Who would have thought that I, a railway buff, would find such an article, kept by the young woman who was to be my mother, 71 years later!
In 1939 Australia was expecting war. The nation had gone onto a defence footing (as seen by many of the other articles of the era my mother had saved for posterity) and every skilled man and, later, woman became part of the workforce to help defend our country (as well as England and the then Empire).
It was therefore rather strange to find this article calling skilled men to leave Australia for New Zealand. But there it was, and as the Footplate Padre and an author of 16 railway books, I found this an interesting subject.
My mother was quite astute in her reflections and wrote many articles which have been filed away and which we still have. Her writings were not published but she kept them, with some thought that possibly they might gain some credibility in the years to come as much of her thinking has shown an astuteness in realising what was to happen.
The article in question reads as follows: "Mr E T Spidy, superintendent of workshops for the New Zealand Government railways, engaged in Sydney yesterday 21 fitters, three boiler makers, one turner, and one coppersmith for work in the Dominion. If skilled men are offering, he will engage at least 100 more tradesmen."
The New Zealand Railways at that time were in the process of initiating an enormous expansion of locomotive construction along with rolling stock as part of a nation wide industrial expansion. In effect, New Zealand was likewise preparing for another world conflict.
The article goes on to state that this railway expansion can absorb 600 skilled 'men'. At that time there was an acute shortage of tradesmen with an additional comment which read: "No skilled man is unemployed in New Zealand".
The men would receive 5 pounds, 10 shillings a week. In NSW tradesmen were being paid 5 pounds and three shillings a week for a 44 hour week.
As I pondered this article, it seemed to me that taking initially 26 fully skilled workers from Australian industry which was itself struggling in the preparation for war was significant, but to hold out your hand for 100 was astonishing and also offering them a higher rate of pay.
As the Footplate Padre, I can recall many instances in the sixties and seventies where enginemen took promotions in different railway depots around New South Wales. This proved to their advantage so as to eventually become a Salaried Driver considerably quicker. But it did mean packing up the entire household and family and relocating (several times).
Today, it is not such a huge drama as the entire world has become smaller and expatriots live in many different countries. But in 1939 it would have been a huge decision to make a life-changing move from Australia, even if only across the Tasman, to New Zealand.
Yet, Australian and New Zealanders were in some measure accustomed to such situations as both nations were founded upon migrants from the 'home country'.
Other cultures over the centuries have recorded people who migrated or travelled extensively. Even in the Old Testament we witness not only the nomadic life of the Hebrews, but we note that Abraham relocated regularly. In the New Testament, Paul's missionary journey's around lower Europe became second nature to him, and the basis of Christian missionary field-work today.