 At the outset of the war , Australia 's economy had been quite small and dependent largely upon agriculture and the resources industries for export earnings , while most manufactured products were imported from overseas . Almost immediately uncertainty over the continuation of foreign trade led to a rise in unemployment , indeed it was estimated that after only a couple of days of Britain having declared war , that up to 15 @,@ 000 men had been retrenched in New South Wales alone due to concerns about the continued availability of foreign markets for Australian produce . 
