Postcard dating from  c.1942

Rose Series postcard # P.1083 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Vic.

The banner promoting war savings certificates on the front of Buckley and Nunn dates from between March 1940 and February 1947, as that is when these were issued by the Federal Government.

Next to Buckley and Nunn’s store, on the far right of the card, is their art-deco menswear store built from 1933-4. On the other side of Buckley’s is Myers, with the clock protruding out into Bourke Street, and next to that and behind the double-decker bus, the Post Office. The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways board ran these buses from  26th October 1940 to January 1954. They were a failed experiment as an alternative to electrifying the previous cable tram routes up Bourke Street. Across the road, a sign for London Stores can be seen.

Other features of this photo are the split windscreens and rear windows of the cars and trucks, and the rear panel of the single deck bus that has been painted white as a blackout precaution, so you hopefully didn’t run into it in the dark! Partial blackouts (brown outs) were in force in early 1942,  which included dimmed street and transport lighting. In Sydney there was a collision between three “browned out” trams when one ran into the others, so painting the back panel white may have been a good idea!

For  Buckley & Nunn buttons, see  http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/branded-buttons/branded-buttons-department-store-buttons-a-g/

For Myers, see  http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/branded-buttons/branded-buttons-department-store-buttons-h-z/

For London Stores, see  http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/branded-buttons/branded-buttons-tailors-buttons-g-l/#L

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