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Thinkabout, Talkabout: Rations and coupon shopping

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Hand drops coins onto table
Thinkabout, Talkabout: Rations and coupon shopping

SUBJECTS:  Economics, History

YEARS:  9–10


Discover what it was like to go shopping in Australia during World War II.

See how people in the 1940s had to live with restrictions on how much they could buy (rationing).

Find out how rationing was an attempt to make the distribution of necessary goods, such as food and clothing, equal for everybody.


Things to think about

  1. 1.In wartime, should a government's first priority be the needs of its armed forces or civilians? During World War II, materials needed for the war effort were the first priority, so the Australian government restricted what Australians could buy. Can you think of any other reasons for rationing? How would you and your family cope with rationing of food and clothing?
  2. 2.According to this clip, what sorts of goods did coupons cover? Why do you think receipts were such an important part of rationing? The 'pie man' appears to be a popular character during rationing. Can you imagine why? How did the rationing of petrol change the way people travelled during this period?
  3. 3.Rationing saved materials for the war effort. It was also an attempt to spread the burden so that people of different incomes would have as much chance of getting necessities. Imagine what would have happened if rationing had not been introduced. The shopping scene in the clip reveals an organised, calm approach. Create an alternative shopping scene.
  4. 4.Research other effects of rationing, such as people's attempts to be more self-sufficient, hoarding and the 'black market' (selling goods illegally). Think of three questions you could ask the presenters of this clip if you wanted to discover more about rationing and its effects.



Date of broadcast: 27 Feb 1973


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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