paper for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and MacArthur Foundation Network Conference on Time Use, Non-Market Work and Family Well-Being, Washington, D.C., 20 November 1997.Click here to download paper

1996

Ironmonger, D.S (1996)   `Counting Outputs, Capital Inputs and Caring Labor: Estimating Gross Household Product', in Feminist Economics, 2(3), pp. 37-64. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.  (1996) Priorities for Research on Nonmarket Work', in Feminist Economics, 2(3), pp. 149-152. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Aitken C.K (1996) `Impacts of the Microwave Oven', in Prometheus, 14(2), pp. 168-178 Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S  (1996) `Bringing Up Betty and Bobby: The Macro Time Dimensions of Investment in the Care and Nurture of Children', pp. 27-42, in N.J. Taylor and A.B. Smith (eds), Investing in Children: Primary Prevention Strategies, Proceedings of the Children's Issues Centre Inaugural Child and Family Policy Conference, 10-13 July Dunedin: University of Otago.Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S  (1996) `Time Use and Satellite Accounts for Modelling the Household Economy', presented at the International Association for Research in Income and Wealth 24"General Conference Session 3b, Accounting ,for Time, Lillehammer, Norway, August 1996.Click here to download paper

1995

Ironmonger, D.S.,   Aitken C.K., and Erbas, B (1995) `Economies of Scale in Energy Use in Adult-Only Households', in Energy Economics 17, pp. 301-310  Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S.,  and Donath, S (1995) A Glimpse at Older Households: How Older Households Use and Value Time - Report of a Pilot Survey Using Random Time Sampling, Melbourne, Households Research Unit, University of MelbourneClick here to download report

Ironmonger, D.S.,  Aitken C.K., and Donath, S (1995) `Research Note: Random Time Sampling', in Australian Geographical Studies, 32, pp. 308-312.  Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S.,  Aitken C.K., and Donath, S (1995) `Research Note: Household Expenditure Surveys', in Australian Geographical Studies, 32, pp. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S  (1995) International Development of Household Input-Output Tables Invited paper presented to 50th Session of the International Statistical Institute, Beijing, 21-29 August 1995  Click here to download paper

1994

Ironmonger, D.S (1994) `Why Measure and value Unpaid Work'?', pp. 34-41, in International Conference on the Measurement and Valuation of Unpaid Work, April 1993, Proceedings Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Click here to download paper 

Ironmonger, D.S (1994) `Modeling the Household Economy', pp. 445-468, in M. Jan Dutta (ed.), Economics, Econometrics and the LINK: essays in Honor of Lawrence R. Klein, Amsterdam: North Holland.

Ironmonger, D.S (1994) `The Value of Care and Nurture Provided by Unpaid Household Work', Family Matters, 37, pp. 46-51.Click here to download paper

Jennings V.E., Lloyd-Smith, C.W., and Ironmonger, D.S (1994) `The Poisson Distribution, Fertility and Household Size', University of Melbourne, Department of Economics Research Paper No 415 Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S  (1994) `The Domestic Economy: $340 billion of GHP (Gross Household Product)', paper to the Australian Family Association International Conference on the Family, University of Melbourne, 5 July 1994.

Click here to download paper

1993

Ironmonger, D.S (1993) `National Time Accounts: A Focus for International Comparison, Modelling and Methodology', Time Use Methodology.- Towards Consensus, pp. 375-387, Rome: Instituto Nazionale di Statistica.Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (1993) “Modelling the Household Economy”, Department of Economics Research Paper No. 384, The University of Melbourne.Click here to download paper

1992

Ironmonger, D.S., and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (1992) ‘Projections of households and household populations by household size propensities’, Journal of the Australian Population Association, Vol.9:pp.153-171. Click here to download paper

Jennings, V.E., and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (1992) “Household Change, Distribution of Household Size And Fertility Rates”  Paper delivered Australian Population Association Sixth National Conference 28-30 September 1992 Sydney Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., Lloyd-Smith, C.W and O'Leary, J (1992) "Household Projections - Comparing and Reconciling Household Size and Headship Methods". Paper for the Australian Population Association 6th National Conference, 28-30 Sept, Sydney Australia.Click here to download paper

1991

Ironmonger, D.S., and Richardson, E (1991) Leisure: An Input-Output Approach, Research Discussion Paper Number 16, Melbourne: Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne.Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (1991) ‘Projections of Households for Australian States and Territories’  HRU Research Discussion Paper Number Twenty, The University of MelbourneClick here to download paper

Smith, J (1991) The Value of Household Work in Australian National Product, Research Discussion Paper No 17, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne

1990

Ironmonger, D.S (1990)`International research on the household economy', pp. 37-45, in Synopsis of Valuing Women's Unpaid Work Project, Wellington: Ministry of  Women's Affairs.Click here to download report

Ironmonger, D.S., Sawyer, K., Tran Van Hoa., and Lloyd-Smith, C.W (1990) ‘An Outline Of An Annual Household Model of Australia’.  Paper prepared for the Workshop on Asia-Pacific Modelling at the Second Convention of The East Asian Economic Association 25 August 1990, Bandung, Indonesia. Click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Perry, N (1990) ‘Valuing Household Production: Lessons from a Pilot Time Use and Output Diary’  Household Research Unit Paper Click here to download paper

Kilmartin, C  (1990) Changes in Household Structure, Research Discussion Paper No 15, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, MelbourneClick here to download paper

Smith, B (1990) Nutrition and Health, Research Discussion Paper No 14, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, MelbourneClick here to download paper

Hamilton-Smith, E (1990) Life Styles: Patterns and Trends, Research Discussion Paper No 13, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, MelbourneClick here to download paper

Reiger, K (1990) Priceless Toil: The Labour of Reproduction and Care  Work in the Household, Research Discussion Paper No 12, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, MelbourneClick here to download paper

1989

Sonius, E (1989) Time for Kids? The Impact of Children on Household Production, Research Discussion Paper No 7, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Click here to download paper

Jennings, V.E (1989) “Rules and the Household” Research Discussion Paper No. 8, The Centre for Applied Research on the Future, Department of Architecture and Building, The University of Melbourne,  April 1989.Click here to download paper

Rodger, A and Mann, S (1989) A Land Bank for Victoria, Research Discussion Paper No 9, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, MelbourneClick here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (1989) Households Work: Productive activities, women and income in the household economy, Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Ironmonger, D.S (1989) `Households and the household economy', Chapter 1, pp. 3-13, in D.S. Ironmonger (ed.), Households Work, Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Click here to download chapter

Ironmonger, D.S., and Sonius, E (1989) `Household productive activities', Chapter 2, pp. 18-32, in D.S. Ironmonger (ed.), Households Work, Sydney: Allen & Unwin Click here to download chapter

Ironmonger, D.S., and Tran Van Hoa  (1989) `Equivalence scales: A household production approach', Economics Letters, 31, pp. 407-410.Please click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S (1989) The Household Economy: A $90 billion Industry, Research Discussion Paper No 10, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.Click here to download research paper

1988

Ironmonger, D  (1988) The Role of Water Resources in Australia’s Economic System, Research Discussion Paper No 6, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Click here to download research paper

1987

Ironmonger, D.S (1987) Research on the Household Economy, Research Discussion Paper No l, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.Please click here to download paper

Ironmonger, D.S., and Sonius, E (1987) Household Productive Activities, Research Discussion Paper No 2, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.

Manandher, R and Rodger, A (1987) Roofing with Mud Bricks, Research Discussion Paper No 3, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.Please click here to download paper

Kidd, B.J and Kidd, L.A  (1987) The Image of Home: Alternative Design for Nursing Homes, Research Discussion Paper No 4, Centre for Applied Research on the Future, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Please click here to download paper

1986

Ironmonger, D.S (1986) ‘The impact of technology on the household', Chapter 4 In Brotchie, J., Hall, P. and Newton, P.W. (eds), The Spatial Impact Technological Change, London: Croome Helm pp. 50-60. 

1972

Ironmonger, D.S  (1972) New Commodities and Consumer Behaviour, Cambridge: Cambridge

1961

Ironmonger, D.S (1961) New Commodities and Quality Changes in the Theory and Measurement of Consumer Behaviour, PhD Dissertation University of Cambridge

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