Provides prices for groceries, houses and wages for Victoria, spanning the 19th to the 20th century.
The figures below show the retail prices for basic goods in Victoria spanning 1901-1999. Time periods where figures are not stated indicates that prices have not been readily available and more extensive research is required.
Further breakdowns and other product prices are available in the sources listed below the tables. Where required, prices are rounded to the nearest whole number.
|
YEAR |
Bread (4lb loaf) |
Milk (quart) |
Sugar |
Butter (lb) |
Potatoes (lb) |
Tea (lb) |
|
1867 |
5d to 9d |
6d |
N/A |
8d to 1s 8d |
½d to 1¼ d |
6d to 3s 3d (perlb) |
|
1877 |
6.5 d to 9d |
4d to 5d |
3½d to 5½d |
9d to 2s |
3/6 to 4/6d |
8d to 2s 6d |
|
1888 |
4½d to 6d |
5d to 6d |
2½4 d |
8d to 2s |
2s 6d to 15s 6d (50kg) |
6d to 1s 11d |
|
1901 |
3d |
4d |
9c* |
15d |
N/A |
6c (180g) |
|
1911 |
4d |
5d |
N/A |
18d |
N/A | N/A |
|
1940 |
5d |
7d |
N/A |
19d |
12d |
30d 10s (9lb) |
|
1950 |
8d |
11d |
5d |
26d |
24d |
36d (9lb) |
|
1960 |
18d |
18d |
10d |
57d |
47d |
77d |
|
1970 |
21c |
19c |
42c |
53c |
45c |
30c |
|
1980 |
54c |
63c |
90c |
$1.00 |
36c |
74c |
|
1990 |
$1.37 |
85c |
$2.17 |
$2.09 |
99c |
$1.64 |
|
1999 |
$2.33 |
$1.40 |
$2.21 |
$2.09 |
$1.55 |
$3.34 |
| 2010 |
$2.96 (500g) |
$2.27 (2L) | $2.98 (2kg) | $2.78 (250g) | $2.32 (1kg) | $4.25 (200g) |
| 2020 | $3.06 (500g) | $2.60 (2L) | $3.50 (2kg)< | $5.75 (250g) | $2.35 (1kg) | $3.39 (200g) |
* The price of sugar for 1901 is taken from an Australian Bureau of Statistics page which has adjusted the price for inflation.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australians Historical Statistics
Prices, price indexes and cost of living in Australia
Victorian year-book - from 1873 they are available online
1 lb = 0.45 kg
1 quart = 946mL
12 pence(d) = 1 shilling (s)
20 shillings = 1 pound (£)
1 pound (£) = $A2.00
Pence Whole cents
The Australian Bureau of Statistics have published the average retail prices of groceries in two date ranges; from 1962 to 2004, and 2004-2011. The data spans the eight capital cities and includes dairy products, vegetables, meat, petrol and alcohol. Once you choose a year, click on the 'downloads' tab and then the pdf file on the right hand side of the screen.
|
1911 |
1920 |
1930 |
1941 |
1950 |
1959 |
1967 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
|
1d |
2d |
2d |
2d |
3d |
5d |
5c |
22c |
43c |
45c |
A good source for more detailed postage rates is Bradshaw's guide to Victoria.
Published in the 1912 Australian Year Book, this 18 page inquiry includes average weekly expenditure on housing, food, clothing, amongst other items. Also compares food costing to other countries and a cost of living analysis.
|
YEAR |
Average Petrol Price (Unleaded/L) |
Average Diesel Price (Diesel/L) |
|
1926 |
5c |
N/A |
|
1930 |
4c |
N/A |
|
1932 |
4c |
N/A |
|
1936 |
4c |
N/A |
|
1938 |
4c |
N/A |
|
1940 |
5c |
N/A |
|
1950 |
6c |
N/A |
|
1960 |
8c |
N/A |
|
1970 |
9c |
8c |
|
1980 |
30c |
28c |
|
1990 |
60c |
56c |
|
1999 |
67c |
70c |
|
2010 |
$1.19 |
$1.19 |
|
2020 |
$1.06 |
$1.08 |
Petrol Prices and Diesel Prices in Australia
Historical ULP and Diesel TGP Data
The RACV has details of current fuel prices
The book Decades of change includes detailed figures on wages, groceries and real estate as well as many other areas, organized by the decades of the twentieth century (1900-1988). Each chapter gives the weekly wage for that year according to chosen occupations, i.e. the weekly wage of a coachman in 1929 was $10 (figures are converted), the price of milk in 1929 was 7c per litre.
The book is also divided into a series of junior books, according to decade.
You can browse the broader subjects headings by entering the below terms into the Library catalogue, and then use the links on the left hand side of the page to narrow your search.
In the pictures collection we hold a collection of notebooks spanning from 1972-2012. Pasted in are various everyday items, showing changing prices over time, including: tram tickets, lolly wrappers, food labels, advertising pages and more.
The digitised Journal of commerce of Victoria and Melbourne began in 1885 and includes agriculture statistics, import figures and itimised listings, which can be found at the back pages of the journal under 'Melbourne prices current.'
Travel journals can provide a lot of specific information, capturing a place at a certain time. This week in Melbourne , published weekly from 1959, was a typical weekly guide providing local information for the tourist.
Includes listings of films/ theatres, taxi charges, hotel costs, dining recommendations
For example, in 1966 a single room at the Carotel Hotel in St Kilda cost $5 (Oct 1966 pg 18).
A day tour to Sorrento and Arthurs Seat cost $4 (Oct 1966, pg 4).
These journals are held in onsite storage. Order with your SLV membership number.
A small pamphlet, Victorian price list, details different types of stoves from 1931.
You can browse through digitised newspapers for old adverts of cars, groceries and houses. The National Library of Australia has digitised many Australian titles, including the Melbourne newspapers The Argus and The Age.
Sometimes food and produce prices are listed in The Argus and can be found under the market reports; under headings such as
'Commercial intelligence', 'Flour and grain markets' and 'Melbourne markets'.
The Argus, Monday 23 June 1851, page 2
Inflation calculator converts the price of goods from one year to another, calculating changes in the cost of purchasing. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces information which details price indexes and inflation.
The online pamphlet An account of the colony of South Australia includes a detailed listing of the prices of food and the average wage rates for the the years 1852 to 1861.
A.S.C. Stacks of groceries, H99.201/3118A
