Sunbathers relax on the lawn at the Olympic Pool CanberraArt Blart

Exhibition dates: 15th November 2011 – 15th April 2012

Many thankx to The Victorian Archives Centre for allowing me to publish the photographs in the posting. Please click on the photographs for a larger version of the image.

Unknown photographer (Australian)
Waves breaking into the pool
1945
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
1952 Miss Pacific finalists Mary Clifton, Pamela Jansen and Judy Worrad, stand in front of surfboards on Bondi Beach, Sydney
1952
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Sunbathing, Sydney Beach, NSW
c. 1955
National Archives of Australia

Cossies, togs and bathers

Until the 1940s, Australian women wore decidedly modest, albeit colourful, one-piece swimsuits. But the bikini was already in vogue overseas and by the early 1950s Australian women were daring to wear it. Discover the many fashion statements that could be made by wearing a favourite pair of cossies, togs or bathers!

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Christmas party on Bondi Beach, Sydney
1959
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Santa Claus visits a Sydney beach
1969
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

At the beach

In the 1950s and 1960s, Christmas heralded the start of annual summer holidays for many Australian families. Those who didn’t already live near the coast usually headed towards it, mostly in Holdens and sometimes hauling a caravan. They made tracks to seaside places such as the Gold Coast, Manly, Byron Bay and Sorrento, plonking their bodies on the warm sand, transistors to their ears, to bake in the summer sun. Back then most people seemed unconcerned about sunburn and, as the images show, even beach umbrellas were in short supply.

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Bathing beauty
1955
Australian Travel Industry Association collection
National Archives of Australia

This image comes from the Australian Travel Industry Association collection, now held in the National Archives. This series consists of black and white prints and negatives of photographs used in publications, notably Walkabout magazine, produced by the Australian National Travel Association (ANTA).

The Victorian Archives Centre plays host to regular displays of original records from our collection as well as touring exhibitions about Victorian stories. Over Summer, the Victorian Archives Centre will present Summers Past: Golden Days in the Sun 1950-1970, a fascinating photographic exhibition highlighting Australia’s fascination with the sun and sea.

Summers Past will explore our enduring love affair of all things summer, invoking memories of carefree sunny days at the beach in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. This is your last chance to view this exhibition before it returns to the National Archives of Australian in April 2012.

So slip on your cossie, slop on the sunscreen and head down to the Victorian Archives Centre this summer!

Summers Past: Golden Days in the Sun 1950-1970 will be on display until April 2012. Entry is free.

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Sunbathers relax under a low umbrella at Bondi, NSW
1956
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Sydney beach scene
1969
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Surfer and bikini girl on the sand
1969
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Holiday makers at Surfers Paradise
1959
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Snack bar, Surfers Paradise, QLD
1971
National Archives of Australia

Out and about

Australians have always been fairly laid back and never more so than in summer. Looking at these images from the 1950s and 1960s, it’s plain that sophistication was seldom a consideration when choosing what to wear. On holidays, most people preferred to be comfortable rather than trendy, and bare feet were common on coastal streets, as were unbuttoned shirts and even swimwear.

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Holiday makers gather around a car on a hot summer’s day
1964
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Surf lifesaving, Bondi Beach
1960
National Archives of Australia

Cliff Bottomley (Australian, c. 1907-1981)
Preparing canoes
1948
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

This image comes from the Australian News and Information Bureau collection, now held in the National Archives. This vast archival resource is the legacy of nearly half a century’s work by Bureau photographers who captured hundreds of thousands of photographs of Australians at work and play.

Cooling off

It’s no secret that Australia can be very hot, especially in summer. As the song says, we are girt by sea, and for 85 per cent of Australians a blissful dip in the ocean has always been less that two hours’ drive away. For those living further inland, sanctuary was found in a nearby river or lake, or the town’s public swimming pool.

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Harbour swimming pool, Manly, New South Wales
1960
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Sunbathers relax on the lawn at the Olympic Pool, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
1966
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Surf board riders, Torquay, VIC
1967
National Archives of Australia

Anonymous photographer (Australian)
Children learning to swim
1945
Australian News and Information Bureau collection
National Archives of Australia

Nice one, sport!

Between 1950 and 1970, Australia was triumphant in all the sports we loved. We dominated in the pool, won the Davis Cup a remarkable 15 times, and boasted an impressive record against every Test cricket nation. As these images show, Australian youngsters were keen to play the game, and on most summer Saturdays all around the country, boys and girls would play tennis or cricket, or swim like champions.