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Sometimes described in the post WWII years as `the housing shortage’, the nationwide effort to address a very serious 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 notable increase in house ownership, achieved in many cases through heroic individual effort and years of sacrifice.

Changing social attitudes offered new opportunities, but also narrowed the options. Emphasis in state housing schemes was at first on rental dwellings; later there was a swing toward the ownership of low-cost houses. At a time when various influencers had reduced the amount of rental dwellings, governments, banks, finance companies, building societies and housing co-ops were offering more opportunities for home ownership. Ironically this was at a time of a jump in construction costs.

High on the list of factors linked to rising building costs were the passing of legislation for the 40-hour working week, and drastic increases in the cost of construction materials. By 1948 an employer had to pay an unqualified building worker a higher salary than a tradesperson had received in early 1946.

To keep both labourer and tradie economically employed the builder needed a continuous flow of materials which was a rare occurrence during this period. A shortage of skilled workers also meant lower quality construction and a blow out in construction time.

Contract prices were loaded with an increasing profit margin as an insurance against unseen contingencies. 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 rates to ensure house completion.

Unexpected costs could arise when, for example, hardwood flooring was suddenly out of stock, and a higher price would then have to be paid for imported timber for flooring.

With local cement taking forever to turn up, a truckload from interstate was sometimes bought at nearly three times the price. When compared to 1939 prices hardwood flooring had, by 1948, doubled in price. Cement had risen by almost 20 per cent and clay 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 home 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 essential; cost-saving and limitations on area made large single-purpose rooms a luxury. Verandahs and spacious 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.

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