The Big End of Town

Never before had a book been published which provides such a comprehensive study of Australian corporate leadership over the past 100 years. Written by a team of economic historians The Big End of Town, first published in 2004, is a proper business history of twentieth-century Australia. This book traces the evolution of large business enterprises in Australia, from the giants of the nineteenth century – such as Dalgety’s, CSR and BHP – to the contemporary leaders in Newscorp and Qantas. It delves into why the market leaders became the major players, examines what was crucial to their success, and their roles in leading the Australian economy. By investigating their evolution this book provides a useful evaluation of the factors that have led to their competitive success and provides an essential guide for all businesses in Australia and beyond.

Author Biography

Simon Ville is Professor and Head of the School of Economics and Information Systems at the University of Wollongong. He is editor of the Australian Economic History Review and author of several publications on business in Australia, including The Rural Entrepreneurs. David Merrett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management at the University of Melbourne. He is a consultant to the ANZ Banking Group and has written extensively on business in Australia Grant Fleming is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Finance and Applied Statistics at the Australian National University.