In The 50s…
The 1956 Summer Olympic
The 1956 Summer Olympic Games held in Melbourne and
was a coming of age for Australia and demonstrated to the
world Australia’s capability of hosting international events
and outstanding athletic performance. This Olympic had
greatest importance to Australia the host country due to
the athletic achievements and importance to Australian
culture at the time.
At the Melbourne Games Australia had many sporting
achievements breaking international athletes records. The
sheer size of the team was impressive with 291 Australian
Athletes competing winning 13 gold medals, 8 silver
medals and 14 bronze medals making Australia 3rd on the
medal table with 35 medals. The most amazing area was
swimming winning 8 Gold medals. This group remains the
largest to compete with their numbers almost equal to the
number of athletes Australia had sent to the previous 12
Olympics demonstrating the sheer size of this team.
Many Australian athletes won more than one gold medal
including Betty Cuthbert, Dawn Fraser, Shirley Strickland
and Murray Rose. In particular Beth Cuthbert won 3 gold
medals in athletics. She won gold in 100 metres, 200
metres and 4 times 100-metre relay. She set a new world
record twice for the 4 times 100-metre relay, at the young
age of 18.
Music
During this time she was known as the Golden Girl due
to her being the first Australian male and female to ever
win 3 gold medals at a single game.
This game was also extremely important to Australian
culture at the time. With the sporting achievements it
gave Australia a sense of national pride under their own
flag with their sport heroes leading it. This was in
important step in the formation of Australian identity,
and was the beginning of the break away from the
British flag. This game was also the first with live
television and first where all athletes walked together as
one in the Closing Ceremony titling this game as “The
Friendly Games” demonstrating Australia’s advancement
in technology and as a peaceful nation.
The Melbourne Olympics demonstrates Australia as a
sporting force, with exceptional athletes such as Betty
Cuthbert setting new records. This having established a
sense of national pride also heavily impacted Australian
culture starting the break away from Britain.
Jazz music within Australia reflected the arrival of all different kinds of background, and
had its iconic location in Sydney King Cross in a small club named El Rocco. It is a legend in
Australian Jazz history having even a documentary Beyond the El Rocco made on this
club. El Rocco is the oldest jazz cellar in Australia and it was during the 50s that it
established its place in music folklore playing an important role in creating some of the
jazz industries most respected and treasured artists. The Three Out Trio attracted some
of the largest crowds to El Rocco in 1950 with members later gaining international
recognition. Other artists such as Horst Liepolt promoted Jazz within Australia with his
club called Jazz Centre 44 hosting shows such as the Melbourne New Orleans Jazz Band.

Rock and roll was rampant in the 50s of Australia, with the first dances at Preston Town Hall Melbourne.
Much of this craze was American influenced however there were Australians such as Johnny o’ Keefe
who were rock ‘n’ roll stars. He was known as Australia’s King of Rock and Roll, driving many teenage girls
crazy with his music and persona. Teenagers adopted this music as theirs meeting in milk bars, dance
halls and places that were often thought of a place for youth to break rules. With this new faster music
and longer later times spent out it brought a wave of youth rebellion.
Fashion
For the men clothing was mainly quiet creating a large
difference between them and the younger generation. Their
colour palette consists mainly of plain fabrics in dark, muted
shades like blue, grey and brown. The women however were
heavily influenced by movie stars fashion such as Marilyn
Monroe and Grace Kelly. They inspired tiny waistlines, full skirts
and busts and slim pencil-line skirts. Stiletto heeled shoes were
also introduced and in wider colours. New materials such a
synthetic clothing like nylon, acrylic, polyester and vinyl also
arrived appealing to many women due to their ease wash,
drying and did no crease or ironing.
Country music was popular amongst people with Slim Dusty being the most famous. He was an
Australian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist with his biggest hit “Pub with no Beer”
released in 1957. This song spent more than half of 1958 in Australian top 40 charts and also
became Australia’s first international number one hit in the radio Chart. Looking at it per major
city it was first in Sydney and Melbourne in 1957. Throughout his life Slim Dusty has achieved
many awards such as Australia’s first ever-Gold Record and was also the first singer
internationally to have his voice beamed from space with his take on “ Waltzing Matilda”.
The rock and roll artists and frenzy heavily influenced young
women. Many wore full skirts in bright colours very popular
for dancing to rock and roll. Many skirts and pants were also
smaller in at the waist to emphasize their small waistline and
bigger bust. Tight fitting blouses with slime calf length
trousers referred to as “ Capri” pants or “pedal pushers”
were also worn and popular. Other trending fashions were
short ankle socks, scarves around the neck and cropped
cardigans.
For the boys during this age with music referred to as rebellious
their clothing also reflected this with jeans, leather boots and a
white t-shirt. This iconic look was the epitome of rebellion for
any young teenage boy. Elvis Presley the “king of Rock and Roll”
also influenced many teenage boys with many styling their hair
slicked back “ duck tail” style with long side burns. During this
time brighter colours, sharp flashing suits, unbuttoned loose
shirts with upturned collars were also very fashionable at the
time.
Some however towards the end of the decade followed a more
British influenced look. Consisting of high waisted narrow
trousers referred to as “ drain pipe” due to their shape, long
jackets, slim ties and large shiny pointed shoes known as
“winkle-pickers.”
 Film/TV
Before TV public was limited to cinemas for film entertainment. The first
Australian TV licenses were issued in Sydney and Melbourne with the
Government owning Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC). During
January 1953 the Menzies government amended the Broadcasting Act 1948
(Cth) granting commercial licenses allowing for dual system of TV ownership,
commercial and non-commercial. Australian TV officially launched on 16
September 1956 in Sydney featuring Bruce Gyngell saying “ Good evening
and welcome to television”. On 19 November 1956 ABC began transmission
to Melbourne allowing for Broadcast of the Olympic Games. Black and White
TV created much public interest with crowds often forming outside of shop
windows to watch TV. The ABC made attempts to broadcast Australian
programs and concerns were voiced about the lack of local content.

Waterside Workers Federation Film Unit operated in Sydney from 1953 to 1958 and was the
first film production unit within a trade union anywhere in the world. They offered an
alternative to mainstream media of the day making 14 films on subjects other production
units would never dare to film. The most significant film was The Hungry Miles released in
1955 highlighting the struggles of the working conditions on Sydney’s wharves. It detailed
their struggles and their families living near the slum conditions in inner city suburbs such as
Surry Hills, Pyrmont and Woolloomooloo. It was widely acclaimed winning awards at the
1957 Warsaw Youth festival and opening the eyes of many. Public were fascinated on the
new daring use of film for such controversial topics.

With the fascination of black and white TV colour film drew naturally a greater crowd. This
first Australian film edited overseas in colour was a 35mm colour documentary produced by
Stanley Haws for the Department of the Interiors Film Division, The Queen in Australia
(1954). It is the first Australian colour feature length film presenting “ Australia against a
royal background , rather than royalty against an Australian background” as Kevin Murphy
director of the News and Information Bureau, Department of the Interior said. It portrayed
Australia as a rich, hardworking, loyal and white with minorities coexisting. It was for
national hopes, prosperity and increase productivity demonstrating Australia’s might. Jedda
followed a few months after and was a highly daring film being the first Australian film
produced in colour in Australia. It had Aboriginal actors in lead roles conveying a theme of
conflict when an Aboriginal girl is separated from her culture. Both colour films drew much
attention and were often a source of interest.