Lives Of Many Australians example essay topic

World War II played an enormous role in changing the lives of Australians and created some unforgettable experiences for rural and regional Australians as a result of their involvement in the War effort. Although women did not fight overseas, aiding the British or defending land near and around Australia, they did however make a grand contribution to the War effort. The women assumed the response abilities of the men who left to serve in the War and the women and many youths took on the manpower needed to run the rural properties and businesses. World War II and the threat posed by the Japanese played an enormous role in changing the lives of rural Australians by affecting the living standards greatly, food and petrol consumption, strengthened our bonds with our allies and affected families with death and heroism.

Some experiences of rural Australians also changed lives for better or worse. Particularly the experience of women and their contributions changed lives. As a result of Australia's involvement in World War II many Australians living in country communities experienced things that would not be commonly experienced in today's society. Due to the involvement of Australia in World War II many of the young Australian men were sent over sea's to fight along side of Britain and then when Japan joined the War many were recruited and reassigned to places in the pacific to fight along side with the Americans. Because of this many men were absent from their work places and the manpower was very low. The government set up helpful programs designed to replace the lost manpower and that is exactly what they did.

Youths between eleven and seventeen joined the VFV (Victory Farm Volunteers) and were the largest single groups in the Emergency Farm Labour Service work force. During the spring the youths were trained during school in preparation for the summers farm work. Additional training was available early in summer once the youths were organised into platoons. A single platoon could consist of twenty to fifty youths and each platoon was constantly supervised by at least one adult, usually a woman from the Women's Land Army (WLA). The youths were sent to farms where they worked a normal six-hour day and worked on a day-haul basis. During harvest period's schools would close to allow the youths to help in the harvesting process.

They hoed, weeded (in one occasion a single platoon weeded ten acres of beetroot plantations in two day and without then it would have destroyed all the crops), and harvested during the seasons. The experiences these children obtained doing voluntary work is one that would not be commonly achieved these days and parental consent and a physical checks were required for all youths placed on farms for volunteer work. The Experiences were also beneficial in many ways. It provided a sense of helping your fellow man free of cost and the Extension Service's 1943 annual report stated that "the Victory Farm Volunteers' movement has been pointed to by juvenile officers as having a very direct and beneficial effect upon juvenile delinquency problems". Heather Abbott of Glen Innes (David Abbott's grandmother), due to Australia's involvement in World War II was effected and experienced many things such as change. When the War started in 1939 Heather Abbott was 16 years of age and was attending school in Sydney.

In 1941 Heather returned to Glen Innes to help her brother run the properties. Heather had three brothers and two of which served in the armed services. The other brother was left at home to take care of the farms that were left. Heather helped her brother run the farm and although she did not work for a government organisation she still worked just as hard and working on the same sort of jobs. During the week Heather worked in the town of Glen Innes doing secretarial work from Monday to Friday, working an average eight hours a day. On holidays and weekends Heather Abbott would help her brother on the farms left by the other brothers.

On a usual weekend she would work about eight hours a day doing what ever was necessary to keep the productions of the farm going. Heather would help shear and drench sheep, buy and sell livestock, feed livestock, repair fences and help with odd jobs around the homesteads. In really busy times of the year when her help was really needed she would take time off work to make it possible to complete their farm work. With out the other two brothers the manpower was considerably less and this meant the jobs were harder and took longer to accomplish.

These experiences are the result of Australia's involvement in World War II. The contribution to the War effort from the countrywomen was massive. Many Australian women between the ages of eleven and seven-teen joined the VFV (see above). Women of all ages could be recruited to the Women's Land Army (WLA).

The WLA was a nation-wide group and it had its own emblem and uniform, though the uniform was not widely adopted. Most of the women who were apart of the WLA lived at home and worked on a day-haul basis and were transported to and from the work sites by personal cars, trucks, or school buses like the VFV. They hoed, weeded, thinned, and harvested crops of all types. Nearly 135 000 placements were made in Oregon from 1943 to 1947. Volunteer women also contributed by knitting socks for the soldiers, cooking food for the soldiers and army camps in the country, and cooking food to send to the active soldiers like ANZAC biscuits for example.

Some also wrote letters to active soldiers to let them know that the Australian public supported them strongly and wished them good luck. Women also took on the jobs of men while they were gone. Any job a man did, a woman was most likely seen doing during the time of the War. The role the War played in changing the lives of Australians living in country communities was massive. One of the major roles the War played in changing lives was that the War was the result of many casualties. Hundreds and hundreds of young Australian men lost their lives.

Almost instantly the live of the soldiers were changed, from a living, breathing human being to a lifeless corpse rotting on the battlefield. A death a family caused lots of grieving and the news of a fallen family member usually halted the production of the farm or business. Husbands were lost and children have to grow up without a father figure. Brothers were lost and the farm / business is no longer a partnership. Sons were lost and no mother or father want to see a their child, their own flesh and blood pass away before they pass away themselves. Petrol and food rationing also changed the lives of many Australians living in country communities.

Because of the War the resources of petrol and food were seen to be very valuable. Petrol rationing meant that each vehicle was allowed a certain amount of petrol each week. This caused people to only travel if it was extremely essential. In those times you couldn't just travel to Sydney like some of us do these days.

There was not a lot of social activity due to the fact that petrol was limited and every k travelled was valuable. Food rations changed the lives of Australians living in country communities. Food was limited so many people cultivated their own food and tried to be self-sufficient. The food that was obtained was used to the full capacity. Not a scrap was wasted. People living in country communities were forced to be less wasteful.

A skill that most of us do not possess anymore. For example these days when we make 1 kg of cheese, we throw away 9 kg of curds. Wars have always changed lives for better or for worse and rarely for better. Australia's involvement in World War II has created experiences that are not easily forgotten and experiences that benefit many people. These experiences of rural and regional Australians were created as a result of their involvement in World War II.

Heather Abbott, youths in the VFV and women in the WLA all shared a common experience. Working as a team to do what is needed. Countrywomen contributed greatly to the War effort and the government formed organisations like the WLA. The War played a great big role in changing lives. By ending them and by forcing the government to make restrictions of essential needs.

As a result of Australia's involvement many country Australian's lives changed and they encountered many different experiences. David Abbott

Bibliography

/ Acknowledgements "X Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia 2001 (World War II) (Australia) "X The Internet (web) last updated 1993 "X Kate Cameron, Jennifer Lawless and Carmel Young (Investigating Australia's 20th Century History) Chapter 4, pages 113-118 + pages 121-122 "X Heather Abbott.