Wooden austerity toy : child's large basket

Wooden basket made from three-ply and hard wood, of nailed construction, featuring a wooden base with a pair of side panels to which a pair of uprights is attached, which are joined with a length of dowelling to make a handle. The two shorter sides are made up of five cross pieces, forming a slatted finish. Exterior is painted in pink with cream central panels, to which a water decal of a butterfly has been attached on each side. The interior is unpainted.

Wooden toy made by Mr Smith (no other details available) of Blackwood Rd, Mitchelton and sold through shops in Brisbane during the latter part of the Second World War. The truck (REL33329) and baskets (REL33330 and REL33334) are all simply constructed from wooden off-cuts salvaged from other industries and minimally painted using a small range of colours, reflecting Australia’s wartime rationing and austerity policies. Wood especially was a priority military material, being used in aircraft, ship and rifle construction, for packing military supplies and parts and many other uses, often forcing up the price of scrap and firewood for civilian use. Manufacturers had to apply for permits under the War Organisation of Industry (WOI) regulations to use, make and sell products made from priority materials – often employing scrap or recycled items.