Dr Michele Matthews has been a local and social historian for nearly three decades since she first used correspondence held by the then Bendigo City Council for her Honours thesis. She is an ardent advocate for the use of local history records to tell Victorian and Australian history from a grassroots perspective. Michele’s MA thesis, ‘A forgotten “Father” of Federation: Sir John Quick 1852‑1911’ (2003), and her PhD thesis, ‘Survivors, schemes, Samaritans and shareholders: the impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925‑1935’ (2007), both drew heavily on Bendigo and district records. Michele Matthews Collection: PHD Research - Relief during the great depression This item includes the following documents: 8672.49a The document consists of two handwritten historical records relating to public assistance in Bendigo during the early 1930s. The first page is an official letter from the City of Bendigo, Town Hall, Sustenance Office (Public Buildings) addressed to the Town Clerk. The writer advises that Mrs. Ethel Odgers is eligible for sustenance assistance based on her age. However, rather than recommending ongoing financial aid, the official suggests providing her with a load of firewood. The letter notes that Mrs. Odgers is expected to become eligible for other forms of assistance shortly, and therefore recommends against granting additional relief before she has the opportunity to apply through the appropriate channels. A handwritten annotation indicates that Mrs. Odgers later received one order of wood per week, dated 14 September 1933. The second page is a personal letter, dated 14 September 1933, from a widow living on Delany Street in Long Gully, addressed to Mr. Bennett. She explains that her husband died from miners' phthisis (a lung disease common among miners), leaving her to support her family alone. She describes her severe financial hardship, stating that she has two sons who are unemployed, one of whom has been out of work for two years, while the family survives largely on the small wages earned by her daughter. She appeals for help in finding employment for her sons, stressing that they are willing to undertake any kind of work but have been unable to secure jobs. The writer expresses her distress at the family's struggle to obtain enough food and explains that she has unsuccessfully attempted to meet with Mr. Bennett on two or three occasions. She ends by asking to be informed if any work becomes available for her sons.bendigo, michele matthews collection, letters seeking support in bendigo during the great depression 1932 to 1934

Dr Michele Matthews has been a local and social historian for nearly three decades since she first used correspondence held by the then Bendigo City Council for her Honours thesis. She is an ardent advocate for the use of local history records to tell Victorian and Australian history from a grassroots perspective. Michele’s MA thesis, ‘A forgotten “Father” of Federation: Sir John Quick 1852‑1911’ (2003), and her PhD thesis, ‘Survivors, schemes, Samaritans and shareholders: the impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925‑1935’ (2007), both drew heavily on Bendigo and district records. Michele Matthews Collection: PHD Research - Relief during the great depression This item includes the following documents: 8672.54a The document contains a series of historical letters relating to a woman, Mrs. M. Bruce, who sought financial assistance during a period of hardship. The scanned pages are handwritten and partially faded, making some sections difficult to read, but the overall sequence of events is clear. The first letter is a handwritten appeal from Mrs. Bruce to the Mayor of Bendigo. She explains that she has two young children and is struggling to provide food for them. She states that she receives only a small allowance for the children each week and that the payment is insufficient to meet their needs. Mrs. Bruce also refers to her own poor health, which limits her ability to support the family, and respectfully asks whether the Mayor could provide any form of assistance. The tone of the letter is humble and urgent, emphasising her financial hardship and concern for her children's welfare. The second page is a typed response dated 25 October 1933. The letter acknowledges receipt of Mrs. Bruce's request for assistance and informs her that arrangements have been made for her to receive aid through the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum. She is instructed to attend the Asylum at 10:00 a.m. on a weekday to receive food and clothing and is advised to bring the letter with her as proof of authorisation. The final page is an internal memorandum from Bendigo Town Hall, written by the organiser of the Public Assistance Committee. The note discusses Mrs. Bruce's case and recommends that her application be considered by the committee. It indicates that the committee should review her circumstances and refers to recording the matter in the committee's minutes, demonstrating the administrative process used to assess requests for charitable assistance. Overall, the document provides a brief record of Mrs. Bruce's application for relief, the official response granting temporary charitable assistance, and the accompanying administrative correspondence showing how local authorities managed welfare requests during the early 1930s.bendigo, michele matthews collection, letters seeking support in bendigo during the great depression 1932 to 1934

Dr Michele Matthews has been a local and social historian for nearly three decades since she first used correspondence held by the then Bendigo City Council for her Honours thesis. She is an ardent advocate for the use of local history records to tell Victorian and Australian history from a grassroots perspective. Michele’s MA thesis, ‘A forgotten “Father” of Federation: Sir John Quick 1852‑1911’ (2003), and her PhD thesis, ‘Survivors, schemes, Samaritans and shareholders: the impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925‑1935’ (2007), both drew heavily on Bendigo and district records. Michele Matthews Collection: PHD Research - Relief during the great depression This item includes the following documents: 8672.85a The document is a series of official letters dated 27–30 October 1934 concerning unemployed miners in Bendigo, Victoria, who had lost work because of the engine-drivers' strike. The first letter, sent by the Town Clerk of Bendigo to the Minister in Charge of Sustenance, describes the severe hardship experienced by miners who had become unemployed through no fault of their own. Although many of these men had only recently returned to work after earlier periods of unemployment, the strike had left them jobless again. The letter explains that they had reportedly been ruled ineligible for government sustenance payments, despite their willingness to work and the lack of available employment. To emphasise the urgency of the situation, the Town Clerk provides an example of a miner with a wife and five children who had no food in the house while his wife was about to give birth. The child was born while the father was away seeking assistance. The letter argues that this case reflects the broader hardship facing many mining families and respectfully requests that the government reconsider its policy and extend sustenance assistance to these unemployed miners. The second letter, dated 30 October 1934, is the Department of Labour's response. The Assistant Minister acknowledges receipt of the Bendigo Town Clerk's appeal and states that the matter has been carefully considered. He advises that instructions have been issued to the Registrar of Public Assistance in Bendigo and encloses a copy of those instructions for reference. The attached memorandum outlines the government's decision. It authorises a special concession allowing sustenance payments to be granted to miners who became unemployed because of the strike, provided they had been in employment within the four weeks before the strike began. These miners, together with their families, were to receive sustenance at the normal rates until they received their first wages after returning to work. However, the memorandum makes clear that this concession was strictly limited to those who had already been receiving or were eligible for sustenance within that four-week period, and that no extension beyond these conditions would be considered. Overall, the document illustrates the impact of the 1934 industrial dispute on Bendigo mining families and shows how pressure from local government led the Victorian Department of Labour to introduce a limited but significant welfare concession for affected unemployed miners.bendigo, michele matthews collection, letters seeking support in bendigo during the great depression 1932 to 1934