During the Second World War the Federal Government subsidised some child care centres and also some courses for child care workers. The funding was through the Department of Labour and National Service. The main aim of the Government was to provide facilities so that mothers could be employed to help war production.
Here is a collection of documents about the first such centre to be established in Australia. The centre was in Brunswick where there were large rope, textile and clothing factories where women were the main part of the work-force.
The Federal government withdrew its funding after the war and it was not until 1972 that child care was federally subsidised.