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Two Depressions, One Banking Collapse

Author

Listed:
  • Chay Fisher

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

  • Christopher Kent

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

Abstract

The depression of the 1890s in Australia was associated with the collapse of the banking system, whereas problems in the financial system during the 1930s depression were far less severe. This is despite the fact that the initial macroeconomic shock during the 1930s depression was at least as large as that during the 1890s depression. We show that variation in the performance of the financial sector during the two depressions was due to differences in the condition of the financial sector well before each depression. Differences in real external factors and government policies were not sufficient to explain variation in the performance of the financial sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Chay Fisher & Christopher Kent, 1999. "Two Depressions, One Banking Collapse," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp1999-06, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    • Handle: RePEc:rba:rbardp:rdp1999-06
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    File URL: https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/1999/pdf/rdp1999-06.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. P.D. Jonson & G.R. Stevens, 1983. "The 1930’s and the 1980’s: Some Facts," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp8303, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    3. Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz, 1963. "A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number frie63-1, January.
    4. Christopher Kent & Guy Debelle, 1999. "Trends in the Australian Banking System: Implications for Financial System Stability and Monetary Policy," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp1999-05, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    5. Ben Bernanke & Mark Gertler, 1990. "Financial Fragility and Economic Performance," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 105(1), pages 87-114.
    6. David T. Merrett, 1993. "The 1893 Bank Crashes and Monetary Aggregates," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp9303, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    7. D.T. Merrett, 1991. "FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS UNDER PRESSURE: ARE THE RIGHT LESSONS BEING LEARNT FROM THE 1890s?," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, March.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Berger, Allen N. & Udell, Gregory F., 2004. "The institutional memory hypothesis and the procyclicality of bank lending behavior," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 458-495, October.
    2. William Quinn & John D. Turner, 2023. "Bubbles in history," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 65(4), pages 636-655, May.
    3. Colin McKenzie, 2006. "Australia's Deflation in the 1890s," Discussion papers 06017, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. J. Alejandro Fernández Fernández, 2019. "The Banking System in Australia and New Zealand: A Vision together," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(2), pages 1-1.
    5. Thomas Mathews, 2019. "A History of Australian Equities," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2019-04, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    6. Rochelle Belkar & Lynne Cockerell & Christopher Kent, 2008. "Current Account Deficits: Tha Australian Debate," Central Banking, Analysis, and Economic Policies Book Series, in: Kevin Cowan & Sebastián Edwards & Rodrigo O. Valdés & Norman Loayza (Series Editor) & Klaus Schmidt- (ed.),Current Account and External Financing, edition 1, volume 12, chapter 13, pages 491-535, Central Bank of Chile.
    7. Bryan Fitz-Gibbon & Marianne Gizycki, 2001. "A History of Last-resort Lending and Other Support for Troubled Financial Institutions in Australia," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2001-07, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    8. John Simon, 2003. "Three Australian Asset-price Bubbles," RBA Annual Conference Volume (Discontinued), in: Anthony Richards & Tim Robinson (ed.),Asset Prices and Monetary Policy, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    9. Nigel Stapledon, 2012. "Trends and Cycles in Sydney and Melbourne House Prices from 1880 to 2011," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 52(3), pages 293-317, November.
    10. Costea, Carmen & Keen, Steve, 2009. "Romania In A Post-Credit Crunch World? A Cautionary Tale From Australia And America," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 6(1), pages 16-35, March.
    11. Kent, Christopher John, 2011. "Two depressions, one banking collapse: Lessons from Australia," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 126-137, August.
    12. Chris Berg, 2015. "The Curtin-Chifley Origins of the Australian Bank Deposit Guarantee," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 22(1), pages 21-44.
    13. Nigel Stapledon, 2010. "A History of Housing Prices in Australia 1880-2010," Discussion Papers 2010-18, School of Economics, The University of New South Wales.
    14. Nargis Bharucha & Ellis W. Tallman, 2000. "Credit crunch or what? Australian banks during the 1986–93 credit cycle," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 85(Q3), pages 13-34.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Australian economic depressions; financial instability; banking crises;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N20 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - General, International, or Comparative

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