This booklet was issued to householders in Australia giving information on meat rationing during World War Two. Meat was rationed because much of the meat processed in Australia was sent overseas to Britain and to soldiers in war areas. The booklet includes hints on how to make the most of the meat ration. Meat and other key foods such as tea, sugar and butter were rationed during World War Two. Each person in Australia was allowed two meat coupons a week and, depending on the type of meat, this equated to one pound to two pounds of meat per coupon. Products such as sausages, brains, tripe, poultry, rabbits, bacon and ham were not rationed (but few people could afford poultry). This booklet is of interest because it is a memento of the times in World War Two when several food items were rationedThis is a small booklet of 10 pages. The front cover has a beige background with an orange border, red and black printing, a Commonwealth Government crest and a sketch of a casserole dish. The back cover has red and black printing on a beige background. The cover is slightly faded. The pages have red and black sketches and black print. The contents include recipes, meal plans and hints for cooking and storing meat. The booklet has been bound with metal staples. world war two, food rationing in world war two, history of warrnambool

Vegemite hit the market in 1923 but failed to sell. In 1928 the company renamed its spread Parwill to compete against the top-selling British import, Marmite but Parwill flopped too. In 1922 the Fred Walker Company hired a chemist, Percy Callister, to develop a useful food from vitamin-rich used yeast being dumped by breweries. Using enzymes to split open the yeast cells, Callister extracted the contents and blended them with vegetables and salt into a sticky black paste with a sharp taste. They tried the Vegemite name again and gave the product away with Walker cheese products and a couple of cars as prizes before Australians finally fell for it. In 1939 Vegemite was officially endorsed by the British Medical Association as a good source of Vitamin B and was included in Australian Army rations during World War II. Buyers were now assured of the nutritional value of Vegemite, which has been a market leader ever since. The Fred Walker Company became the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. Pty Ltd in 1926 and Kraft Foods Limited in 1950. (from Powerhouse Museum) This type of jar was used to package Vegemite between 1935 and 1945. Vegemite has been an 'Australian icon' since World War II when it was recognised as one of the world's highest food sources of vitamin B. It was sent to war with the troops and rationed at home. The marketing strategy that put Vegemite in 9 out of every 10 Australian homes in the 1940s, 50s and 60s emphasised the value of Vegemite to children's health. A cylindrical Vegemite jar made of white opal glass. It has a threaded rim and two mould seams. On the base - AGM Vegemite V879

This stencil has been made to imprint the label, 'Britain Relief Appeal' on to parcels and packages sent to Britain in the late 1940s and the early 1950s from the City of Warrnambool. Britain endured severe rationing of food, clothing, petrol and furniture from 1940 because of the outbreak of World War Two and this rationing continued in some form after the war up to 1954. Australian towns and cities established organizations such as Food For Britain and sent regular parcels of food and clothing to Britain during those times. The British Relief Appeal in Warrnambool (via the Warrnambool Food For Britain committee) was sponsored by the Warrnambool City Council, Toc H, Australian Red Cross, and various local charities and businesses. The Warrnambool & District Historical Society has in its collection over 100 letters sent by grateful British recipients of these parcels to the senders, the employees of the local Warrnambool business, Swintons Stores.This stencil is of interest as a memento of the effects of rationing in Britain in post-World War Two times and the close ties that existed between Australian towns and cities and their British counterparts.This is a rectangular-shaped metal stencil, originally painted black, with cut-out letters in the centre. Britain Relief Appealwarrnambool food for britain committee, warrnambool britain relief committee, world war two

This exercise book contains letters, mostly aerogrammes, sent by people in England during the years 1947 to 1950. They are letters of thanks for the food parcels sent to these people by the staff of George Swinton and Sons of Timor Street Warrnambool. The letters give details of the contents of the parcels, the situation with the families receiving the parcels and the effects of the food rationing and shortages in England immediately after World War Two. The name ‘H.C.Thomson’ on the front of the book refers to Helen Thomson, a staff member of George Swinton & Sons in charge of the food parcel distribution. William and Ann Swinton came to the Warrnambool area in 1854 and William opened a groceries, hardware, china and glassware store in Timor Street in 1865. After William Swinton’s death his son Robert became the first managing director of Swintons Pty Ltd. In 1934 the business split with Swintons Pty Ltd selling seeds, produce and hardware and George Swinton and Sons selling furnishings, clothing and glassware. Today the Swinton family still operates a furniture and bedding store in Timor Street, making it one of the oldest family businesses in Australia. This exercise book containing letters sent from England in response to the receipt of food parcels from the staff of George Swinton & Sons of Warrnambool is of considerable significance. The letters form a splendid social history of the situation in England after World War Two, especially for the elderly and the unemployed. They also are a reminder of the charity work undertaken by the staff of George Swinton & Sons 70 years ago. This was a prominent family business in Warrnambool (and continues in another form to this day). This is an exercise book with brown binding and a blue front cover with an image of St George, blue printing and a handwritten name and some other handwritten material which is not decipherable. The back cover has blue printing. Pasted on to the pages are handwritten letters and cards, mostly four to a page. Most of the letters are aerogrammes and some have stamps. Some pages contain addresses of families in England. There are some loose sheets.St. George Exercise Book Name… H.C.Thomson Grade.. School.. Swinton & Sons Timor St. W’bool Victoriageorge swinton & sons, history of warrnambool

Issued to individuals as part of the war effort in rationing food post WWII.Printed rectangular piece of paper with red text showing squares for 16 rations. This card issued to a Mabel Kelly of Rutherglen.If this Card is found it must be returned at once/ to the Deputy Director of Rationing, Melbourne/ A 820163/ Issued to Mabel Kelly/ Address Rutherglen meat ration card, mabel kelly, wwii, homefront, shopping, world war two