Historical information
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.
Physical description
Michele Matthews Collection: PHD Research - Australian Natives’ Association (ANA), Bendigo Branch
This item includes the following document:
8672.35a The document consists of a series of half-yearly balance sheets for the Australian Natives’ Association (ANA), Bendigo Branch No. 5, covering the period from 31 May 1928 to 30 November 1935. Each balance sheet records the branch’s financial position at six-month intervals and provides a detailed breakdown of income, expenditure, assets, and liabilities across several dedicated funds.
The Sick Fund was the branch’s primary welfare fund, receiving income from member contributions, interest, funeral allowances, loan repayments, and endowment receipts. Expenditure mainly consisted of sickness benefits, funeral allowances, investment transfers, and endowment payments, with the remaining balance held in the bank. This fund demonstrates the Association’s role in providing financial assistance to members during illness and following bereavement.
The Medical and Management Fund recorded income from annual subscriptions, honorary memberships, entrance fees, donations, medical fees from members of other branches, and transfers from reserve funds. Expenditure covered board dues, audit fees, medical attendance and medicines, salaries, rent, postage, telephone expenses, printing, stationery, advertising, delegates’ expenses, and other administrative costs. The fund therefore supported both the branch’s healthcare services and its day-to-day operations.
A separate Contingency Fund was maintained as a reserve for unforeseen expenses. Income typically came from transfers of previous balances, profits on investments or exchanges, donations, and contributions from new members, while expenditure was limited, allowing balances to accumulate over time as a financial safeguard.
The Building Fund managed the branch’s property-related finances. It recorded donations, depreciation of furniture, interest, and rent from the hall account, while expenditures included investments in buildings, furniture, mortgages, and other capital assets. This fund reflects the Association’s investment in maintaining and expanding its physical facilities.
One balance sheet (for the half-year ending 31 May 1928) also includes a Hall Account, a Statement of the Branch’s Assets and Liabilities, and a Statement of Mortgages, providing a broader overview of the branch’s financial position beyond its individual funds. These statements list assets such as cash balances, buildings, furniture, investments, and mortgages alongside liabilities and outstanding loans.
Across the years, the financial statements follow a consistent format, allowing the reader to track changes in income, expenditure, reserves, investments, and bank balances between reporting periods. Collectively, they show that the Bendigo Branch managed multiple specialised funds simultaneously, balancing member welfare, medical services, administration, emergency reserves, and property management while maintaining detailed financial records over the period 1928–1935.
