The second world war did not have as great an impact on Australian civilians as in other countries. For the first two years of WW2 Australians went about their lives as usual, battling the expected rising prices and unemployment that war brought.
By 1941 there were indications that Japan may join the war, this would lead to conflict in the pacific; a great threat to Australia. Immediately factories had begun to make war products and many civilians were involved in voluntary work. In preparations for attacks barbed wire was strung across beaches and blackout restrictions introduced. Women on the home front The women on the home front in Australia have been said to have played one of the most significant and important roles during WW2. Thousands of women took up new roles in the WAAAF (women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force, the AWAS (Australian Women’s Army Service) and the WRANS (Women’s Royal Australian National Service). Other women joined voluntary organisations such as the Red Cross. Often, a woman's work was multi-faceted - she carried the emotional burdens and concerns for loved ones serving overseas, the responsibility of running a household, and filled a role in industry. If all these roles weren’t already a handful they were made even tougher by wartime conditions and the women had to learn to make-do. In the early days of rationing, some women realised that curtains could be transformed into clothes for their children. Women also invented new recipes to provide their families with enough nutrients and vitamins to stay healthy as meat and vegetables were increasingly rationed. One such recipe was meatless sausages - instead of mince sausages were filled with oats and egg. Children on the home front Schools were a focus for morale-building and fundraising efforts throughout the war. News of the war was read out at school assemblies with particular attention to the actions of former students. Fairs and fêtes were organised by churches, schools and clubs. In the cities, children raised money by doing jobs for their neighbours and in the country some passed on the profits from the pelts of rabbits and kangaroos they had shot. For the most part children were expected to do as they were told and keep to themselves in order to make life easiest for the adults. Rationing system There was an unprecedented demand for food and other products like cotton, not only for the troops overseas and the people at home, but also for the American troops who were starting to arrive in Australia in large numbers. In June 1942, rationing was introduced, and ration books were issued for food and clothing. Everyone was encouraged to go 'all in' to support Australia and Australians at war. Immigrants and Refugees Germans living in Australia were interned (put into gaol without reason, much like prisoners of war), as were people from Turkey, Austria and Bulgaria. Around 7000 were sent to camps where they ate war rations and worked on the country’s railways, roads and bush-clearing. Jewish refugees pouring into Australia were treated as enemy aliens and second class citizens since they had come from Germany, Australia’s enemy. Australian’s wanted the Jewish refugees to be interned. Eventually the Jewish refugees were re-classified as ‘friendly aliens’ and released from the camps. Many of them joined the Australian army, or remained in Australia and became successful and prominent citizens after the war. Almost 1 million American service personnel passed through Australia during World War II. American troops started arriving in Australia in December 1941 and during the next four years they became a continuous presence in Australian life, opening major cities to a new culture and making a substantial impact on the local economy. Australians, especially the girls, are a bit amazed at the politeness of American soldiers. Despite the goodwill of most local people, tensions grew between some Australians and the American troops, especially when Australians saw local women going out with the ‘Yanks’. With their generous pay, the Americans could buy many things, especially alcohol, on the black market which Australian soldiers often had to go without. Politics During World War II Australia went through five prime ministers, Robert Menzies, Arthur Fadden, John Curtin Frank Forde and Ben Chifley, three of them in just three months. The conflict in the Pacific lead to the first attacks on Australian soil, lead by Japan. A wide range of measures in case of “total war” were in place and there was an urgent need for manpower. The Curtin Government launched a campaign of “Austerity” in 1942 and home-front propaganda pushed the concept of “equality of sacrifice”, this meant many civilians gave up their individual rights during wartime. “My fellow Australians. It is my melancholy duty to inform you, officially, that, in consequence of the persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her, and that, as a result, Australia is also at war” - Menzies Despite the difficulties and hardships experienced on the home front, for Australians this time signifies a sense of unity, a time when people worked hard and pulled together. |
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