Housewives may shop in a leisurely way without rush [Historic Video]

@skidbladnir (#7)

In 1968, the monument was moved to its current location, more in line with Hoff and Foskett’s wishes. The main reason it was relocated was because it blocked the land axis and the uninterrupted vista from Parliament House to the Australian War Memorial. Standing on the steps of the War Memorial today, it is difficult to imagine a large monument blocking the view on one side of the lake!

In his book on the history of Canberra, Eric Sparke gives the credit for moving the monument to Doug Anthony, at the time the Minister for the Interior and later Deputy Prime Minister (and chairman of Old Parliament House’s Advisory Council). According to Sparke:

First [Anthony] had to obtain the acquiescence of the Prime Minister, no easy task in view of Menzies’ strong royalist leanings. ‘I raised the ticklish issue with him one afternoon after there had been a good question time in parliament,’ Anthony said. ‘Menzies stood silent for a while, looking out the window. Then he said ‘I suppose you’re right.’

source: http://moadoph.gov.au/blog/the-king-george-v-memorial/

Jeez- those were the days, when there was a vision for Canberra instead of being a milch cow for developers. 🙁

I think some RA clever clogs needs to use the audio to this film and shoot some new footage to match.

Not sure if anyone heard the guy on 666 talking about this film just now. He spoke a bit about how they were made and so on. I didn’t hear it all, but the snippets I heard were quite interesting.

Love the sunnies the cop is wearing.

I LOVE this, God bless the interwebs! Thanks to JB and the NFSA for making this available.

So many Holdens, none with Chevy badges. Bliss.

I love that a “casual” meal at the club includes suits and ties…

travel 40 miles or so to the ski slopes of Kosciozko or the adjacent Brindabella ranges?

johnboy said :

it’s good to have’s one spire standing firm against tawny hills.

Haven’t seen Tawny in years. Hope she’s doing well.

Anyone else feel uncomfortable with the woman shopping with the scarf tied over her hair? No wonder those bloody Muslim women think they can parade around in hijabs and burqas when the precedent was set over 50 years ago.

johnboy said :

it’s good to have’s one spire standing firm against tawny hills.

That sounds a bit rude somehow.

I want to live in Canberra in 1958.

I really should know this already, but when did the King George V Memorial get moved? And why?
(Other than “That statue looks a bit naff, we could put up an awesome tent embassy here”)

That’s an absolute cracker! Many historical features nolonger seen:

* The bridge at Lennox crossing.
* Grey/faun busses
* The Private Bin looks like it used to be a butchers shop (a meat market: who knew?!)
* The original civic pub
* Waistlines just below your nipples

Thanks a lot! Really enjoyed it.

Hey I want to have a drink at the sergeants mess!

Thanks for the memories. I came to Canberra in 1949. My Dad was in the first wave of builders after the war. We lived in Reid near St Johns church. Where Anzac Parade now is it was a paddock with an avenue of trees on either side. The RAAF held outdoor movies there occasionally. Civic seemed such a long way especially through the forrest of poplar trees, some are still standing. We used to go down to Blundell’s cottages to see the river in flood. Such great memories.

Wow, awesome clip! Check out the Bega Flats .. how far we’ve come!

Thanks for sharing.

What a great video! Surprisingly well edited too. Even as a born and bred Canberran, I think I will look at our city through different eyes, and perhaps yearn for a simpler time (even though my dad was only a newborn at the the time of this video :)) I thought some of the highlights were:

Churches etc “representing the many faiths of Australians” (obviously there were no plans to build a mosque in the 1950’s)

The apparent ease in which cyclists and cars shared the roads

“The late 50’s will be looked back on as the era of espresso, thanks mostly to ‘new Australians” – wow, try using that phrase in public in 2012

Some questions though: WHY did people speak like that in the 50’s? And HOW did the ladies keep their hair looking like a helmet?