Since the 1950's the marriage rate in Australia has changed significantly and these trends may be attributed to changes in prevailing economic and social conditions. In many situations nowadays, divorce is seen to be and accepted as the only choice for a troubled marriage. For some couples divorce may be the correct path to travel, but there are many couples that may have a good chance of saving their marriage with some consideration, work and help. The probability of a marriage ending in divorce is generally increasing. Therefore couples that marry in the future should understand how they might avoid the pain of divorce. Through studying Australian marriage data evidence of what elements make for a successful marriage can be discovered and used to predict how to help alleviate problems in marriage.
             The crude marriage rate (the number of marriages within a year per 1000 of the population) is at it's lowest since the Great Depression (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1995, 1). However, up to sixty percent of married people can still expect to stay married to the same person until one partner dies (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1995, 1). In 1950 the crude marriage rate was approximately nine, while by 1990 that figure had fallen to six (refer figure 1). There was a rapid rise in this figure during the 1960's, which was followed by a rapid decline from about 1970. Since this decrease the rate has fluctuated with a general trend of decline.
             (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1995, 2)
             Many historical factors aided in the fluctuating crude marriage rate from the 1950's onward. Males dominated heavy immigration of young, single people during the late 1940's and 1950's, so they faced a severe shortage in potential marriage partners (Carmichael, 1988, 197). This resulted in a decline in the crude marriage rate. The rapid increase of marriage in the 1960's was partly due to couples being married as men ...