| Historical notes: | The Australian soldier settlers' schemes that were instituted during World War I were a response to the repatriation of returning soldiers. The impetus for the settlement schemes derived from several sources.
Firstly, there was a popularly held attitude that rural development was imperative to the growth, development and future greatness of Australia. This view had prevailed from the colonial era onwards. In the early years of the twentieth century settlement on the land was advocated because of notions of a vital and healthy Australian race, which it was believed could not be achieved in Australia's cities. Indeed, C E W Bean, who became Australia's official war historian, held the views that life in the bush had forged great soldiers while the superior Australian character demonstrated by soldiers had not nor ever would arise from people living in the cities. Tied to these prevailing attitudes were concerns over the country's declining birth rate, which could be countered by the prospect of large and healthy families of people settling on the land. However, soldier settlement was established despite compelling and widely accepted evidence that policies of putting settlers on rural selections, which were enforced during the second half of the nineteenth century, had proved to be remarkably unsuccessful and had resulted in great personal hardship.
Secondly, there was a political need to reward returning solders while simultaneously removing them from city streets during the years 1915 and 1916. Returned soldiers had become a troublesome presence during 1915, becoming disorderly and at times somewhat riotous. Rewarding them with rural land overcame these two problems while proving the good intentions of government. Yet another reason was the widely held notion about Australia's place within the British empire - the unity of the empire would be assisted by settling returned British soldiers on Australian land and by reinforcing Australia's role within the empire as a primary producer, supplying Britain with the raw materials for its manufacturing interests.
The Federal Parliamentary War Committee accepted the offer of ex-Labor prime minister J C Watson to become honorary organiser of the federal settlement scheme in August 1915. Watson had long supported land settlement as a means of increasing Australia's defensive capabilities. The scheme was inaugurated by the Federal Labor Government under William Morris Hughes during 1916. State bodies administered the details of the scheme. A conference of Commonwealth and State representatives was held in Melbourne during February 1916 to consider a report prepared by the War Committee that recommended a Commonwealth-State process of selling or leasing Crown land to soldiers. It was agreed that the Commonwealth would select and acquire land while the states would process applications and grant allotments. The scheme commenced in New South Wales during 1916 after the passage of the Returned Soldiers Settlement Act of 1916 not long after the conference. Honourably discharged soldiers from the Australian Imperial Forces or the British Defence Service were eligible to apply for Crown Land. If successful a soldier could receive additional financial assistance to help with clearing, fencing, drainage, water supply, erection of buildings and purchase of stock, seeds, implements and the like that were necessary for occupation. An amending Act was passed in 1917 that broadened definitions of returned soldiers. Between October 1916 and June 1917 twelve projects were commenced in various parts of the state. By the end of June 1924 over 3 million hectares had been allotted for 6, 448 farms. Ultimately over 37,500 soldiers and their families were settled on the land across the country and over 4 million hectares were contributed by the government of New South Wales.
The land encompassed by the Soldiers' Settlement at Milperra was almost entirely located within the confines of the 650 acre (263 hectare) grant of land made to George Johnston Junior in August 1819 although it also embraced parts of Thorne's estate and the Connell grant. It formed part of the Georges Hall Estate. The land was acquired in April 1917 as a Group Settlement Purchase. This was one of five different alternatives offered for land tenure and was described in the following terms:
The New South Wales Government has arranged for the settlement of Returned Soldiers, upon farms located in grouped areas suitable for all kinds of fruit growing, poultry farming, wheat growing, sheep farming, and mixed farming. In each settlement a liberal home maintenance area will be provided for the settler. Groups have already been formed in some places and others will be enrolled as the necessary lands are made available, in many instances privately-owned estates of proved worth being bought for the purpose of subdivision into settlements. The scheme of Group Settlements is one under which the New South Wales Government provides the land, the improvement and equipment of the farms, and training of the men being under competent supervisors, A term of five years' residence from the date of confirmation is imposed as a condition to the acquisition of a group Settlement block, residence meaning that the holder shall reside continuously and bona fide on the block as his usual home, without any other habitual residence; the term will, however, be reduced by the term of bona fide residence performed by the holder upon the block or within the Group Settlement prior to confirmation of the block to him. The purchase money is payable by annual instalments each usually of 6 per cent. Of the notified capital value of the block, but the rate of 6 per cent. May be varied by notification in the Government Gazette when the land is set apart. The first instalment must be paid twelve months after the confirmation of the block, and subsequent instalments each year until the full capital value, together with interest at the rate of 5 per cent. (or such rate as shall be notified in the Government Gazette) has been paid. (Land for Soldiers, pp.9-11).
The land was undeveloped, covered with trees and scrub, and was surveyed during may 1917. The subdivision of the Settlement contained five streets: Bullecourt, Fleurbaix, Amiens and Pozieres Avenues, which were named after French battlefields, and Ashford Avenue, which was named after the incumbent Minister for Lands. Around fifty allotments were established for the purposes of poultry farming. An early plan of the settlement shows that small farms were just over 4 acres while two large farms contained in excess of 30 acres and one very large farm extended across 93 acres. In all there were 48 poultry farms and 8 market gardens. The majority, though, were in the order of 6 to 7 acres. Poultry farming was controlled by the Hadlington System, based on a text written by James Hadlington and published by the Department of Agriculture. Land was also earmarked for a school. Although the land was considered suitable for poultry farming, it was disadvantaged by poor roads and the lack of a rail link. The farms were augmented by a school and a small administrative complex consisting of two cottages, an office and a feed shed (which served extra duty as a community hall).
The Settlement was intended to run on co-operative lines. Applicants were interviewed for suitability, with married soldiers receiving priority. Experience was not essential; indeed, inexperienced settlers were preferred because it was believed they would follow the advice given to them. The would-be farmers were also expected to clear the land before the farms were established. However, settlers had to repay advances and the costs associated with the establishment of the Settlement. Camps were set up and the men would return to their homes on week ends.
The timber cottages, which contained two bedrooms and a living room were erected by Daniel Joseph O'Curry, who appears to have been quite active in the Bankstown district around this period. Amongst other things he was responsible for the erection of the War Service Homes Commission dwellings in Vimy and Restwell Streets, Bankstown, during the first half of the 1920s. O'Curry also supervised construction of sheds and poultry structures. After a farm was made habitable and water supplied a returned serviceman and his family would take up occupation.
The Settlement received a place for religious devotions when the old St Matthew's Church at Yagoona, which was built in 1859, became redundant in 1920. The building was divided into three sections and transported to the settlement. A
second church was subsequently established.
The Settlement's school opened in 1918 but closed because of the influenza epidemic then sweeping Australia (and the rest of the world), re-opening in January 1919. A post office was established during August 1918, in one of the settler's homes. The name Milperra was accepted for the district after the community voted for its adoption.
The soldiers' settlement scheme ultimately failed through lack of training, capital, investigation of the land that was to be farmed and too many blocks of land that were too small to be realistically farmed. Less than eleven of the original Milperra Soilder settlers remained by 1923, and their forfeited farms were allocated to other returned soldiers. In general terms, by 1929 only about two thirds of the settlers were still working their land - in New South Wales some 9,000 settlers fell away to about 6,500 - and by World War II at least half had moved on. Only a minority achieved a comfortable living. The Commonwealth and States lost a great deal of money. However, the experience gained by the scheme led to the establishment of a successful settlement scheme program after World War II |