Copy of Decade Study- 1950s

welcome

The 1950s

-it was a time when the government provided a small bottle of milk (200mililitres) for

each school student to drink at school each day. All the children were expected to

drink the milk even though by morning tea it was warm.

Australian Identity

• By the end of WW11 names for individual tribes faded away and instead Aborigines, the main word for an indigenous population, came into use by default.

Domestic life

The 1950s

-It was a time when hotels still closed at 6pm, and only men were allowed in the public bar' women stayed in the 'womens lounge'.

Influence of Britain and the U.S

The 1950s

-It was a time when Australia still used the currency of pounds, shillings and pence and wen a gallon of petrol cost thirty cents!

Between 1945 and 1972, over one million British migrants settled in Australia.

American-style dance halls were established, playing new music and serving American-style food.

Fashion

Screen goddesses like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly inspired tiny waistlines and full skirts and busts. Slim pencil-line skirts were also popular. Stiletto-heeled shoes emerged in the early 1950s and shoes could be bought in a variety of colours to match any outfit.

Full skirts in bright colours become popular for dancing and skirts and pants were pinched in at the waist to emphasise the waist and bust. Young women also wore tight-fitting blouses tucked into slim-line calf-length trousers called 'Capri' pants or 'pedal pushers'. Short ankle socks, scarves tied around the neck and cropped cardigans were also popular.

As cinema, television and rock 'n' roll swept the world, the teenage market clambered to copy the 'style of the stars'. Teenage fashion quickly developed into a huge industry in its own right.

Adult men's fashion in the 1950s was largely quiet and conservative, which somewhat widened the generation gap between older men and the daringly dressed younger generation.

Jeans, leather boots and a white t-shirt fast became a symbol of teenage rebellion for boys everywhere.

Transport

The 1950s

-It was a time when coffee was hardly used. The word "cappucino" was unknown and coffee shops were places only migrants went.

Communication

It was a time when people used blotting paper and children at school used nibbled pens and ink wells.

It was a time of rigid shopping hours.

Where everything closed from midday Saturday

and all day on Sunday.

Sport

Entertainment

The 1950s

-It was a time when people in authoriy knew better, and ridgid censorship of films, books and magazines was carried out at both the state and the federal level.

With a renewed economic optimism and willingness to spend, Australians in then 1950s could afford more entertainment products than ever before.

• Locally-made Australian films were in short supply throughout the 1950s and 1960s and this period is widely considered to be a low point in Australian film-making.
• Like all other entertainment mediums, cinema was greatly affected by the advent of television. Rather than going out for a night at the movies, many families stayed at home and watched television instead.
• Prior to the introduction of television, radio was the most popular form of entertainment in Australia. In 1955, it was estimated that 97 percent of Australian households owned a radio set. Families gathered together in the evenings and listened to music shows, drama serials, light entertainment and quiz programmes

The 1950s

1It was a time when, apart from Chinese takeaway, there was no fast food, No McDonalds, No KFC and No pizzas. Although people from other countries were settling in Australia, it was another decade before ethnic foods became popular.

It was a time when the only outdoor eating was at Family BBQs :)

Music

Changing Technology

During the 1950s, the role of women was generally considered to be that of the 'homemaker'. Bright television and magazine advertisements encouraged women to stay at home and create a domestic haven for their families using the new appliances on offer. These devices promised to raise standards of living and release housewives from the shackles of household chores.

Electric stoves, refrigerators, toasters and kettles revolutionised the kitchen, and vacuum cleaners and washing machines took hours off time spent cleaning. Women could enjoy more R&R time while still creating a clean, comfortable home for their loving families. Many women chose to join the paid workforce, changing the shape of the Australian labour market forever.

The release of the vinyl LP record in the early 1950s made it possible for people to play continuous music for much longer than before. With this new technology came rock 'n' roll, an exciting new American musical style.

By the end of the decade, the airwaves were dominated by rock 'n' roll and Australian rock 'n' roll artists like Johnny O'Keefe and Col Joye were also achieving considerable chart success.

After years of rationing and shortages, the 1950s were a period of economic prosperity, high employment and great technological development. Many returned servicemen got married, established homes and raised families. During this period, Australians enthusiastically adorned their homes with a dazzling range of new domestic appliances. Hire-purchase schemes allowed people to take products home and pay for them in instalments

Elvis Presley was known the world over as the king of rock 'n' roll. He tapped into the young teen market and thrilled audiences with his original style of music and hip-gyrating 'bad boy' image.

the 1950's

By 1955, it was estimated that there were 1 850 000 cars in Australia. The huge growth in car ownership changed the look of Australian suburbs. Houses were built with garages and carports, for example, and many new roads were built. Supermarkets were also built with car parks attached.

• In 1956, television brought the moving picture into people's homes. The uptake of television was enthusiastic and by the end of the decade it was estimated that over two-thirds of families in Sydney and Melbourne owned a television set.

• In 1954, the PMG began offering the Teleprinter Exchange, or Telex, to the public. The telex was an electric typewriter that delivered typed messages along telegraph lines. This new technology was a great!

Transport in the 1950s was crucial to post-war reconstruction efforts. The baby boom and immigration influx had called for a rapid expansion of Australian towns and cities and trains and automobiles were needed to transport people and building supplies to the new suburbs.

The advent of the portable transistor in the late 1950s rescued the radio industry from television. Although its sound quality was 'tinny' and a lower quality than traditional radios, the transistor allowed radio to escape the limits of the home. Unlike television, radio could be installed in cars and be carried to outdoor locations like parks and beaches