explain how technology contributed to change in the everyday life of australians in the 1950’s

7/25/2019 Explain How Technology Contributed to Change in the Everyday Life of Australians in the 1950’s

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Mandatory History 2014

Explain how technology contributed to

change in the everyday life of Australians in

the 1950’s

Thel1950’slwaslaltimelof lgreatltechnologicallchangelinlmethodslof ltransport.l Thisl

hadlaldramatic

impactlonltheldailylliveslo!"stralians#l$othlsociallylandleconomically.l!"stralianle

%pansionlfacilitated

$yltransportation#lcom$inedlwithlnewladvancementslinltheltechnologylof lcars#ltrai

nslandlairplaneslall changedlthelwaylthatl!"stralianslwentla$o"tltheirldailyllives

&nnovationslinltransportationltechnologylof lthel1950’slfacilitatedl!"stralianle%pans

ion#lchanginglthe

waylinlwhichl!"straliansllived.lTransportationlplayedlalvitallrolelinlthel'reconstr"cti

on(lof lpost)war

!"straliald"ringlthel1950’s.l Thro"ghltransport#limmigrantslcameltol!"stralialandl$

"ildinglmaterialswerelo$tained.l!tlthelstartlof ltheldecade#l!"straliallac*edlla$o"rersltolfacilitatelthe

irlreconstr"ction

e+ortslade,"ately.l&nlorderltoladdresslthisliss"e#l!"stralialenco"ragedlimmigration

lfroml-"ropean

co"ntries.loatlandlairplanelwerelthelmeansl$ylwhichlthelimmigrantslcameltol!"st

ralia.lManylof lthe

newlmigrantslwor*edlonlconstr"ctionipro/ects#landl$ylthelendlof ltheldecadelhadl$

oostedl!"stralia’s

pop"lationl$ylonelmillion.l Thelimmigrantslalsolintrod"cedlnewlc"lt"resltoi!"stralia

.l Transportation

technologyls"chlasltr"c*slandltrainslwerelpivotalltols"pplyinglmaterialsltolena$lelt

helconstr"ctionlof

newls"$"r$s#lwhichlalteredlthelgeographylof l!"stralia.l Transportationlplayedlalpiv

otallrolelin

!"stralianle%pansion#lfacilitatinglthelarrivallof limmigrantsitol!"stralialandltheltran

sferlof l$"ilding

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materials.l Thro"ghl!"stralianle%pansion#ltransportationltechnologylhadlalma/orlim

pactlonlthe lifestylelof l!"stralians.

Thelmotorlcarl$ecamelincreasinglylpop"larlaslalformlof ltransportld"ringlthel1950’

slera. Thislradicallychangedlthelwaylinlwhichl!"straliansllivedlaslitlimpactedlonlhowltheylspentltheirlt

imelandlsocial norms.lHoldenlman"fact"redlcarslinl!"stralia#lthe rst $eing the 3

Holden 19496. The second was the 37 Holden# released in 1958 and costing an

average of 1#0:4. y the time of its release# !"stralia was man"fact"ring Holden

vehicles at a rate of 100 per day. Motor cars $ecame a pop"lar mode of transport#

and a sym$ol of prosperity and a;"ence in !"stralia. The !"stralian dream d"ring

this time $ecame owning a ho"se with a motor car in the garage. Ho"ses in new

s"$"r$s were $"ilt with carports and garages# and s"permar*ets were $"ilt with

car par*s. The motor car also increased the leis"re time of !"stralians# as

transportation was faster and more convenient. &t also led to the rise in fast food

resta"rants and open air cinemas# altering the way !"stralians spent their leis"re

time. The car also led to the constr"ction of many new roads. Motor cars had an

enormo"s social impact on !"stralia $y facilitating mo$ility. !"stralians co"ld now

travel when and wherever they desired# to sporting events# shops and holidays.

The motor car also contri$"ted to "r$an sprawl# as people did not need to live

near p"$lic transport to get to wor*# as they co"ld drive there. &n 1955# there were

1 <50 000 cars in !"stralia# and !"stralia had one of the largest percentages of

car ownership in the world. The motor car also had negative implications on

!"stralia. !ltho"gh the horse faeces on roads red"ced# the nat"re of poll"tion

changed. -%ha"st emissions from cars ca"sed air poll"tion# also posing a ma/or

ris* to p"$lic health= it increased the li*elihood of respiratory diseases s"ch as

asthma. The negative e+ects of the innovation of the motor car are evident in

so"rce !# which depicts tra>c congestion in ?ydney d"ring the 1950’s. &n cities#

tra>c d"e to the proliferation of motor cars led to ho"rs spent on overcrowded

roads# impacting the ,"ality of life of !"stralians. The technology of the motor car

revol"tioni@ed the lifestyle of !"stralians.

Aail operated transport s"ch as trams and trains also changed d"ring the 1950’s#

impacting !"stralian lives. The 1950’s saw the demise of the once pop"lar means

of transport# the tram# as more and more people were opting for the motor car or

train. This can also $e seen in ?o"rce !# which depicts the shrin*ing pop"larity of

the tram in comparison to the motor car# which had $eg"n to dominate roads. The

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ource A: Trafc in King’s Cross during the 1950’s




development of train technology dramatically changed how !"stralians travelled.

efore the 1950’s# most of !"stralia’s trains were steam trains. B"ring the 1950’s#

diesel locomotive trains were introd"ced. This was faster and cleaner than the

traditional steam train# and witho"t roc*ing of the carriages. This made train rides

more pleasant for passengers. &nnovations in technology in the 1950’s were

leading to the demise of trams# while trains $ecame an en/oya$le and convenient

method of travelling long distances. These innovations improved the life of

everyday !"stralians.

There were changes in airplane design d"ring the 1950’s# which changed the

everyday lives of !"stralians in terms of how they travelled $oth domestically and

overseas. 1952 saw the glo$al $eginning of the commercial '7et !ge(# which was

characterised $y innovations in airplane technology. Traditionally# travelling

overseas wo"ld have $een $y ship# and wo"ld have ta*en a two)month’s ret"rn

/o"rney. Commercial airline services had $een aro"nd in the 1980’s# $"t ights

were e%pensive and the planes ew at low altit"des and were "nsta$le. ! new

airplane innovation# the oeing :0:# made ights less $"mpy and m"ch faster

than $efore. Dhen paired with cheaper commercial tic*ets# airplanes $ecame a

more pop"lar means of overseas transport. !"stralia had two commercial

domestic aviation companies= !"stralian Eational !irways !E!6 and Trans)

!"stralia !irlines T!!6 which was managed $y the government. !t the end of the

1950’s# Fantas# !"stralia’s overseas airline# introd"ced the rst ro"nd)the)world

service# and reg"lar ights to !merica and Gondon. ?o"rce is an advertisement

on the services of Fantas. &t enco"rages people to travel "sing the 'new(

technological innovation# advertising planes as a l"%"rio"s form of transport. &t

demonstrates the $oom in the "se of commercial airplanes d"e to "pdated

technology. y the end of the decade most migrants were travelling $y plane as

they were faster and more convenient. More !"stralians $egan ta*ing overseas

holidays $y plane. Bespite this# noise poll"tion d"e to airplane noise red"ced the

,"ality of life for !"stralians. lanes were a technology that made that improved

the way !"stralians lived d"ring the 1950’s# as /o"rneys $ecame faster and more

en/oya$le.

&n concl"sion# technology was a ma/or factor that ca"sed changes to the lives of

!"stralians in the 1950’s. Transportation facilitated the !"stralian Ireconstr"ction’#

and altho"gh innovations in methods of transport had disadvantages# motor cars#

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trains and airplanes# made travelling faster and more convenient# leading to more

leis"re time and on the whole# a more mo$ile co"ntry.

?o"rces

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Source A: Unknown (1952). King’s Cross

http://www.cityosy!ney.nsw.go".#u/Archi"es$e%/scri

pts/&'tSe#rch.#spSe#rcher*+,,,2-

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ArchivesWeb/scripts/ExtSearch.asp?SearchTerm=000268







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ource A: Sy!ney Archi"es (195,’s)

Source : Author: 0#nt#s (195). An #!"ertise*ent or the0#nt#s Super Conste#tion !uring the 195,’s

http://www.3#nt#s.co*.#u/tr#"e/#irines/historic4i*#ge4

g#ery4#!"ertising/go%#/en

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/historic-image-gallery-advertising/global/en








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explain how technology contributed to change in the everyday life of australians in the 1950’s

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