Australian Popular Culture In The 1950's

INTRODUCTION
Good evening and welcome to The History of Television. On tonight’s show we will focus on how and
why Australian popular culture, specifically the television industry, was heavily influenced by
America, from the post-World War period to the 1970s. The post-world War Two period set the
stage for the development of Australian cultural identity and the values, attitudes and beliefs of
what it is to be Australia were defined. Pearson Australia define popular culture as “a set of
behaviours and values shared by a large group or groups within society at a particular period of
time.” These behaviours and values are presented in a variety of forms including, fashion music, film,
sport, and television. Television was the main source in

spreading popular culture as it allowed
people to watch what was happening locally and around the world.
PARAGRAPH 1 THE FANTASTIC FIFTIES
- http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1950/decade_landing_5.html
The 1950s were seen as a time of prosperity and satisfaction.

War was over…populate or perish, baby boomer generation
Hosting the 1956 Melbourne Olympics triggered the introduction of television into Australia so that
the event could be watched across the country and the globe.
On September 16th 1956 the black and white television became available in Australia. An early model
was expensive, costing over $400, at a time when the average weekly wage was just over $30 a
week. Only 5% of Melbourne and 1% of Sydney households owned a television by 1960. (Carrodus,
Delany, McArthur, & Smith, 2012)
It was cheaper to import programs than to make them locally.
Television had the power to bring people together as those who did not yet have a television
crowded into homes of friends or outside shop windows to keep up with the latest news.
- Every capital had a television service except for Hobart
- 15 year olds were watching 9-12 hours of television a week, more than any other
recreational activity.
The 1950s was the decade that saw the birth of the 'suburban dream'. It was an era dominated by
full employment, a good standard of living, family- focused values and the 'suburban dream' of a
house of one's own with the latest labour-saving appliances. New suburbs were developed

with
detached houses on large blocks. The US influence increased with the introduction of 'pop' music
and television (1956).
These boom economic conditions allowed for the continued growth of the Australian economy and
an ambitious new migration program that included incentives for non-British settlers to migrate to
Australia.

Post-war refugees from Greece, Italy, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands established
significant communities. They assimilated into Australian society. (My Place, 2013)
PARAGRAPH 2 THE SENSATIONAL SIXTIES
Civil rights movement
- http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1960/decade_landing_4.html
The early 1960s saw the expansion of television. The television had become a common household
item, and by 1996 it could be found in 95% of homes in Sydney and Melbourne. The baby boomer
generation had become teenagers and they urged to be different. The teenagers embraced and
followed the latest fashions
Australian television was still dominated by US programming, with a government report in 1963
finding that 97% of drama serials were imported from the US.
Major change to television was the development of satellite broadcasts. This meant that Australians
received the latest news and events from around the world, such as the moon landing in 1969.
(Albert, et al., 2013)
Elvis
PARAGRAPH 3 THE SALIENT SEVENTIES
Women’s movement
-

http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1970/decade_landing_3.html
The Vietnam war was the first war to be shown on Australian television.
http://www.warbirdforum.com/media.htm
PARAGRAPH 4 - Different Interpretations:
Due to the introduction of television there was a decline in attendance at the movies. Television
became the most dominant form of entertainment, hundreds of local theatres and radio stations
went out of business. (Mason, 2007)
The introduction of television was quite controversial as some saw it as a positive force, educating
and enlightening citizens and raising their cultural and moral standards. However some thought it
would be a bad influence, introducing unacceptable levels of violence and immorality directly into
the home. (Michael Adcock, 2012)
Television has changed our lives in a number of ways. It has some positive effects with regards to
education, entertainment and providing current world events closer to the people. However, there
have been some negative effects that television has brought. This is especially evident in the social
and health aspects. People who spend a lot of time watching TV also become more accustomed to a
lethargic lifestyle and interact less with people. (Swaldi, 2013)
“Sick and elderly, I could see how much day time serials meant to them, I feel very, very regretful
that this source of enjoyment and mental therapy has been cut off from those many thousands of
people and keen, delighted listeners”
“I had to visit many people in their homes - many who were sick, invalids and elderly - I know from
their expressions of delight to me how much daytime serials meant to them. And I feel very, very
regretful that this sort of enjoyment, this sort of mental therapy, has been cut off from those many
thousands of people who are keen, ardent and delighted listeners.”
Many people have feared that if Australians are starved of distinctly Australian cultural products, the
national identity will be at risk (Skwirk, 2015)
CONCLUSION:
It is evident that due to Australia being a developing nation, and having close ties to America,
Australian television was heavily influenced, by the changing trends in America from post-World War
Two to the 1970’s. But that’s all for tonight folks, we’ll see you next week for television in the
eighties, nineties and now.