▁private ▁building ▁to ▁projects ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁effort . ▁The ▁unders upp ly ▁of ▁houses ▁was ▁ex ac erb ated ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁by ▁returned ▁serv ic emen ▁starting ▁families , ▁and ▁also ▁by ▁strong ▁post - war ▁imm igration . ▁ ▁Pr ices ▁were ▁also ▁driven ▁up wards ▁by ▁a ▁short age ▁of ▁sk illed ▁labour , ▁and ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 0 - hour ▁week ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁Another ▁infl ation ary ▁pressure ▁was ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁ready ▁stock p ile ▁of ▁building ▁materials . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁the ▁average ▁five ▁room ▁brick ▁house ▁cost ▁. ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁this ▁had ▁ris en ▁to ▁; ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁it ▁was ▁over ▁. ▁Although ▁w ages ▁were ▁rising , ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁an ▁average ▁house ▁also ▁increased , ▁from ▁three ▁times ▁the ▁average ▁pre - war ▁income , ▁to ▁five ▁times ▁the ▁average ▁income ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁When ▁cost ▁increases ▁were ▁combined ▁with ▁the ▁Australian ▁Government ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁limit ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁new ▁houses ▁to ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁square ▁feet ▁for ▁tim ber ▁and ▁ 1 2 5 0 ▁square ▁feet ▁for ▁brick ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁the ▁result ▁was ▁" A uster ity " ▁housing , ▁and ▁the ▁increased ▁use ▁of ▁functional ist ▁design . ▁Function al ism ▁viewed ▁the ▁house ▁as ▁" a ▁machine ▁for ▁living ", ▁where ▁form ▁followed