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:

8672.68a The document consists of three pieces of correspondence dated 22–29 March 1934 concerning the Unemployed Ratepayers' and Citizens' Association of Bendigo and its role in handling grievances related to sustenance (relief) work.

The main letter, written by F.C. Sweeney, General Secretary of the Unemployed Ratepayers' and Citizens' Association, is addressed to Dr. C. Shields, Minister of Sustenance. Sweeney expresses the Association's general support for the government's decision to end sustenance work but objects to one aspect of the policy: workers with grievances should continue to be allowed to appoint two delegates to present complaints to the Central Unemployment Council. He explains that the Association, representing approximately 580 members, has successfully used this system for several years, allowing most men to continue working while only a small number of representatives handled disputes. According to Sweeney, this approach has maintained order and produced positive results.

Sweeney argues that the Association has consistently worked independently of trade unions and has deliberately avoided conflict or direct industrial action. He states that the organisation's Disputes Committee has effectively resolved issues by assessing complaints carefully and referring only serious cases to the appropriate authorities. He warns that abandoning this process could encourage unrest similar to the disturbances that had recently occurred in Melbourne. The letter emphasises the Association's belief that local knowledge and practical experience make it better suited than outside organisations to judge the legitimacy of workers' complaints.

The letter also stresses the Association's cooperative relationship with local officials, particularly the Bendigo City Engineer, who is said to support the Association's work and recognise its fairness. Sweeney notes that the Association has consistently supported government sustenance schemes and has sought to resolve disputes through consultation with municipal officials and the Public Assistance Committee before appealing to the Minister. He requests that the Association's Disputes Committee be allowed to continue operating under the existing arrangements.

The second document is a letter dated 28 March 1934 from the Town Clerk of Bendigo to the Department of Labour's Sustenance Branch in Melbourne. The Town Clerk acknowledges receipt of departmental correspondence and requests a copy of Sweeney's letter so that the Public Assistance Committee can properly investigate the grievances and gain a complete understanding of the situation before making any decisions.

The final document, dated 29 March 1934, is the Department of Labour's response to the Public Assistance Committee. The Officer in Charge confirms receipt of the Committee's request and encloses a copy of Sweeney's communication, thereby facilitating the Committee's investigation of the Bendigo sustenance dispute. This exchange illustrates the close communication between the local committee, municipal authorities, and the state government over the administration of unemployment relief and the handling of workers' complaints.