Increasingly inequitable distribution of general practitioners in Australia, 1986-96

Objective: To document trends in the distribution of general practitioners (GPs) in Australia between 1986 and 1996, adjusted for community need. Methods: Data on the location of GPs, population size and crude mortality in statistical divisions (SD) were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing in 1986 and 1996. From these data, we calculated measures of distribution equality (number of people sharing each GP in each SD) and distribution equity (number of people sharing each GP divided by the crude mortality rate; the Robin Hood Index), and analysed temporal changes in the distribution of GPs. Results: Nationally the number of people sharing each GP fell 11% from 1,038 in 1986 to 921 in 1996. However, in 41 of 57 SDs (72%, p=0.01) the number of people sharing a GP actually increased over this time, and the average Robin Hood Index across SDs fell from 0.943 to 0.783 (p=0.004), indicating increasingly inequitable distribution. Comparing the Robin Hood index values of all SDs ranked in pairs, the value fell in 53 of 57 (93%, p<0.001) paired SDs over the decade. These patterns demonstrate increasing inequity over the decade. The number of people sharing each GP was consistently and substantially lower in the capital city SDs and the Robin Hood Index values were consistently and substantially higher (overserved) compared with country SDs. Conclusions: Despite there being more GPs per capita in Australia, their distribution became increasingly unequal and inequitable between 1986 and 1996, such that rural and remote areas became increasingly poorly served.

Out of the shadows: The critical sociology of sport in Australia, 1986 to 1996

The sociology of sport in Australia has reached a key point in its development. A critical tradition in the subdiscipline has been established over the last decade, but its intellectual and institutional progress has been uneven. This article briefly traces the emergence of critical sports sociology in a country outside the major centers in the UK and U.S., its break with functionalist approaches, and its attempts to overcome the neglect of local mainstream sociology. The authors proceed to examine (self-reflexively) the changes of theoretical direction and the new lines of research that are being explored in the field. A recent ''skirmish'' with narrative history over the preferred theories and methods in sports analysis is discussed as illustrative of the difficulties encountered by an energetic but small, dispersed and underorganized scholarly movement in Australia.

Patterns of change and stability in the gender division of household labour in Australia, 1986-1997

Recent research in Australia and overseas has suggested that we are witnessing a convergence of men's and women's time on domestic labour activities. But there is disagreement about whether this is due to women reducing their time on housework or men increasing their time on housework. This article addresses these issues using national survey data collected in Australia in 1986, 1993 and 1997. The results show some changes in the proportional responsibilities of men and women in the home with men reporting a greater share of traditional indoor activities. But overall both men and women are spending less time on housework. In particular, women's time on housework has declined by six hours per week since 1986. Hence, while the gender gap between men's and women's involvement in the home is getting smaller, it is not the result of men increasing their share of the load, but is due to the large decline in women's time spent on domestic labour. There is also evidence of change in the relationship. between paid and unpaid work for women. Women's hours of,paid labour had a greater impact on their involvement in domestic labour in 1997 compared to a decade earlier. The article concludes that women's increased labour force involvement in combination with changing patterns and styles, of consumption is leading to some changes in the gender-division:of household labour, but not in the direction anticipated by earlier commentators on the domestic division of labour.

Monostephanostomum georgianum n. sp (Digenea : Acanthocolpidae) from Arripis georgianus (Valenciennes) (Perciformes : Arripidae) off Kangaroo Island, South Australia, with comments on Monostephanostomum Kruse, 1979 and Stephanostomum Looss, 1899

Monostephanostomum georgianum n. sp. is described from Arripis georgianus off Kangaroo Island, South Australia. It differs from its congeners by the presence of a short second row of oral spines. M. manteri Kruse, 1979 is reported from A. georgianus off southern Western Australia and Kangaroo Island, South Australia and A. trutta off northern Tasmania. It is considered that the other two species, M. yamagutii Ramadan, 1984 and M. krusei Reimer, 1983, should probably be removed from this genus. Two new combinations are formed, M. gazzae (Shen, 1990) n. comb. (from Stephanostomum) and M. mesospinosum (Madhavi, 1976) n. comb. (from Stephanostomum). A key to the four recognised species of Monostephanostomum is given.

A new subfamily, Bothriocrotoninae n. subfam., for the genus Bothriocroton Keirans, King & Sharrad, 1994 status amend. (Ixodida : Ixodidae), and the synonymy of Aponomma Neumann, 1899 with Amblyomma Koch, 1844

Evidence suggesting polyphyly of the traditionally recognised tick genus Aponomma Neumann, 1899 is summarized. Continued recognition of this genus in its current concept leaves a polyphyletic genus Aponomma and a paraphyletic genus Amblyomma Koch, 1844. To improve the correlation between our understanding of phylogenetic relationships in metastriate ticks and their classification, a few changes in classification are proposed. The members of the 'indigenous Australian Aponomma' group (sensu Kaufman, 1972), A. auruginans Schulze, 1936, A. concolor Neumann, 1899, A. glebopalma Keirans, King & Sharrad, 1994, A. hydrosauri (Denny, 1843) and A. undatum (Fabricius, 1775), are transferred to Bothriocroton Keirans, King & Sharrad, 1994, which is raised to full generic rank. The remaining members of Aponomma are transferred to Amblyomma. Uncertainty remains on relationships of Bothriocroton to other metastriate lineages and on the systematic position of the two species formerly included in the 'primitive Aponomma' group, A. elaphense Price, 1959 and A. sphenodonti Dumbleton, 1943.

Species of Stephanostomum Looss, 1899 (Digenea : Acanthocolpidae) from fishes of Australian and South Pacific waters, including five new species

Nine species of Stephanostomum are described from Australian and Southern Pacific marine fishes: Stephanostomum madhaviae n. sp. [syn. S. orientalis of Madhavi ( 1976)] from Caranx ignobilis, off Hope Island, Queensland, with 30-34 circum-oral spines and vitelline fields almost reaching to the posterior extremity of the cirrus-sac; S. bicoronatum (Stossich, 1883) from Argyrosomus hololepidotus, off Southport Broadwater, Queensland; S. votonimoli n. sp. from Scomberoides lysan, off Moorea, French Polynesia ( type-locality) and Western Samoa, with 33-38 circum-oral spines, a uroproct and the vitelline fields not reaching the cirrus-sac; S. nyoomwa n. sp. from Caranx sexfasciatus, off Heron Island, Queensland, with 33-38 circum-oral spines, a uroproct and the vitelline fields reaching the cirrus-sac; S. cobia n. sp. from Rachycentron canadum, off Heron Island, with 36 circum-oral spines, a uroproct and the vitelline fields reaching the cirrus-sac; S. petimba Yamaguti, 1970 from Seriola hippos, off Rottnest Island, Western Australia; S. pacificum ( Yamaguti, 1951) from Pseudocaranx wrighti, off Fremantle, Western Australia; S. aaravi n. sp. from Lethrinus miniatus, off Heron Island, with 36-39 circumoral spines, probably a uroproct and the vitelline fields reaching the ventral sucker; S. pagrosomi ( Yamaguti, 1939) from L. nebulosus, L. miniatus and L. atkinsoni off Heron Island, Pagrus auratus, off Rottnest Island, Western Australia and Gymnocranius audleyi, off Heron Island. A digest of described species of Stephanostomum is included as an appendix.