Sometimes described in the post WWII years as `the housing shortage’, the national effort to fix a very troubling issue has over the years come to be called `the housing boom’. Undoubtedly it was a boom in demand and activity. There was also a marked increase in house ownership, achieved in many cases through heroic individual effort and years of sacrifice.
Changing social attitudes offered new opportunities, but also reduced the choices. Emphasis in state housing plans was at first on rental dwellings; later there was a swing toward the sale of low-cost houses. At a time when various influencers had reduced the amount of rental homes, governments, banks, finance companies, building societies and housing co-ops were offering greater opportunities for home ownership. Ironically this was paralleled by a rise in building costs.
Top on the list of factors linked to rising costs were the introduction in 1948 of the 40-hour working week, and marked increases in the cost of construction materials. By 1948 an employer had to pay an unskilled building labourer a higher wage than a tradie had received in early 1946.
To keep both labourer and tradesman economically employed the builder needed a continuous flow of materials which was a rare occurrence in those times. A shortage of skilled workers also meant lower quality building and further loss of time.
Contract prices were loaded with an increasing profit margin as an insurance against unseen problems. Under commonwealth price control, builders were entitled to a 10 per cent `profit’ on the contract price. Above award payments were not recognised in price control and yet builders often found a need to pay above award salaries to ensure house completion.
Unexpected costs could happen when, for example, timber flooring was suddenly unprocurable, and a higher price would then have to be paid for imported timber for flooring.
With locally made cement taking forever to turn up, a batch from interstate was sometimes purchased at nearly three times the price. When compared to 1939 prices hardwood flooring material had, by 1948, doubled in price. Cement had risen by almost 20 per cent and terracotta roofing tiles by more than 25 per cent. A gallon of quality paint costing around 30s ($3) in 1939 had risen some 40 per cent by 1948.
When added to rising costs and shortages of materials the government restrictions, limiting the area of a new house to 12 squares (111.48 square metres) for a timber house and 1250 square feet (116.12 square metres) for one in brick, completed the recipe for an imposed austerity.
The economical plan was necessary; cost-saving and limitations on area made large single-purpose rooms a luxury. Verandahs and generous porches disappeared, reducing the shelter at the front entrance to the absolute minimum. Ceiling heights had been slowly reduced from the turn of the century and were now usually nine feet (2745 mm). Until the government construction restrictions were lifted in 1952 the acceptance of no-nonsense functionalism was as much a mandated state as it was a fashionable philosophy. This was the era of the great Australian Dream.
Building a pool to go with your Australian dream? For glass pool fencing Brisbane and pool fencing Brisbane, contact Oz Glass Pool fencing. Frameless glass pool fencing looks great, is safe and affordable.
