Overview

It was decided early in 1980 that the Director and members of the Board of management would visit each of the major capital cities to meet with groups of researchers and interested individuals working on family studies. People were asked to offer views on the Institute's research priorities and invited to help to develop the Institute's network, a key aspect of its family research co-ordinating function. In each State/Terriory the public was notified through the local press and by invitation that the Institute planned to conduct open hearings on social changes and policies affecting Australian families. The first hearings were held in 1980 in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. In 1981 hearings were held in Hobart, Launceston, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Darwin, Canberra and Sydney.