VPRS 12382 Sustenance Payments Books

Full description

With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, governments were forced to take measures to provide for the sustenance of the vast numbers of the unemployed and their dependents. With the Unemployment Relief (Administration) Act 1932 (No.4079) the State Government legislated for the system of sustenance whereby payments of relief were to be made locally and recipients were required to in exchange compulsorily provide labour for public works.

Funds were to be administered by a public assistance committee. The primary responsibility for the formation of this committee was given to municipalities with the council of every municipality able to appoint for its municipal district a committee with not more than two thirds of the members of the committee to be members of the council (S11). These committees were permitted to form sub-committees for the purpose of carrying out their tasks. Work in return for sustenance was to be by writing under the hand of the municipal clerk of the municipality concerned.

These volumes are listings of Sustenance payments to individuals. Recipients are listed by name with the dates for which the payment was applicable and the amount each received. Beside some names is the description Farm Labourer which may have meant that these individuals were periodically able to find regular employment or an indication of their former occupation.

The P1 consignment of this series was previously registered as VPRS 6485 units 2, 4, 6 and 7. It was reserialised in 2001 as part of the ARAD Project.