Rationing Books

Rationing Books

Early in the war Australia’s food was in surplus, and it seemed unlikely that civilians would face a food shortage, beyond a few vegetables.(1)

Senator Richard V. Keane, the minister in charge of rationing saw rationing as a “weapon of victory.”(2) Australian rationing began in 1942. Tea was rationed after Malaya and the East Indies fell to Japanese occupation and was harder to procure.(3) Sugar was rationed as labour and fertilizer shortages in Queensland saw a fall in production.(4) From June of 1943 butter was rationed as the dairy industry failed to produce enough milk.(5) Meat rationing also began due to increasing overseas demand, limiting beef, veal, and mutton, leaving sausages and meat offal unrationed.(6) The success of meat rationing was particularly impressive, given the prominence of meat in the Australian diet pre-war.(7)

Rationing was highly successful due to civilian cooperation.(8)

1. Chisholm, A. H. “Will Australia Lack Food?” The Herald Melbourne, 2 April 1942. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245112454?searchTerm=will%20australia%20lack%20food%3F%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-decade=194
2. H. E. Daw, Rationing in Australia, 4.
3. H. E. Daw, Rationing in Australia, 21.
4. H. E. Daw, Rationing in Australia, 23.
5. H. E. Daw, Rationing in Australia, 24.
6. H. E. Daw, Rationing in Australia, 26.
7. “Meat Rationing Now Accepted says Mr Murphy,” Canberra Times, 31 Jan 1944. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2667569?searchTerm=J%20F%20Murphy%20rationing%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-decade=194
8. H. E. Daw, Rationing in Australia, 31.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C14095

c. 1944