Victoria was regarded as one of the richest places in the world during the nineteenth century. Yet there were substantial amounts of poverty. Single men who had been lured to the goldfields might later find themselves injured, unemployed or sick, and, without a family to fall back on, wholly dependent upon charity. This book examines the paradox of extreme poverty in the midst of extreme wealth and explains the nature of the system that emerged to deal with those unable to care for themselves. The charity network that evolved was based on voluntary effort and limited government funding. The relief-granting bodies cooperated among themselves, and the system proved flexible enough to cope under most circumstances. But the Depression of the 1890s demonstrated that private charity was not enough, that government intervention and legislation was essential if many of the aged, ill, and unemployed were not to be abandoned to destitution.

CONTENTS
The poverty paradox p9.
Attitudes toward poor relief p20.
The benevolent asylums p33. Melbourne Benevolent Asylum p33. Immigrants’ Aid Society p43. Bendigo Benevolent Asylum p47. Ballarat Benevolent Asylum p59. Castlemaine Benevolent Asylum p67. Ovens Benevolent Asylum [Beechworth] p71. Data p73.
Ladies’ benevolent societies p77. Prahran Ladies’ Benevolent Society p78. Management committees p81. Source of funds p83. Recipients, type and extent of relief p85. Conclusions p91.
The Charity Organisation Society p93.
Comparisons with other British based systems p115. Scotland p115. England p122. Ontario p125. New South Wales p127. Tasmania p131.
Conclusion p134.
Appendix 1: Private charities in Victoria in 1901 [list of] with date of establishment if known [Source: A guide to charity and the philanthropic work of Victoria / Charity Organisation Society 1912] p139.
Appendix 2: Excerpts from 1862 Royal Commission report p145.
Appendix 3: Excerpts from the 1871 Royal Commission report p151.
Appendix 4: Benevolent asylums: number of recipients of relief 1852-1900 p155.
Appendix 5: Benevolent asylums: revenue (pounds sterling) 1852-1900 p159.
Appendix 6: Benevolent asylums: expenditure (pounds sterling) 1852-1900 p164.
Appendix 7: Out-door relief, Ballarat Benevolent Asylum, 1873 p172.

Index available on library computers: Electronic resources \ indexes.