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 - Relief during the great depression

This item includes the following documents:

8672.39a This document is a handwritten letter, dated 2 February 1932, from a widow in Bendigo addressed to the City Council. In the letter, she appeals for employment opportunities for her sons, explaining that although other families' sons and husbands have been able to obtain work on council projects, her own sons have repeatedly been overlooked despite actively seeking employment. She describes one son as having previously worked on the railway before becoming unemployed and another as willing and capable of manual labour but unable to secure a position.

The writer explains the severe financial hardship facing her family. As a widow with two sons and a daughter, she struggles to pay her rates and meet basic living expenses because her sons have been unemployed for an extended period. She stresses that they are eager to work rather than rely on assistance and argues that even if one son is considered small in stature, he is a hardworking and capable worker who deserves the opportunity to prove himself.

She criticises the council's employment practices, claiming that work is being distributed unfairly. She argues that jobs should be shared more evenly among unemployed men instead of repeatedly going to the same workers or to those with personal connections. She recounts an incident in which one of her sons was allegedly dismissed by an official who told him he would not receive work, suggesting to her that favouritism influenced hiring decisions. She also expresses frustration at being pursued for overdue rates while her family has no income with which to pay them.

The letter broadens into a criticism of government priorities during the Depression. The writer argues that public funds would be better spent creating employment for unemployed Australian men and boys rather than supporting other expenditures. She believes that providing work would allow struggling families to pay their rates and regain their independence, reducing the burden on both households and local government.

The letter concludes with a respectful but urgent plea for the council to provide work for her sons on the city's ongoing projects. She states that she is willing to pay her outstanding rates as soon as her sons earn wages, emphasising that employment—not charity—is what her family needs to recover from their financial difficulties. The document offers a vivid firsthand account of the economic hardship, unemployment, and frustrations experienced by working-class families in regional Victoria during the Great Depression.

8672.39b In this handwritten letter, dated 10 June 1932 from Bendigo, the writer apologises for being unable to pay outstanding rates at the present time. She explains that his financial hardship is due to his sons being unable to find work, leaving the family without sufficient income to meet their obligations.

The writer states that her sons are actively trying to obtain money by seeking work and, if possible, by finding gold. She emphasises that he is willing to pay the rates as soon as he is financially able, stressing that his inability to pay is temporary rather than a refusal to meet his responsibilities.

She expresses frustration that his sons have not been given employment opportunities, believing that if they had been offered work like others, he would have been able to pay what was owed. He also explains that the ongoing lack of work has taken a toll on him personally, leaving him physically exhausted and in poor health.

The letter concludes with a renewed assurance that she fully intends to pay the outstanding rates once he has the necessary funds. she reiterates that he currently has no money and asks the recipient for understanding and patience until her financial circumstances improve.