Episode 3: The Great Depression

What could you do without? What necessities of life do you think you could make for yourself if you needed to?

In this video, host Jack Evans speaks with Museum curator Craig about the experiences of Australians during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Consider how items in the Museum’s collection – including a dress and some pegs – reveal rich and vivid stories of people’s resilience and creativity at a time when many Australians were forced to either make do or do without.

Discover the surprising link between these difficult times and one of the nation’s most famous racehorses – Phar Lap.

Reading sources

Take a closer look at the primary sources featured in the video, and others from this era from our collection.

View Gallery A girl’s fancy dress garment, hand-painted with cartoons and caricatures showing the work of the Heidelberg Unemployment Bureau. The dress is light peach in colour, with ochre yellow, red, black, white and silver coloured paints forming the bulk of the illustrations. Across the shoulders either side of the collar are the words 'HEIDELBERG UNEMPLOYED / LADIES WELFARE'.

A girl’s fancy dress garment, hand-painted with cartoons and caricatures showing the work of the Heidelberg Unemployment Bureau. The dress is light peach in colour, with ochre yellow, red, black, white and silver coloured paints forming the bulk of the illustrations. Across the shoulders either side of the collar are the words 'HEIDELBERG UNEMPLOYED / LADIES WELFARE'.

View Gallery

View Gallery A cooking container made from a kerosene tin cut down crossways and with a round lip turned back and soldered. Two tin brackets have been soldered on opposite sides for wire handles. The container is brown and has a circular design printed in the bottom of it that reads "VACUUM OIL COMPANY PTY LTD. / LAUREL KEROSENE".

A cooking container made from a kerosene tin cut down crossways and with a round lip turned back and soldered. Two tin brackets have been soldered on opposite sides for wire handles. The container is brown and has a circular design printed in the bottom of it that reads "VACUUM OIL COMPANY PTY LTD. / LAUREL KEROSENE".

View Gallery A cupboard made from a pine packing case. The cupboard has two shelves. The top shelf has three walls and a lid, this has been done by removing one side of the pine packing case. The lower shelf has board along two sides. One along the length the other along the width. The cupboard has been covered with newspaper and remnants of this remain. It has four round hardwood legs.

A cupboard made from a pine packing case. The cupboard has two shelves. The top shelf has three walls and a lid, this has been done by removing one side of the pine packing case. The lower shelf has board along two sides. One along the length the other along the width. The cupboard has been covered with newspaper and remnants of this remain. It has four round hardwood legs.

View Gallery Hand-carved wooden spoon with a hole in the handle for hanging

View Gallery A soap holder improvised from part of an unknown circular tin object and a tin lid. The tin lid has drainage holes punctured into it and is soldered to the bottom of the circular part to form a stand.

A soap holder improvised from part of an unknown circular tin object and a tin lid. The tin lid has drainage holes punctured into it and is soldered to the bottom of the circular part to form a stand.

View Gallery A circular, handpainted metal coin. The coin is silver coloured and dated 1915. One face is overpainted with a head and shoulders portrait of a woman with long blonde hair wearing a purple and white off the shoulder dress, a crown and a necklace.

A circular, handpainted metal coin. The coin is silver coloured and dated 1915. One face is overpainted with a head and shoulders portrait of a woman with long blonde hair wearing a purple and white off the shoulder dress, a crown and a necklace.

View Gallery A circular, handpainted metal coin. The coin is gold coloured with a stippled rim. There is an area of damage on the rim causing it to protrude from the rest. One face is overpainted with a figure on horseback wearing white pants, a blue top and a red cape.

A circular, handpainted metal coin. The coin is gold coloured with a stippled rim. There is an area of damage on the rim causing it to protrude from the rest. One face is overpainted with a figure on horseback wearing white pants, a blue top and a red cape.

Activities

Have a discussion in groups or as a class about what these objects from the Great Depression can teach us, that statistics cannot.
What items do you have at home or at school that you could redesign into something useful instead of throwing them out? Create your design and get making!
Use the Museum’s Collection Explorer to find out more about one of these primary sources and use the object, and your knowledge of it, as inspiration for a piece of creative or dramatic writing. How could the object or its owner feature in a short story – or theatrical scene?
Think about the impact Phar Lap had on people during the Great Depression. Do you think sport plays a similar role in society today? Divide your class into two groups and debate this idea.