A 1930s Eviction

In the 1930s, many occupants of War Service Homes found it difficult to keep up loan repayments. In New South Wales in 1935, there were 677 orders of eviction from War Service Homes instituted by court proceedings, and of these, 602 occupiers had vacated their homes by the execution of the warrants, by order of the Court, or voluntarily because they were hopelessly involved.  On 13 March 1935 Sam Hood photographed one mother and daughter being evicted from their War Service Homes dwelling at 72 Unwin Street, Hurstville (now Bexley).  The photographs accompanied a front-page news story published in the following day’s Labor Daily.  The story stated:

“The tears of the dependents of soldiers who served in the Great War do not worry the Federal Government, as witness still another War Service homes eviction, this time of a Mrs Henderson and her child at Hurstville.  Previously, the woman’s husband had paid 12/6 a week off the home, and when circumstances arose to prevent a continuance of this payment local Diggers ‘clubbed’ together and paid 10/- a week.  But this did not satisfy the Federal Government, and yesterday Mrs Henderson and her child, shown in the picture, were turned out into the streets.  Meanwhile, Mr Lyons is reported to have been shocked by the conditions of natives in Colombo, who, at least, are not denied shelter!”[1]

There were repercussions in Parliament.  The Labor Daily carried a supplementary story the following day.[2]  In the House of Representatives, Mr Mulcahy, the Labor Member for Lang, referring to the Hurstville eviction, asked the Acting Minister for War Service Homes, Mr Hunter, whether he was aware that the Minister for War Service Homes, Mr Thorby, had given an assurance that families of ex-soldiers would not be evicted while he was Minister?  Referring to Mrs Henderson’s case, Mr Hunter said that it had been under consideration for two years, and that, in any case, Mr Henderson was the tenant, not his wife.  To this there were cries of “Shame!” and “You threw them out!”  The Minister’s promise was evidently an empty one.

Some money was raised for Mrs Henderson by the Kimberley War Service Residents’ Association[3]; there were several streets of War Service Homes leading off Kimberley Road, Hurstville.

Hurstville’s right-leaning local newspaper, the Propeller, did not refer to the story, but two years previously it had carried this desperate small advert, indicating that life had been difficult for the Hendersons for some time:

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[1] Labor Daily 14 March 1935, p1.

[2] Labor Daily 15 March 1935, p6.

[3] Propeller 18 April 1935, p5.