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A Starr-Bowkett Society was a co-operative, non-profit financial institution that provides interest-free loans to its members and operates on the principle of mutual self-help as espoused by Dr T. E. Bowkett in 1843.〔(Darnell, Maxine. Attaining the Australian Dream: The Starr-Bowkett Way )〕 Popular in Australia from the late 19th century through the early and mid 20th century, and possibly an inspiration for modern micro-credit movements, they are no longer existent today. ==Origins== Dr. Thomas Edward Bowkett was a London surgeon as well as a vocal proponent of a number of progressive and unionist ideas. His scheme to provide "mechanics" with a means to become landholders and thus have a greater influence on government was first proposed during a series of lectures and articles in 1843. In 1862 Richard B. Starr made some changes to Dr. Bowkett's scheme, including a slightly increased subscription fee and shorter subscription time among others. The changes made the scheme more palatable to potential subscribers and Starr promoted his now copyrighted system aggressively. The Starr changes also made running a Starr-Bowkett Society profitable for management. Concerns over the "lottery" system used, as well as the actions of unscrupulous managers, led governments in the United Kingdom to outlaw Starr-Bowkett societies there. However, they had spread to the Australian colonies and became a popular option for a burgeoning middle class there to afford their own homes.〔Darnell, Maxine. The Alternative Building Society - Starr-Bowkett Societies: function, growth and operation. Presented at Asia Pacific Economic and Business History Conference, Sydney, 12–14 February 2007〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Starr-Bowkett Society」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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