Rising house and rental prices, high construction costs and materials shortages were as big a problem in post-WW1
A century ago,
As World War One ended, more than 150,000 Australians serving overseas - on the
But where would they live when they returned? Few houses had been built during the war years to cope with the country's growing population.
The many thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and ancillary staff either didn't have a physical place to live or resided in sub-standard dwellings. This clashed with the rallying cry of the time to provide 'homes fit for heroes': those who had served and the widows of those men who would never return.
The fledging federal government and state administrations were increasingly aware of the significant challenges this issue presented. The passing of the Commonwealth Government's War Services Homes Act in
And central to these initiatives - as it had been to funding the war and a host of associated economic measures - was the
Miller had been in discussions with the Government from
This led to the appointment of the Bank in
Financial support under the Act was limited to
The home loans were offered at attractive terms for the time, with maximum repayment periods of 37 years with monthly repayments of
All of the scheme's details - including a standard schematic design for a two-bedroom house - were contained in a 1919 pamphlet produced by the Bank.
Pamphlet showing designs for a War Service Home Pamphlet showing designs for a War Service Home
Pamphlet showing designs for a War Service Home Pamphlet showing designs for a War Service Home
Another CBA-led innovation was the launch of a self-funded insurance scheme for the war service homes, which not only covered against the risk of fire but also lightning, flood and 'tempest'. It was the only insurance of its type in the country covering all such risks, and its costs were considerably lower than those offered by private companies - in some cases 50 per cent cheaper.
Meticulous records of the insurance were kept in local 'Day Books'. The one for
It is testament to the success of the insurance scheme that it still operates today under the aegis of the
Inside the homes built by
Under the national construction scheme, CBA took charge of building and acquiring properties on separate sites while the Commission was responsible for constructing bigger greenfield estates of homes. The policy was later scaled back due to opposition of grouping ex-soldiers at one location in large numbers.
In keeping with his 'can do' attitude,
It took just 35 days to build
Different house designs and set-ups were offered across the different states, tailored to local weather conditions and planning and living requirements but the emphasis was on speed of construction, minimal follow-on maintenance and low construction costs.
The end of the scheme
The combination, size and difference of the two building approaches - the CBA's individual house scheme, and the Commission's estate program - led to a huge shortage of materials, particularly bricks, but also furniture, door and window fastenings and other fittings.
Consequently, there were construction delays and complaints about the direction, scope and operation of the national scheme at Commission level, all of which led to increasing tensions between the Commission and the Bank. It was agreed to end their partnership earlier than planned.
But that came after CBA had helped put a roof over the heads of several thousands of ex-service people and widows.
In all, the Bank:
built 1,777 homes across six states - NSW,
purchased a further 5,179 homes nationwide for
acquired 987 building plots;
let 1,877 building contracts to the value of
approved 8,017 applications for homes worth
discharged an additional 1,011 mortgages totalling
The housing support first offered by the Commission and CBA more than 100 years ago continues today through the provision of subsidised home loans administered by
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