digforvictory

Digging for victory, 1941

from State Library of Queensland

• Alexis Snyder said:

  This is really cool! I love it.

• minou minou said:

  it's Wonderful....

• Gregory Cope said:

  This is a great photo!

• Vesna Verencevic said:

  "Nearly 50 girls from offices, shops, workrooms, and libraries enrolled last evening in a "Dig For Victory" Club which it is hoped will be the nucleus of a movement extending into many suburbs and country districts." The "Dig For Victory" Movement had no uniform and few rules and a nominal subscription. They had been offered land in Belmont, Indooroopilly and and Enoggera. Mrs. H. G. Hansford said she hoped that clubs would be formed in those areas. They also received offers of help from men to carryout the initial hard digging in the new gardens. The new club started digging on 22 June 1941. Members mostly worked in the gardens on the weekends. Their first crops were in some allotments at Wendell Street, East Brisbane where they grew eschalots, radishes, lettuce and other salads. Their produce were given to the Red Cross Convalescent homes for soldiers and to the Red Cross Cafe. They also planted papaw trees and passion fruit vines. In about June 1941, ten acres of land was made available at Bulimba. The "Dig for Victory" Movement needed 40 more members to work in the Bulimba gardens. The club made accommodation available for billeting on site. During The Brisbane Show Week (Ekka) in August 1941, dancers in farming and garden clothes attended the first social function of the "Dig For Victory" Movement at a "Back to the Farm" dance. The Brisbane Courier Mail reported on Wednesday 23 June 1943:- " Fresh young green vegetables supplies by the Dig For Victory Movement are of the greatest benefit to sick and wounded servicemen said hospital officials yesterday. "The dietitian at Greenslopes Military Hospital said that to men coming from northern areas, the salad materials which supplemented hospital supplies were most valuable. Besides quantities of lettuce and tomatoes the Dig For Victory Movement had sent spring onion and eschalots which were not easy to obtain, and were much appreciated by the patients." "The Medical Superintendent of Rosemount Hospital (Dr. W. H. Steele) said that all patients except those on milk diet, were provided with green vegetables. Those supplied by the Dig For Victory Movement, particularly the tomatoes, were of very high quality, and had the advantage of being delivered fresh without having to lie about in the markets or receive a lot of handling." The Brisbane Courier Mail reported on Wednesday 11 August 1943:- "The Dig For Victory movement has supplied more than 12,600 lettuce - as well as large quantities of other vegetables - to military hospitals free of cost during the last 12 months." Source: www.ozatwar.com/civilian/digforvictory.htm