Soldiers Farming in the Northern Territory

Soldiers Farming in the Northern Territory

With the scarcity of manual labour and the mammoth task Australia had undertaken in feeding allied troops, up to 20,000 soldiers were returned to Australian soil to work on the land and grow food for export.(1) This plan was first suggested by J F Murphy in June of 1943,(2) coming into action by October of that year.(3) This once more highlights the equal importance of food and fighting power in war.

1. Symons, One Continuous Picnic, 162
2. “Butter for Britain,” Northwest Champion, 10 June 1943. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179259592?searchTerm=J%20F%20Murphy%20rationing%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-decade=194|||l-year=1943
3. “Australia’s Food Policy Criticised,” Morning Bulletin, 14 October 1943.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56292078?searchTerm=american%20food%20in%20australia%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-decade=194|||l-availability=y%2Ff|||l-australian=y

https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/167568102?l-decade=194&q=food&l-australian=y&l-availability=y%2Ff&c=picture&sort=holdings+desc&_=1537424032971&versionId=182632205

c. 1943