Melbourne households lent money to government to fight WWII

IT’S hard to imagine ordinary citizens banding together to voluntarily lend money to the government to fight a war in 2017. But that’s exactly what happened during WWII.

A sign declaring “This is a War Savings Street” would be placed on each street.

IT’S hard to imagine ordinary citizens banding together to lend money to the government to fight a war these days.

But that’s exactly what happened during WWII.

“War savings streets” were street-based groups that contributed to the national war savings scheme to pay for munitions and supplies.

Life in Melbourne during WWII

While there were many war savings streets, we’re yet to find one that still bears the distinctive sign proclaiming “This is a War Savings Street”, like this one found by Ron Lowe of Cheltenham at a collectables market.

In each street, a volunteer collected money from residents and in return gave them war savings certificates, which were cashed in after the war ended — with interest.

Several readers believed a “majority” of residents had to contribute to claim the title, but Lynden Twining, from Boronia, said it had to be every single household.

“The sign was put on the post at the end of the street if every house in the street had purchased war bonds,” says Lynden, who lived in Ian St, a war savings street, in Balwyn.

“They were coveted. The advantage would’ve been of course for smaller streets.

The night an enemy spy plane flew over Melbourne

“Many people were very proud that the entire street had participated in this.”

Like many schoolkids, Bruce Wishart, from Prahran, would go door to door in his street during WWII selling the sixpenny savings stamps.

“Collect 32 of them and you could exchange it for a War Savings Certificate worth 16 shillings,” he says.

“This certificate would be worth one pound when cashed in at the end of the war.

Fortunately, we won!”

Do you know a Melbourne street that still bears a War Savings Street sign? Let us know.

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