This research guide documents attempts by the federal government to provide work relief for the unemployed during the Great Depression.
The Great Depression lasted for only a few years, but its impact on Australia was devastating and long-lasting. The Scullin government was two days old when the crash of the New York Stock Exchange in 1929 heralded the start of unemployment and misery for many people. The political ramifications were just as dramatic and led to the defeat of the Scullin government two years later.