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:
8672.45a The document contains a handwritten letter dated 15 March 1933 from Mrs. C. Cowling of Neale & Osborne Street, Bendigo, addressed to the Mayoress, Mrs. Bennett. In the letter, Mrs. Cowling appeals for assistance in obtaining clothing for herself and her children. She explains that her family is living on sustenance payments and that her husband's unemployment has continued into its third year, leaving them unable to afford adequate clothing. She describes their financial hardship, noting that "everything seems to be wearing at once," and asks if any new or second-hand clothing could be provided. Mrs. Cowling states that she has five daughters aged between three and nine years old and a two-year-old son, expressing sincere gratitude for any assistance that could be offered.
The second page is a typed reply dated 29 March 1934 from the Town Clerk. The response acknowledges Mrs. Cowling's letter to the Mayoress and directs her to Mr. Betteridge at the Benevolent Asylum, where she is advised to apply for clothing assistance. Rather than providing clothing directly, the Town Clerk refers her to the appropriate charitable organisation for support, indicating the council's role in connecting people experiencing hardship with available welfare services.
