Adversity & Resilience: Economy

The fall of the Australian economy and the subsequent suffering of many Australian’s was primarily due to the Wall Street Stock Market Crash of 1929, which led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. A number of factors attributed to why Australia was hit so hard by the Depression, including the fall in exports, the collapse of the world market and Australia’s indebtedness, both internal and external.

This fall brought with it many repercussions including an extremely high level of unemployment. Once the State Governments had their budgets under control and Australia regained her credit on the London money markets, the country could again prosper. The Depression had taken its toll on the people of Australia and those who suffered the most were the unskilled unemployed who didn’t know where their next job would be or how they could adequately feed themselves.

In the City of Ipswich, the major problem caused by the Depression was unemployment. In the Ipswich City Council Minute Books which are held in the Queensland State Archives mention can be found of two organisations in Ipswich who gave aid to the unemployed. One was the Returned Soldier’s and Sailor’s League and the other was the Ipswich Distress Relief Committee. The latter group paid fees to use the Town Hall for entertainments given in aid of the Committee’s funds. A Mrs. D. Phie applied to the Council for a refund of the fees paid for the hall, the Council recommendation in 1930 was to make a donation towards the funds of the Committee in each instance.