A day at the coast: gender, work and holiday making on the NSW Central Coast

This article provides an introduction to an issue of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies which brings together edited papers from the Sixth Newcastle Interdisciplinary Gender Studies Conference, held on 4 June 1999 at the Central Coast Campus of the University of Newcastle. It also places the conference in the wider context of the local, Central Coast tradition of holiday making. Since the late 1800s, residents of Sydney have traveled to the Central Coast to enjoy the seaside environment, often staying in family-run guest houses largely conducted by women owners and employees. As with the theme of the conference, gender can be seen to be central to the business of holiday making. The article argues that women were active instigators of Central Coast holidays and found ways to experience then: work as leisure. Like the conference goers of 1999, early twentieth century holiday makers enjoyed their change of scene and returned home reinvigorated.