Australia In The 1960S

Well television just came out around then. In the late 1960s Australia’s televisions’ connected to the international satellite, which allowed us to watch the first landing on the moon in 1969. But everyday television shows were American comedies like, I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver and the British soap Coronation Street. The children would watch stuff like Play School and Mr Squiggle. During 1961 ABC premiered the current affairs programme Four Corners, which is still running today. Homicide, the first Australian-produced drama series, debuted in 1964, as did The Mavis Bramston Show.

In the 1960s, global communication was revolutionised by satellites. Satellites were a bridge to exchanging information with the rest of the world. For a nation as geographically isolated as Australia, the opportunities presented by this technology were profound. War broke out between North Vietnam and South Vietnam following the end of French occupation in 1959. The United States and its allies feared the spread of communism and wanted to ensure a South Vietnamese victory. For the first time in history, the technology of television brought images of the war directly into people's homes. As television news showed conflict night after night, public support for Australia's involvement in the war rapidly diminished. Many people credit television with helping create the political pressure that led to the withdrawal of allied troops from the conflict.

Australia excelled in international sport throughout 1960s, and local participation rates were high. Tennis and football turned professional, and television changed the way Australians watched sport. Women fought for their right to compete in previously male-dominated sports.
Towards the end of the decade some people believed that Australia's sporting performances had suffered a decline. Many experts feared that Australia would soon be overtaken by the professional sporting systems being established in other countries.

The 1960s...