On Christmas Day 1930, while the Great Depression gripped Australia, something extraordinary happened at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building. Businessman Sidney Myer threw open the doors to more than 10,000 unemployed people for a full Christmas dinner, complete with entertainment and a present for every child who walked through those doors.

This wasn't a token gesture. Myer arranged free tram travel across Melbourne so anyone could attend, regardless of whether they could afford the fare. A band played festive music while thousands sat down to a proper Christmas meal—something many hadn't seen in months or even years.

More Than a Meal

The Exhibition Building dinner was just one piece of Myer's Depression-era philanthropy. When his department store faced financial pressure, he didn't fire workers. Instead, everyone took a pay cut—including Myer himself. He then poured £22,000 of his own money into relief work to create employment opportunities.

In 1931, he launched a £250,000 reconstruction of his Bourke Street store. The timing wasn't accidental. The project was deliberately designed to create jobs and restore confidence in Melbourne's economy when both were desperately needed.

From Refugee to Benefactor

Sidney Myer's generosity is even more remarkable considering his origins. Born Simcha Myer Baevski in Belarus in 1878, he arrived in Melbourne in 1899 as a Jewish refugee with almost nothing. He started as a traveling salesman, built a drapery business, and eventually created Australia's largest department store chain.

His success didn't make him forget what hardship felt like. During the 1930s, while other businesses shuttered and laid off workers, Myer expanded. His message was clear: prosperity means nothing if your community is suffering.

A City's Farewell

When Sidney Myer died suddenly in 1934 at age 56, Melbourne showed how much he'd meant to them. More than 100,000 people attended his funeral—an astonishing turnout that reflected how deeply his generosity had touched the city. For context, Melbourne's population at the time was around 1 million.

The Myer name still dominates Australian retail today, but Sidney's legacy extends far beyond shopping. The Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the Myer Foundation, and countless stories of Depression-era kindness keep his memory alive. That Christmas dinner in 1930 wasn't just charity—it was a statement that even in the darkest times, humanity and generosity could prevail.

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