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:

8672.65a The document is a letter dated 13 March 1934 from the Department of Labour, Sustenance Branch in Melbourne, titled "Supervision of Work Performed in Return for Sustenance." It addresses concerns about the supervision and efficiency of men employed under government sustenance work schemes.

The letter refers to a circular issued on 22 November 1933 by the Assistant Minister in Charge of Sustenance, which stressed that workers receiving sustenance should provide a reasonable return through their labour. It argues that men who do not perform fairly should not continue to be employed and notes that the success of the sustenance work system is being undermined by poor supervision, leading to low levels of efficiency.

The document states that recent investigations found little improvement in the productivity of workers in some areas. It attributes this problem not to the workers themselves but to employing bodies failing to provide adequate oversight. According to the letter, simply assigning men to work without ensuring they complete a reasonable day's labour results in taxpayers' money being wasted and is considered an unacceptable state of affairs.

The letter concludes with a strong warning from the Minister, urging all employing authorities to implement proper supervision over workers receiving sustenance. It states that if sufficient supervision cannot be demonstrated, the Minister will consider withdrawing the authority of the relevant municipality to employ men under the sustenance work scheme.