Coupons and rationing are things many young people know nothing of, but everyone who is old enough to remember the Second World War can recall strict regulations on food and clothing only too well.

Elva, of Gerroa, remembers rationing and coupons which we used to buy everything from sugar, butter, meat, petrol and clothes. 

Elva and her husband, Clive, were married in 1947 and Elva said her husband had to buy his suit for the wedding with ration coupons. 

“If memory serves, about 56 coupons were enough to buy one suit or one overcoat per person, per year.”

“Clive had to buy his suit for our wedding with coupons and I was lucky that one of our bridesmaids had an uncle who was a lace importer.”

“My wedding dress was made out of cotton lace and the bridesmaid’s dresses were made out of the same lace, but we dyed them different colours,” Mrs Emery said.

“I remember sitting in front of a large tub with dye all over me and worrying that the lace might shrink or warp”

“Even my honeymoon bedroom attire was purchased with coupons and the whole situation was quite traumatic for a bride-to-be,” she said. 

“When we returned from our honeymoon, we lived on Clive’s father’s farm at Foxground for about three months.

“Like many farming families in Gerringong, we were lucky to have eggs, milk, cream and meat, but there were other items which were difficult to have a plentiful supply of because of the rationing,” Mrs Emery said. 

“There were four hungry men on the farm, Clive’s mother and myself and somehow, like more people, we had to make do with what we had. 

“One of Clive’s brothers, Clifford, had served in the Army and he was used to very big meals. 

“All the men on the farm were accustomed to large meals and lots of cakes and treats and unfortunately, they had to get used to smaller portions,” she said 

Mrs Emery said that the Gerringong community would always hold a dance or a ball whenever a serviceman returned from war, even if it was only for leave. 

“Those balls really tested the ingenuity of the ladies of Gerringong because women had to make do with the small amount of food available.

“The ladies would have to make the limited butter and sugar go as far as possible and I believe we all did a very good job,” Elva said. 

Mrs Emery added that she realised Gerringong residents were luckier than most because of the number of people who lived on farms and contributed coupons for the dances whenever they could.

“It is amazing what qualities are drawn out of people during hard times,” she said. “Everyone pulled together because they had to,” Mrs. Emery said.