Living History
Memories of the Great Depression (1930s)
The Great Depression officially began in October of 1929, when the stock market in the United States of America crashed. This had a world-wide effect, causing economic and financial hardship in many countries, including Australia. Our country struggled to maintain growth, resulting in massive unemployment with 29% of Australians out of work in 1932.
What did the Great Depression really mean in Australia? Long dole queues were found across the land, and yet our country rallied in so many ways: in high unemployment towns like Happy Valley in the council of Waverley NSW, the Unemployment Relief Works Program built valuable roads, pools and buildings giving hundreds of people employment and a sense of self-worth; concerts at Bondi Beach raised money for the 'Vegetable Fund’, and school children across the country were helped with free soup and bread, seen in the above image.
How did the Great Depression affect your family? How did they cope and adapt? Do you have memories or family stories of every day life in the 30s? Perhaps of budget cooking or creative low-cost entertainment. Send in your stories and photos, during the months of June and July, to Living History's 'Memories of the Great Depression'.
More Information
Want more information on this topic? Check out the following links!
| Picture Australia |
| The National Library of Australia |
| The National Archives of Australia |
Contributions
| Contribution Title | Date Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Depression of the 1930s Part A | 3/08/2005 | |
| The Great Depression of the 1930s Part B | 3/08/2005 | |
| Look for the silver lining.... | 2/08/2005 | |
| The Depression years, 1930s | 28/07/2005 | |
| The Swagman – Human Face of the Depression | 26/07/2005 | |
| Born in the Great Depression | 5/07/2005 | |
| Memories of the 1930s Depression |  | 20/06/2005 |
| The Depression Years ( in Canada) | 20/06/2005 | |
| Recollections of the Great Depression | 16/06/2005 | |
| Childhood adventures during The Great Depression | 1/06/2005 | |
| Depression Days In Windeyer | 1/06/2005 | |
| Depression Years at Windeyer | 1/06/2005 | |
