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Facts and Figures on Australia 1914 - 1919

For Western Australians, two events were of greatest importance in the year ended 1914 - there was the war in Europe and the drought within the State.
"As for immediate effects were concerned, the opinion was held by a not inconsiderable portion of the community that the drought with its effect upon the agricultural industry was of more serious moment than the war. Without attempting to minimise the consequences which must flow from so wide-spread and calamitous a war in the dislocation of trade and industry, the feeling prevails amongst many that these might have been faced with comparatively little cause for anxiety as to their immediate effect upon the State, had the expectations of another bounteous harvest not been dashed to the ground by the occurrence of one of the driest, if not actually the driest, seasons Western Australia has ever known."

Population in Western Australia 1915 - 1919

YearWestern AustraliaAustralia
1915 318,016 4,931,988
1916 308,806 4,875,325
1917 309,423 4,935,311
1918 313,447 5,030,479
1919 331,660 5,217,019

Place of Birth

In 1914, 74.66% of Western Australia's Population were born in Australia

BirthplaceWestern AustraliaAustralia
Australia 209,050 3,667,670
New Zealand 3,054 31,868
United Kingdom 50,552 590,722
Other European Countries 9,428 73,949
Asia 5996 36,442
Africa 423 4,958
America 1123 11,278
Polynesia 88 3,410
At Sea 281 4,238
Unspecified 2119 30,470
Total 282,114 4,455,005

Average Weekly Wage

Western Australians are paid the highest average wages in Australia to industrial workers - and Tasmania the lowest. This is shown in a report of the result of a special investigation issued by Mr. G. H. Knibbs, Commonwealth Statistician. In November 1914, the number of persons employed in industries in Australia was 283,947. As regards individual States, the highest average wage for men was in Western Australia as follows -

StateFemale Wages
£ s.d.
Male Wages
£ s.d.
Western Australia 22s. 5d 57s. 9d
New South Wales 20s. 6d 51s. 1d
South Australia 17s 8d 48s. 9d
Queensland 16s. 11d 47s
Victoria 19s. 11d 46s. 9d
Tasmania 16s. 5d 44s. 4d

In Victoria the average wage for men was lower than in South Australia and Queensland, but for women it was higher than in both these States. The displacement of Victoria was no doubt due mainly to the fact that in this State industries in which women were largely employed have been highly developed and organised, and that a greater number of these Industries had come under Wages Boards than in the other States.
Source: Daily News - Australian Wages - The State Compared / by the Aristocrat

Trade

"The war also effected Western Australian trade with some of it's main customers particularly in connection with wool production 'that the war has brought about the disappearance, for the present, of some of Australia’s best customers for her wool. The fruit export trade during 1914 was the largest the State had known, the shipment a roughly 127.000 cases being a record with the bulk of the consignments went to Germany, but London, Liverpool, Hull, and Glasgow also took large shipments. In all places the fruit easily topped the market, and in quality was more than comparable with the best despatched from the Eastern States"
The West Australian 1 January 1915

Preparing for War

The Commonwealth took over control of state defence forces and matters in March 1901, Prior to this, each state had it's own defence force:

StateNumbers
New South Wales 9,338
Victoria 6,335
Queensland 4,028
South Australia 2,932
Western Australia 2,696
Tasmania 2,024

Commonwealth total

Cadets, Reservists, and rifle club members were excluded

27,353

 

The Commonwealth Defence force was established under the Defence Acts 1903 - 1918 of the Federal Parliament It states that all male inhabitants between the ages of 18 and 60 years were made liable to service in Australia with the defence forces in time of war.

War had been talked about for months and when it was first announced, it was not greatly unexpected. The Joseph Cook's government had been dissolved on 4 June 1914 due to a double dissolution and on the request of the Prime Minister Joseph Cook. Andrew Fisher (ALP) won on the 17 September 1914 election. Both candidates promises stressed Australia’s unflinching loyalty to Britain, and the nation’s readiness to take its place with the allied countries.

It is believed that the first shots of the war were fired in Australia at 12.45 pm on August 5, 1914 when a German merchant ship the SS Pfalz was attempting to flee Melbourne just four hours after the announcement of war. A shot was fired across the bow of SS Pfalz from Fort Nepean to stop it fleeing Port Phillip Bay and reaching the open sea. The ship was carrying German officials and contraband. The crew were later interned as Prisoners of War and the ship was used as a troopship carrier.