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:
8672.52a The document is a Department of Labour Circular (37/33) dated 27 November 1933, issued by the Sustenance Branch in Melbourne. It is addressed to employing authorities and explains the principles and expectations of the "Work in Return for Sustenance" scheme.
The circular argues that the scheme is intended to preserve the dignity of unemployed workers by allowing them to earn their sustenance through work rather than receiving charity. It states that this approach is less demoralising than direct relief and gives workers the opportunity to earn more than the standard sustenance rate through productive labour.
The document notes that municipalities have strongly supported the scheme, describing their cooperation as essential to its operation. It also claims that unemployed workers themselves generally approve of the system, citing repeated requests for work from districts where no employment opportunities were available.
A key justification for the programme is the need for a work test. The circular argues that some people receiving sustenance were unwilling to work, claiming that in certain districts up to 20% of recipients surrendered their relief cards once work began. It states that some individuals were prosecuted for fraud, using these cases to support stricter enforcement.
The circular expresses concern that the success of the programme is being threatened by poor supervision and inadequate worker efficiency. It instructs employing authorities to expect a reasonable level of productivity, stating that, as a general guideline, workers should average 70% efficiency. It further argues that those unwilling to undertake work within their capabilities demonstrate that they are not genuinely in need of assistance.
The document concludes by urging employers to address loafing and poor performance promptly, arguing that tolerating inefficiency is unfair to diligent workers and could undermine public support for the entire system. It also singles out travelling workers ("travellers"), stating that those who treat the work as a joke should have their traveller's cards confiscated and be dismissed from the programme.
