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:

8672.56a The document consists of a handwritten appeal from Mrs. M. O’Brien to the Mayor of Bendigo, together with official correspondence showing how her request was handled by the Town Clerk and the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum.

Mrs. O’Brien writes to the Mayor asking for assistance during a period of severe financial hardship. She explains that she has five young children and is unable to work because she must care for her elderly mother, who is diabetic and unfit to look after the children. She states that she receives only a small government allowance, which is insufficient to support the family. As winter approaches, she is especially concerned that her children have neither suitable clothing nor shoes to attend school. She notes that previous assistance from the Mayoress had provided clothing, but that the children still lack footwear.

In her letter, Mrs. O’Brien also describes the family’s difficult circumstances. She explains that her husband had left around five years earlier and that she has had no contact with him since. She also mentions that her eldest child suffers from rheumatism, adding to the family’s hardships. She lists the ages of her five children and makes a heartfelt plea for any assistance that could be provided.

The official response, dated 5 November 1934, acknowledges receipt of Mrs. O’Brien’s letter. Rather than providing direct assistance, the Town Clerk advises her to contact Mr. Betteridge at the Bendigo Benevolent Asylum, who was responsible for distributing aid from the Mayor’s Relief Fund and would assess her needs and provide help, particularly with shoes for the children.

The final page contains internal correspondence between the Town Clerk and Mr. Betteridge. The Town Clerk forwards Mrs. O’Brien’s application and requests details about her case so that appropriate assistance can be arranged. Handwritten notes record information about the family, including the number and ages of the children and the items of clothing or footwear required. The document illustrates the process by which charitable relief requests were investigated and referred to local welfare organisations during the Great Depression.