Sunday, February 28, 202

1
Travelling Back in Time Rural Australia 1960s

Quick write:
3 minutes: How might
Australia of the 60s been
different culturally to the
Australia we know today?
 Learning Intention:
Students will analyse different aspects of
Australian culture of the 60s.
Success Criteria:
You understand the culture, lifestyle, attitudes and beliefs of
the era.
You need to read research your cultural aspect.
You can provide evidence from this research to illustrate this
particular cultural aspect.
Analysing Culture:
Part 1: Home groups
1. Move into home groups of 3.
2. Amongst yourselves, select an aspect of culture each from the following list:
The Family Dynamic
Work
Education
Social Passions (Popular Interests/Sports and Pastimes)
Law and Order
 Race and Ethnicity (Dominant & Minorities)
 Colloquial language
Community
Major Issues (Home and/or Abroad)
The Family Dynamic:
• What was the typical family unit?
• What were the roles of each family member on a daily basis?
• What were the expectations around meal times?
• What were popular topics of conversations at home?
• What were some punishments given to children? What sort of behaviour
warranted punishment?
• What did the families do together in their leisure time?
• What did family members do in their downtime at home or outside their homes?
• Include pictures of a typical home and yard, suburb and/or country town with
key buildings and places
The Workplace:

1. Make a list of common jobs in this era?

2. Which jobs were men most likely to do?
3. Which jobs were women likely to do if not a housewife? What
percentage of women were in the workplace?
4. What was a typical pay for working class and middle class jobs?
5. How long was a typical work day?
6. What did men do after work?
Education:
School Life
1. What percentage of students went all the way to Year 12 to graduate?
2. What did those who left at the end of Year 10 do? Male and female?
3. What were the common subjects at school?
4. Did boys and girls study the same curriculum?
5. How did students get into university?
6. What sort of behavior could lead to expulsion from school?
7. What were the main sports offered to boys and girls?
8. What were the popular activities taught during PE lessons?
Population Demographic:
Ethnicity (Dominant and Minorities):
1. What was the population of Australia in 1965? Include a graph showing its rise
through the previous century.
2. What was the population of our major cities?
3. What was the average population of a mid-sized country town? Include pictures of a
country town like Corrigan
4. What countries did most Australians descend or come from in their heritage?
5. What were some of the migrant groups who settled here in the 50s after World War
2? What sort of work did these people do when they arrived?
6. Profile the Snowy River Scheme and the migrant workers on that major project.
7. How many Vietnamese called Australia home in 1965? Were these people refugees?
8. How were migrants treated by Australians when they first came?
Sports and Recreation:
The Popular Pastimes and Heroes:
1. What were the major sports of Summer and Winter?
2. Who were Australia’s sporting heroes at the time?
3. How did Australia perform in the 1960 and 64 Olympics?
4. Which sports were broadcast and on what sort of coverage on radio and television?
5. What were the popular sporting clubs in towns and suburbs?
6. What were some of the outdoor sports that people played socially?
7. Which sports were part of the HPE curriculum?
8. Profile the tied cricket test in 66. Comment on the Davis Cup and its profile during this
era.
9. What types of activities (social or sporting) were popular at beaches during the
Summer? Provide some images.
Aboriginal Australians:
Aboriginal people and how they were treated:
1. What was the population of Aboriginals in 1965? How many were ‘full bloods’ and how
many were ‘half castes’ (mixed with Non Aboriginals)?
2. Where did Aboriginals live – country towns or cities or traditionally in the outback remote
areas?
3. Were Aboriginals segregated in towns?
4. Were Aboriginals allowed the same things as Non Aboriginals?
5. When were Aboriginals allowed to vote?
6. What year level of schooling did most Aboriginals reach?
7. What types of work were Aboriginals employed (rural Australia)? What percentage were
unemployed? What were their life expectancy age? Compare this to non Aboriginal
Australians.
8. Who were Australian Aboriginal sporting stars? Include pictures.
Community:
Australian community traditions:
1. What were some popular and iconic community institutions of Australia in 1965? Include
pictures of these institutions interior and exterior shots.
2. What did people do there? What were these institutions aims?
3. How much time did people spend there?
4. Who was welcome there? Who was not?
5. Were these institutions used for secondary activities beyond their core business or interest? If
so explain.
6. Who were the important people in these community institutions? Did this status extend
outside the walls or boundaries of that institution? If so explain.
7. Did these institutions promote dominant Australian cultural values? If so what were these core
values?
8. Did some of these institutions contradict their values sometimes through who they welcomed
and who they excluded?
Colloquial Language:
Popular words and phrases of the common Aussie:
1. Make a glossary of words and sayings that were popular and colloquial.
2. Include a translation for each one in your table.
3. Record 5 quotes from three (3) different characters that are unique to
both character and the culture of the time?
4. How was language used to put someone down?(insulting)
5. What were some of the popular inspirations for nicknames? Give
examples.
6. How was language away of levelling people to a working or middle class
status? Is this inherently Australian in attitude towards people and their
status? Explain.
Major Issues of the time:
What were the big ticket items that had many people talking:
1. Make a list of at least3 big issues of the time. (The Vietnam War???)
2. Research each of these.
3. Compose a PowerPoint that features the following relating to one of these:
The background of the issue and the key participants involved directly.
How were ordinary Australians not directly involved affected by it.
Did the government get involved? If so in what way?
Key hot spots where the issue was playing out
The time period it was an issue
How did this divide Australians?
Was there a difference in views based on Geography/age/gender or race?
Were country towns affected?
Were there scapegoats who were blamed or treated badly because of their connection to the issue
Was the issue debated peacefully or was there some violence and anger? If so give examples.

4. How were Australians changed by the outcome of this issue? For better or worse?
5. What did people’s conduct and attitudes displayed during the height of this issue reveal about Australian cultural
attitudes?
Law and Order:
The role of the sergeant in a small town:
1. Make a list of typical crimes that the local police might deal with in a small town.
2. What powers could a sergeant use to apprehend and punish a person who commits a
criminal act?
3. How was the Sergeant an important member of the community?
4. Were the police involved in community events? At what stage and what capacity?
5. Were the number of Aboriginal people confined to custody comparable to non
Aboriginals?
6. What were some typical crimes an Aboriginal person might be apprehended for?
7. Were the police involved in segregating Aboriginal children from their families and
relocating them? (Stolen Generation)
8. Profile one major crime that had captured the attention of a whole state or city during the
60s.