The 1960's in Australia
The 1960's in Australia was a time of development in both social and cultural aspects. The people of the 60's were brought up in a decade of political and social upheaval. The younger generation began to challenge the values their parents had of how to live, they wanted to alter the way of living and began to oppose against the social and political values of the people around them.
New elements of society were being viewed differently such as women's equal rights and racial equality, because this decade was also a time for technological improvement, the world had a first peak at the reality of the Vietnam war as it was being televised. These large numbers of protests created a large social and political movement such as the ‘hippie’ movement. The younger generations began to look for new concepts such as music and fashion to spread their belief that there was a new lifestyle out there. The need for social change began to grow, especially through the British and American dominace and influence over Australia. The decade of the 60’s would cause a wide era of change on the future generations of Australia and of the world. |
Women's Rights
During the late years of the 60's, many of the Australian women began to question their roles in society and of how they were much more restricted than men. Many Australian women started to realize that there may be more to life than the belief of the proper lifestyle which consisted of raising children and being a housewife. Not many women were happy about the way they were left of to live and of the restricted roles that they were forced to play and began to protest against the normalities of their part in the nation. They went on rallies and marched to the government about the need for women's rights and equality in all aspects of life.
This then grew to an extent due to the introduction of the Pill in Australia during the 1960's. The Pill played a significant part in the foundation of how women were supposedly suppose to live. This new drug gave women the chance to express their sexual freedom and allowed them to have control on whether they wanted children or not.
This then grew to an extent due to the introduction of the Pill in Australia during the 1960's. The Pill played a significant part in the foundation of how women were supposedly suppose to live. This new drug gave women the chance to express their sexual freedom and allowed them to have control on whether they wanted children or not.
The 'Hippie Movement'
The 'Hippie Movement' also known as the 'flower power' was a big influence on the Australian people, they directed different views on political and cultural ideas and also protested against the Vietnam War. Their opposition to the Vietnam War created diverse groups throughout the nation. Not only did the movement influence views about the war but also influenced other aspects of lifestyle such as the way Australians dressed. They tried to move away from the western fashion ideas and embraced the idea of having items which were dyed with bright colours. Other things such as pshychedelic sounds, smoking drugs, to 'make love not war' became popular through their influence. People part of this movement also tried to move away from a conventional society and wanted to be more self-efficient like being a vegetarion and living in communes.
Racial Equality
In the 60's, the racial equality between the Australians and Aboriginals was not fair and perfect. During the mid 1960's an Aboriginal graduate help oraganize one of the first freedom rides to part of Australia to expose the discrimination they have experienced. The request for equal job payment and land rights grew as more Aboriginals heard about the need to fight and protest agains inequality. The lack of historical relationship between the Australians and Aboriginals was even named as " the great Australian silence in 1968 by an antropologist.
From the 1960's Australian historians began to question the reason the why Aboriginals were being treated in an unequal way. Books and other texts about the landmark history and other commentaries about the Aboriginals were released and assessed in Australia. Many historians tended to describe the Aborigines as a nationality that was on the verge of exinction after the arrival of the Europeans. These different texts and protests or rallies began a wave of new views on anti-discrimination that occured in the country.
From the 1960's Australian historians began to question the reason the why Aboriginals were being treated in an unequal way. Books and other texts about the landmark history and other commentaries about the Aboriginals were released and assessed in Australia. Many historians tended to describe the Aborigines as a nationality that was on the verge of exinction after the arrival of the Europeans. These different texts and protests or rallies began a wave of new views on anti-discrimination that occured in the country.