The Great Depression Revisited
The current financial crisis and emerging “recession” has inevitably stirred memories of and comparisons with what became known as the “Great Depression” of the late 1920s and early 1930s. In that context it may be of interest to readers to peruse a selection of the responses published by Australian Quarterly in response to the latter phenomenon.
As befits a journal of then conservative hue, the contributions republished here reflect contemporary orthodox opinion on matters economic, with a shift towards entertaining more radical solutions as the downturn progressed. Economic nationalism became a dominant feature of the 1930s. The seemingly successful economies of the decade where those that managed to a high degree to isolate themselves from the world economy… Australia, however, dependent upon the export of primary produce, had little choice but to muddle through as best as it could.
John Perkins
The Cause of the Economic Depression (1931)
Professor T. H. Laby
The Gold Standard in Australia (1929)
A. C. Davidson
The Economic and Financial Outlook (1930)
Professor D. B. Copland
The Last Ditch: The Report of the Coplan Comittee (1931)
Dr. Gordon Wood
Inflation, Deflation, or Common Sense (1930)
Senator Sir Hal Colebatch
The Gold Standard and Australian Exchange (1931)
Professor D. B Copland
Australia in the Shadows (1933)
L. F. Giblin
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