Author(s): Graeme T. Powell

General

In 1942 the Australian Government established the Department of Post War Reconstruction, charged with planning and coordinating a national program encompassing rehabilitation and retraining of returned servicemen, full employment, social welfare, housing and town planning, public works, transport, and expansion of industry and trade. The department oversaw policies that transformed Australia.
This research guide covers World War II recovery, resources and rebuilding in the 1940s through federal government records and those of leading figures. It will assist researchers to access the extensive range of records in the National Archives’ collection.