Australian Working Class and the Great Depression Essay

The Great Depression served as one of the ultimate defining historical events for the Australian working class during from the 1800s to the late 1900s; surviving the Great Depression was an even greater event. The Great Depression did not effect Australia equally, in fact some Australians were not effected by the Great Depression at all, the same cannot be said for those in the working class. The Depression hit the working class extremely hard in Australia, leading to skyrocketing unemployment rates, an increased homeless population, and many children leaving school to help work. The Great Depression further enforced the class separation in Australia, however it created an enhanced sense of camaraderie.
The Great Depression in Australia was caused by multiple factors including the aftermath of World War I, the depleted value of British and Australian exports, as well as the crash of Wall Street in the United States. As the demand from Britain for Australian exports fell, strikes occurred in industries such as coal mining, and industry critical to the working class. And the rate of unemployment rose from 6% to 11% during the twenties the working class immediately felt the loss. Employers began cutting employees at staggering rates reflected by the unemployment rates of the thirties which peaked at 30%. These unemployment statistics do not accurately represent the hardships faced by the Australian working class during this time. The effects of the Great Depression were not felt evenly by a economic classes in Australia and a disproportionate amount of the working class comprised those without work while wealthier families did not experience the same hardships.
During this time the roles for men and women were still very traditional, the man was expected to be the bread winner, while the woman was expected to stay home with the children and prepare meals. On such meager incomes many families resorted to paying on tick, or arranging an agreement with a storekeeper...