ANNABEL CRABB: Imagine what it would be like to give up your modern life
with all its trappings and culinary comforts,
and take a trip into the past.
Well, one food-loving Australian family
is about to find out.
They're sacrificing their smart phones,
their supersized takeaways and flat whites,
and plunging back in time to cook, eat and live
through 60 years of Australian history.
I'm Julian. I'm Peter.
I'm Olivia. I'm Carol.
I'm Sienna.
ALL: And we're the Ferrones!
(LAUGH)
That's so lame!
Meet the Ferrones.
Who set this table?
Julian. Julian.
They're a complete product of the 21st century.
Sienna! Get off your phone at the table.
Mum's a busy professional.
Dad does most of the cooking.
Everyone does their part...
Good job.
..to keep this modern family moving.
And we like to eat.
Yeah. That's us.
(ALL LAUGH)
They're about to embark
on an extraordinary time-travelling adventure.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!
In just 60 years...
Oh!
..Australians have gone
from the bland British foods of the '50s...
It's actually the lining of a cow's stomach.
..to ready made meals...
I've got to go to church and confess my sins if I eat that.
..and the world arriving on our dinner plates.
This is moussaka.
And do we just put the sauce on top?
How did this kitchen revolution change us as a nation?
Using their own home as a time machine,
the Ferrones will find out
as they live through a different decade each week.
Along the way, they'll experience the joys...
Come on! Dishwasher!!
(CHEERING) Yes!
..meet some amazing people...
And hitchhiker!
Skippy's got a lot to answer for.
..and face hardship...
That is hard work.
I'm expected to do everything.
..as they discover how our relationship with food...
That is the best!
..has shaped all our lives.
Are we ready, guys?
Yes! Let's go...
ALL: Back In Time!
♪ Hey, baby
♪ Jump over here
♪ When you do the ooby-dooby
♪ I just gotta be near
♪ Ooby-dooby
♪ Ooby-dooby... ♪
Going in back in time to, you know,
experience life as a woman of the '50s,
what the expectations were, what the limitations were,
I think will be really interesting because I am quite independent.
Perhaps I'm a bit naive
thinking that I won't lose much independence.
My parents actually immigrated in the 19-early-50s from Italy.
Definitely be great to experience what they experienced.
You know, you can be told those stories,
but you never know a person's life until you've walked in their shoes.
Hi! Hey!
You guys look incredible!
You've aged 68 years! (ALL LAUGH)
Carol, I've got to say,
you are rocking this era - you look awesome!
Let's just say that there's three layers of spandex under this!
Oh, are there! Oh!
Just to keep it all in!
So much infrastructure! Yes.
The time it takes to put together is a bit of a challenge,
I can't imagine doing that every morning.
You know, I think you are going to be amazed
at how much you'll be required to fit into your day...
Yes! ..this particular era.
What about you, Olivia? What do you think of your frock?
I think I'm really cute! Are you?!
Yes, you are really cute.
And the house design is a little bit similar, I must say.
Oh, we're looking forward to that, aren't we?
Yeah, that'll be interesting!
Are you ready to go back to the 1950s?
Oh, we are! Yeah!
Who wants to do the honours? Me!
OK! There you go. Eee!
Lead the way, Olivia. Here we go!
Ahh! Wow!
Oh, wow!
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!
Is this our house?! This...
Apparently, it is! Goodness! It looks so different!
SIENNA: Can't even tell where we are in our house!
Oh, my goodness!
I actually really love it! I know!
It's so cool!
Look at the ducks on the wall, Sien. I know!
That is, like, the coolest thing.
Feel like a different era? Oh, very much.
Has anyone noticed anything missing? What?
The TV. Oh, my goodness.
There's no TV in... There's no TV in here.
There's not one at all?
OLIVIA: I really don't think this is our house.
I know! I think it is!
The biggest surprise is
what's happened to their open-plan living space.
It's now walled off into two tiny rooms
to achieve that cramped 1950s feel.
Ohh! Whoa!
Look how small it is!
Oh, my God. Oh, my goodness.
It's pretty poky.
There is no room in here!
JULIAN: It's tiny.
How do you have a dinner party in here?!
Well, you just invite small people! Yeah!
Big difference to what we're used to.
Yeah! It is. Oh, my goodness.
It's very, um... enclosed.
ALL: Yeah!
Used to the open-plan living
where I can cook and still talk to the family.
Is anyone brave enough to see the kitchen?
ALL: Yes! Yes, I'm brave enough.
I want to see the kitchen!
Oh, my! Oh, my gosh!
It looks... Whoa, where are my sunglasses?!
SIENNA: I know! JULIAN: Wow!
The gadgets of the 21st century are nowhere to be seen
in the Ferrones' shrunken new kitchen.
'50s cooking was a basic affair.
Oh, my Christ! It's so bright!
There's an icebox instead of a fridge.
You guys haven't got a fridge yet, 'cause it's...
1950. ..1950s.
Big, solid block of ice. Oh, wow, one block of ice!
And that gets delivered twice a week by the ice man.
Does it? Oh, wow!
You'll notice there's just hardly any food in the pantry
and that is just...
Yeah, I did notice that.
Are there lollies? Oh, boy. No way.
What you see is what you get. The war, really.
It's not really a snacking age. No, it's not.
You wait for dinner.
What is that?!
What do you think it is?
Do you boil stuff in this?
That's what you'll be doing the laundry in.
That's where you wash...
For dishes or clothes?
Um, clothes! Clothes.
Oh, you're joking. I'm not joking!
Did you know that in the 1950s,
the average amount of housework that a woman would do
over the course of a week was 77.5 hours?
Oh, my goodness. That's, like, three days.
What do you reckon you'd do in 2018, housework-wise?
Oh.
An hour a day, if I'm lucky?
Well.
Appliances are not necessarily your friends in this era.
Wonderful.
That is not a set-and-forget washing machine.
I'm looking forward to this thing. Yeah.
I have all these modern appliances and things that make my life...
quite simple, in the present day.
So I wasn't expecting to really go down to basics
and have so much manual labour.
And these copper pots! Like...
Yeah. Are these even safe to cook in?
No modern appliances, limited tools and limited rations.
Feeling a bit of trepidation, I'm feeling a bit nervous.
Everybody's roles are going to be a little bit different
from the way you live them at the moment.
And the first thing to know about 1950
is that dad is the king of the home.
Whoo-hoo!
Don't get used to it!
Now, I know that you think you're still the boss of the family,
Carol, but you are the domestic queen of the household.
Wonderful.
Carol, your daily duties will involve rising earlier than everybody else
to make sure that breakfast is ready,
and then getting children out the door, packing lunches.
This man will have nothing to do with that.
Awesome.
Exactly what we're used to, not!
I probably cook most nights.
Being not able to do that,
it's just going to be very strange to me.
You guys will be more likely to help out with domestic tasks.
Julian, you get off, I've got to say,
totally scot-free in this experience. Nice!
Basically, you're allowed to go in the kitchen if something's broken.
OK, so this is a very valuable book to you.
This is your manual for the 1950s,
and it's got all the detail you need to know about
how to live life in the 1950s.
So, Carol, your first job is going to be to prepare tea.
It's in the icebox waiting for you. Awesome.
Oh, good luck! Bye, Mum!
Wish me luck! Have a good time!
Have fun. Might need that.
We'll just be here waiting. I'll take that, thank you.
Recipe included! Thank you.
Bye!
Man, she's got some tough times coming.
The 1950s were an age of domesticity.
The suburban home was a castle, and DIY was catching on.
Robert Menzies was Prime Minister.
And Peter and Jennifer were the top baby names.
While Australia's apron ties were to Britain,
there was a growing demand for other migrants
to help build our population.
ANNOUNCER: From Britain and more than 20 countries in Europe,
come new settlers.
The 1956 Olympics
drew the world's gaze to Australia like never before.
And the advent of television brought America right into our lives.
For women, the first duty was to family and home.
Those who had gone out to work during the Second World War
were told to abandon their careers and step back into the kitchen.
ANNOUNCER: This is the home
of Mr and Mrs George McDougall of Brisbane,
with Mrs McDougall preparing breakfast
for her lord and master.
Familiar? Of course it is.
It's something Carol will have to get used to.
OK. Here we go.
Tripe in white sauce!
And this recipe is by Mrs R. Myer
from 288 Birdwood Terrace, Toowong, Brisbane.
Wow, I'm wondering if she's still around,
she could be quite proud of me,
cooking her recipe nearly 70 years later.
The ingredients include tripe, carrots, onions, potatoes and milk.
"Tripe is the lining
"from the stomach of a domesticated animal."
That's disgusting. Wonderful.
Forced during the war to eat offal thanks to beef rationing,
Australian families developed a taste for the stuff
and it remained on tables long after the last shots were fired.
(GASPS) Oh, wow!
Oh, wow.
Oh! Oh, that is nasty.
It does have that calamari texture, but thicker and quite squishy,
I can't imagine what this would be like to bite into.
Someone really would have had to be starving to...
..eat this.
That's so gross.
Ooh! That smells interesting.
It's not just Carol adjusting to 1950s life.
Peter, normally the family cook, has been barred from the kitchen.
And 17-year-old Julian and 14-year-old Sienna,
who seldom spend time together in 2018,
now find themselves with little choice.
Who are you writing to?
My best friend, Veronica.
Seeing as I don't have a phone, I can't text her.
So hopefully she gets this.
A message in a bottle?
They still had the postal service in the '50s.
A figurative message in a bottle.
Without the technology, it's extremely difficult.
Usually, I can go upstairs,
log onto my laptop or go onto my phone
and talk to all of my friends.
It's just so strange.
Anyone want to play a game with me?
If we have to.
But ten-year-old Olivia couldn't be happier.
So this... Connector?
..is where there's some wooden things.
It's Danish.
It's like Lego, but it's older.
Well, what are we going to make?
There's no instructions.
I always ask Julian or Sienna, like, "Can you play a board game?
"Can you play a couple rounds of a card game?"
They never really spend time with me.
It makes me feel lonely, a little bit.
Do you want to try make this... Wooden.
..dog-looking thing on the front? Cool! OK.
I think it might change because...
..they won't have technology.
And they'll have nothing to do.
So....
We'll need one long one.
Here.
So hopefully, this will get us back together.
"Slice carrots, onions, cloves, thyme in the bottom of pie dish..."
Can't believe you expect me to do this...
..in heels and a dress.
I'm feeling a bit lonely
in the kitchen by myself, to be honest!
Usually have children in and out.
And the husband coming in, telling me
I should add this or add that and taste-testings.
I know these albums back to front now.
Finding it really difficult to be so segregated
from the rest of the family.
And the kids in one room, Carol in the other, cooking.
This was probably, you know, Dad's sort of role.
Separate head of the family.
But, I don't know, I think today's man is quite different.
Probably, I'd like to be in the kitchen
and have a look what's going on!
Oh, my goodness!
Oops! I forgot that it doesn't pop up on it's own!
I'm trying to do three things at once,
when I'm used to everything just working nicely on its own.
So I've read in the manuals
that every meal is served with bread and butter.
But we don't have any butter,
so we might have to resort to plan B,
which is the dripping.
With butter still rationed five years after the war,
housewives saved the fat from the Sunday roast
as a tasty alternative spread.
And it does not look very appealing.
But nobody likes dry bread.
It actually looks like suntan lotion!
I'm actually really nervous about serving this to my family
when, you know, we're used to having, um...
..a lot better quality and quantity of food.
Pff!
Wow.
That smells very pungent.
I don't think
my children will be very impressed with tonight's meal,
so hopefully they'll be polite, at least,
and understand that I've been slaving under a hot stove
for the last couple of hours.
So, yeah, bit nervous about serving this to them, to be honest.
Gentlemen... Ah. Thank you.
Julian. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Oh!
That doesn't... No.
It's only some vegies and... A casserole.
(WHISPERS) I'll take the smaller portion.
There you go, Liv. There you go.
We have tripe in white sauce
with boiled potatoes, cabbage and...
Carrots. ..beans.
Beans.
Ew! What do you think, Julian?
I've only tried the potatoes.
Even the potatoes taste bad.
It's actually the lining of a cow's stomach.
Oh, it's like haggis. You've just turned them off more.
Mmm! So...
I just lost my appetite.
What do you think of the meal, Julian?
Just grinning and bearing it.
OLIVE: Do you like it?
I haven't tried it. I won't, yuck.
You should try it, you need to try it.
It's part of it all, part of the experience.
I felt so sick, like,
just the thought of it made me feel gross
and then, the smell was even worse.
I don't know how mum and dad ate it, I wouldn't even try it.
Not touching it.
It's not the best way I've ever had it,
but growing up, we used to have it.
Yeah.
It was gross, it felt like rubber.
If I ever end living like that, I'm out.
People in the '50s actually really enjoyed tripe.
Mm-mm.
Have some bacon with it, you'll be fine.
Mm-mm!
(CRIES) I can't!
Aww!
Come here.
Come to Mum.
Come on!
Now she's going to make me cry!
Come here.
Aww.
Look at Mum. Look at Mummy.
Now, that... I know, I know.
It's really hard and it's really quite disgusting.
How about...? I can't chew it!
You can't chew it.
You know, I guess children in the '50s, perhaps,
didn't know any different
and that was a special meal for them, but...
That broke my heart.
You want to have your beans and your potatoes?
Mm. Give me a kiss.
The life of a woman in the 1950s,
definitely not what I expected.
Hopefully, tomorrow's a better day.
♪ Every day, it's a-getting closer
♪ Going faster than a roller-coaster... ♪
In this experiment, a new day brings about a new year.
So the Ferrones are waking up to 1951.
Breakfast was a simple affair.
Cereals, toast with jam and porridge.
♪ Love like yours will surely... ♪
OK, breakfast.
So two cups of oatmeal.
Straight into the milk.
Very different to
the microwave oatmeal that we're used to,
which usually cooks in 90 seconds.
How's it going in there?
Coming! Won't be a second! Bloody, friggin' toaster!
Day number two of life in the '50s, and I've got to be honest,
definitely very big changes to what we're used to.
I actually never make tea.
I'm not a tea drinker myself.
So I'm struggling with this,
I'm struggling not to make a mess with the tea.
The woman of the house did everything
with no help from any male members of the family.
I don't know why he can't just make his own breakfast, I mean, really.
Struggle a bit, did we?
We need a fortune teller to read the tea leaves.
It says, "Carol shouldn't make tea in 1951."
I think for the modern-day man, like my husband,
he would think that it was quite unfair
because he does enjoy spending time in the kitchen.
OK, this looks interesting.
It's not what it normally looks like.
Strange I was segregated once again.
Carol's busy doing her chores
and I ran off to work
before the kids came down for their breakfasts.
Oh!
Quite interesting
that you would ride to work in a suit.
OK, so this is a weird way to get to work.
I think I'd be fitter if I did this every day.
Bit warm, though, with the suit.
With Peter on his way to work,
Carol's next task is to get the children out the door.
Oh, here we go. Have a good day. Thank you.
Bye, Mum. My loves.
Go on.
Make sure you hold her hand and...
I will. ..watch for cars.
Yeah.
Unlike most children of the 21st century,
who are driven to school...
Bye, Mum! Have a great day!
BOTH: You too!
..the children of the 1950s usually walked,
leaving Mum home alone.
Careful!
I guess in the '50s,
if children had to be somewhere, they made their own way.
But I would never
let my girls walk to school on their own,
let alone without a phone where they could message me
and let me know that they've arrived.
And so much to do.
I'm really missing my dishwasher right now.
Goodness.
Also a distant future memory
is Carol's career as an executive business coach.
OK. See how that goes.
I don't think it's actually picking anything up.
1950s women were expected to give up their careers
as soon as they were married.
And in most cases, that was by the age of 22.
I guess this would have been my exercise for the day,
doing this all day.
Got to put a bit of elbow grease into this.
Ugh!
OK.
A treasured break came at lunch time with a sandwich and a soap opera.
RADIO: The ABC presents Blue Hills by Gwen Meredith.
Episode 528.
Blue Hills was promoted as a thrilling daily respite
from the drudgery of domestic life.
MAN: (ON RADIO) For heaven's sake, don't you see?
I won't be satisfied until I do, ma'am!
ANNABEL: (ON RADIO) Carol! Annabel here.
That may be the end of Blue Hills,
but it's nowhere near the end of your day.
Time to get up.
Oh, boy.
Laundry.
I believe if I grate this in,
I'll get my washing powder.
Well, this is very different to my washing machine,
where I just... put everything in,
press a button and go away and do something else.
I'm definitely not chained to it like this one.
(SIGHS)
I'm starting to realise how easy I've got it in 2018.
That is hard work.
I just spent hours doing housework.
What usually takes me half an hour
is, like, a long, arduous process
of doing every single thing by hand.
I've got to be honest, I miss all my... all my appliances
and everything that makes my life easier.
Oh, gosh. That is so hot.
And this is why 1950s women didn't need to go to the gym!
But the day is far from over for Carol.
How am I going for time? OK.
With the kids on their way home, she needs to get cracking on dinner.
Left-over meat recipe.
In the 1950s, very little was wasted.
So tonight's ingredients are a thrifty concoction
of leftover lamb, rice, fresh peas,
eggs and milk.
I'm much more confident in this meal than I was yesterday,
so hopefully everybody's happy and we're good to go.
I really can't believe that that's...
That's how life in the '50s was for housewives.
There really is no time for yourself
or to do anything except just cook and clean.
The thought of repeating this day after day, after day,
I can't imagine how any woman would find this fulfilling,
to be honest.
Girls, dinner.
Coming!
That looks better than last night's dinner!
What do you think?
Oh, yeah.
JULIAN: I give it a 6.5 out of 10.
Only a 6.5?
Yeah, it's on the good side of mediocre.
But it's still mediocre.
With the children fed early and sent to their rooms,
Carol awaits Peter's return.
1950s dads seldom arrived home in time to eat with their children.
Honey, I'm home.
How's your day?
Oh, you've been busy!
I haven't stopped! What did you do all day?
Well, I did go to work.
Oh, yeah, you sat at a desk, and I cooked and cooked and cleaned
and washed and ironed and did everything.
Everything, I'm sorry. Today. By myself.
I'm just feeling pretty sad
that Carol's had to do everything on her own.
I don't like living in the '50s.
Aww.
I'm getting used to it!
Go! I'll get you your dinner.
Thank you.
I'd really like to get in there and help her, really.
I feel like my hands are tied.
Here. Enjoy.
Yeah, so that's dinner. I will. You're not joining me?
No, I've eaten with the kids already.
Oh, have you? OK.
So you have to eat alone and enjoy your own company.
I'm sorry. It is a bit lonely on my own.
It is, it's not what you're used to, but...
I know it's not what...
It's what the typical 1950s man used to... used to do,
sit and enjoy his own company at dinner.
Wow.
It's pretty sad actually.
It is sad.
(SNIFFS)
You alright? No.
(SIGHS)
I've sort of lost my appetite.
It's, um, pretty lonely in here.
I'm just feeling pretty sad and...
..I don't know, segregated from the whole family and...
You know, we always shared a meal together
and there's no sharing here, it's me on my own.
No-one to talk to.
No-one to laugh with,
no-one to share my experiences of the day
and find out what they've done.
(SIGHS)
I don't even know where to start.
I'm expected to do everything.
And...
..it really doesn't matter what I feel.
It just matters that...
..the kids are OK...
..and the house is clean and he's OK.
I feel like a servant.
And like I'm not that important.
It is bloody hard work being in the '50s.
Like, it's just ridiculous. Like, it is bloody ridiculous.
I don't know how women gave up their careers to do this.
Like, I love that in 2018 I can be whoever I want to be
and, you know, perhaps 60, 70 years ago,
that wouldn't have been an option for me.
(SIGHS)
Here we go.
What have we got? 1952.
1952 marked the beginning
of mass European immigration to Australia.
A movement that would change the course of the nation's history
and the future of the Ferrones.
Hello! Hi!
How are you today?
Brought you some more tripe! Oh, I hope not!
I'm so sorry! My poor children.
Hello! Lovely to see you. How are you?
Let me take a seat.
How's life in the '50s?
I struggled all day yesterday. Yeah.
It resulted in a meltdown... Yeah, it did.
..yesterday evening.
There were a few tears and quite a lot of emotion.
I can't imagine having to do that seven days a week.
Well, I guess that's your first full day
of full immersion, like... It was.
But imagine if you were living in this period
and everything about this country was new to you.
Yeah. Which is the circumstance that...
Yeah, my parents came in this decade, and, yeah...
This year, in fact. We know all the stories.
Your dad arrived in 1952. That's correct.
I've got an Italian background.
My parents came out in the 1950s.
It was very difficult for them.
I do admire that they came out here for a better life,
to make some money
because there was no opportunities after the war in much of Europe.
This is the ship's manifest
of the boat on which your mum arrived.
So she's passenger 31 on this manifest.
Yeah, there she is. There she is. It's Maria Arena.
So when she came out.
Wow.
Yeah. '51 was Mum and '52 was Dad.
Yeah.
Post-war migration to Australia from Italy was huge, I mean,
from all around Europe.
Though one of the things that was happening
while all these families were migrating
and then coming together was
that they were bringing with them a whole new culture of food.
Yeah.
Shaping that whole nation that we now live in.
ANNOUNCER: The Chifley Government established
the Department of Immigration,
with a determined policy to lift Australia's population
under Mr Arthur Caldwell.
Under the slogan "Populate or Perish",
the Australian government forged a vigorous immigration program
to meet labour shortages.
Italians, Greeks and other southern Europeans
began to outnumber the British.
And with them, came their unique flavours and cuisines.
ANNOUNCER: The wine they drink, the language
and always at every meal, spaghetti.
And before long, their produce became popular
with the Australian palate.
Right, well, Carol. I won't keep you any longer.
I think the manual might give you a bit of a steer
as to what your next assignment is.
Oh, OK! Excellent!
(GASPS) Spaghetti bolognaise!
I'll be cooking the first spaghetti bolognaise
featured in the Australian Women's Weekly in 1952.
The familiar ingredients include mince, tomatoes, garlic,
spaghetti and olive oil.
Supermarkets didn't exist in the 1950s,
so housewives like Carol set out daily on foot
to local and specialty stores to buy the produce they needed.
Bought some garlic, which is something new in the fifties.
I'm after 1.5lbs of mince steak today, thank you.
Yes, certainly.
Here we are. Perfect. Thank you.
It was quite exciting just to get outside
and, you know, see some locals.
Good morning.
I'm after some olive oil today. Olive oil?
Yes! Sure.
That's right, thank you.
"For medicinal use, salads and cooking."
That's funny, isn't it?
Excellent, well that'll go great in my baked spaghetti.
That was different, buying the olive oil in the pharmacist.
So I guess my in-laws, when they came to Australia,
they would have experienced something very similar.
Oh, it's quite emotional going back through the photos.
Especially 'cause Dad's not around anymore.
Yeah, I think they struggled coming out here,
trying to integrate with the community
that didn't speak your language,
didn't eat your food, didn't dress the way you dressed.
I think Dad would be pretty happy that we're going back
and sort of experience something of what he experienced.
Proud that we're doing it.
(EMOTIONALLY) Um...
Yeah.
(SIZZLING)
I love that sound.
Nothing like the smell of onion and garlic in olive oil.
When Peter's mother and father came to Australia,
and, you know, moved to a different country
and it's... you know,
really made me think about how people were those days.
Was it a desperation?
Did they not have hope
or didn't feel like they had a future in their own countries
so they set out to the other side of the world
in search of that hope
and that adventure?
It's slightly different to how we usually do it.
But, um, they'll be very excited
when they know that we have this on the menu tonight.
I suspect that this is going to be quite delicious.
This is a meal full of cultural and family significance.
So, we've invited a special guest to step back into the '50s
and join the Ferrones for lunch.
Surprise, surprise! Ah!
Had a knock on the door
and it was my Nonna Maria.
I never knew she was coming.
Oh, look!
Hi, Nonna!
Hola, darling. Isn't that exciting?!
I just love my nonna so much.
Welcome to our home! What do you think?
It's beautiful!
She, like, was a teenager in this era,
like I am being a teenager.
And, um, it was probably very nostalgic for her.
Very excited to serve this to you
because up until now,
I haven't had any butter, and I haven't had any olive oil,
so I had to buy olive oil today from the chemist.
It looks like a bottle of medicine. But of course!
And on the bottle, it actually says it's used for medicinal purposes...
Oh, yeah. ..and for cooking.
Smells good, doesn't it?
It smells better than the last couple of dinners, that's for sure.
Is there cheese on it?
Yes, we got cheese.
That's enough for me. We have butter now.
Oh, wow! So, no more dripping!
Thank goodness!
Hey, Nonna, did you have dripping when you were...
No, darling. Have you ever tried it?
No, I never try it.
We still had a traditional Italian meal.
'Cause we still could find spaghetti,
we could find olive oil.
To get the Italian vegetable, we used to go to the market.
You had to go special.
PETER: It was specialised, not at the supermarket.
My mum visiting the house was fantastic.
It was nice of her to enlighten us a little bit.
They were lucky enough,
they didn't have to eat dripping on bread!
I think it's quite delicious, what do you think?
PETER: It's good. MARIA: Very nice!
I like it. It's good.
Yeah? It's good, isn't it.
Could I have some more, please? Mmm!
I'm very impressed that this is the first time
that you've asked for seconds!
This is the first time we've had edible food!
True.
It has been pretty ordinary.
(BRITISH NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS)
1953 saw the crowning of a new Queen.
The world watched
as Elizabeth II officially took to the throne.
But it was a year later, in 1954,
that the new Queen, along with Prince Philip,
made her first official trip to Australia as our reigning monarch.
QUEEN ELIZABETH: I am proud indeed
to be at the head of a nation that has achieved so much.
More than three quarters of the nation
turned out to welcome the couple,
as the country celebrated their 58-day tour.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Telegram!
Mum, we got a telegram. A telegram?
Oh, wow!
Australia has a new Queen and she's visiting the country.
You'll be celebrating by throwing a lunch party
with a... BOTH: Pineapple theme!
Oh, my goodness.
Be sure to bring your best manners as there will be a surprise guest!
Who do you think it could be?
Could be, like, Meghan Markle or someone.
She's not born yet, in the '50s.
To celebrate the wedding
of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip in 1947,
the Queensland Government sent them a gift
that was both practical
and at the cutting edge of culinary fashion -
500 cans of pineapple.
ANNOUNCER: More than 50 million pineapples are processed
by Northcote Cannery near Brisbane in just one year.
And every one of them must be perfect.
Soon pineapple recipes filled popular publications
and every household had pineapple fever.
So if we're having a lunch party, I bet that there's a recipe in here
that we're going to have to prepare, so let's see if we can find it.
Oh! Liver sausage pineapple!
Oh, wow.
From the 1953 Better Homes And Gardens New Cookbook.
And you have to make this.
Can't say that sounds very appealing, does it?
No. No.
The ingredients include liver sausage mince, mayonnaise,
yellow food colouring,
stuffed olives,
and a pineapple leaf top.
Looks like a giant sausage. But a weird one.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
I wonder who that is, I'll go check.
Hi, welcome!
Hello, my dear!
How are you?
I'm fantastic, how are you? Good!
The Ferrones' special guest is Australia's queen of etiquette,
Ms June Dally-Watkins.
How absolutely charming.
June began modelling at a young age
and opened her first school of deportment in 1950.
She taught what she knew best - behaviour, posture, grooming,
and most importantly, being the best young woman you could be.
You're THE June Dally-Watkins?
Oh, my God, that's amazing!
I am, I'm the real one.
I've done your course at school!
It's amazing to meet you! Thank you, darling!
As a woman, like, in the 1950s, was that hard for you to work?
Like, did people look at you different?
Oh, I was condemned and criticised. Yes.
I had four children. Oh, wow.
And kept my business going. That's incredible.
And I was criticised and condemned for doing it.
But I wanted to.
And I wanted to empower women.
It was really amazing
that Ms Dally became a really big role model for women.
I think that's really important.
So, could you please teach me how to walk, as a model?
Yes, I can! Thank you.
And I was a great believer in good posture.
And what you have to do
is walk with one foot on the same line, you see?
And push up with your back heel,
so that the body now is between your feet.
And level with the inside.
Got it? Yep!
While Sienna masters the art of perfect posture,
Carol is in the kitchen, grappling with an even tougher task,
making a plausible pineapple out of liver paste.
There we go.
OK, that kind of looks like a pineapple, don't you think?
Um... Err.
Whoa!
Oh, look at that! That looks so pretty.
Duck liver pate in the shape of a pineapple.
That's something I'd never heard of,
but, you know, we're a few years after the end of the war now
and food has gone from being, you know, a need, you know,
just a staple thing to, you know, something decorative and fancy.
Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the pineapple...
Um...
I'm not sure if it will stay. That's OK.
Does it look like the picture?
No.
Voila.
Oh! Good afternoon!
It's a pleasure to meet you!
Oh, very good afternoon.
So Olivia and I have made a pineapple dip.
It's a duck liver...
..sausage.
You mean that's not a real pineapple?
No, it's not, unfortunately.
It looks like it though, doesn't it? That is brilliant!
Thank you!
I love duck liver.
OLIVIA: You do? Yes!
Mm.
The pate is delicious. Thank you.
I'll take some.
Isn't that great? Do you like it?
It's not bad, actually.
That's the best pineapple I've ever eaten!
Thank you!
May I take a little more?
Of course you can!
Ready? Yeah.
Get set.
Bang!
You got me! Ha-ha-ha-ha.
I am the best!
1956 brought an extraordinary event to Australia -
the games of the 16th Olympiad in Melbourne.
ANNOUNCER: Here in this Southern Australian city,
sportsmen from the four corners of the earth
will meet under the Olympic banner in November.
It was Australia's first opportunity
to stage such a huge international event
and the nation was brimming with excitement.
(GASPS)
And Carol is feeling like she's won gold herself.
I have a fridge!
Oh, my goodness!
Yes!
Oh, what a welcome change from that ice box!
Oh, my goodness.
Wow, everything is so much colder too!
1956, what an amazing year!
First of all, I got a fridge, which is so exciting.
Oh, a Mix Master!
I didn't even notice this!
Ooh, "Melbourne Olympic Games.
"This will help you make light work of tonight's dinner menu.
"Roast lamb, crayfish casserole,
"passionfruit meringue with ice-cream." Yum!
"Please be sure to set an extra place at the table.
"Your guest will be Olympic legend Dawn Fraser."
Oh, my goodness!
God, talk about pressure!
With hotel rooms in short supply during the Games,
almost 9,000 overseas visitors
were billeted directly with Australian families.
Tonight's vintage recipe from Melbourne's The Herald,
encouraged hostesses to do Australia proud.
I don't think I've ever made a pav myself.
I usually just buy the ready-made bases.
So, um, this'll be interesting.
Ooh!
Is that supposed to spin?
You alright there, Julian? You look like Zoolander.
Smile!
Nice camera, Dad, I like it.
It is a good camera.
It's an Agfa. Made in Germany.
It's pretty cool.
Can I look?
Unfortunately you can't, there's nothing on this.
It's on film, it's not on a digital card.
So how will we get it?
So you get your film, you take it in,
and they process it
and about a week later, you get to see your photos.
OK.
JULIAN: How are we going to Instagram them?
What Instagram? There's no such thing.
(OVEN WHIRRS)
Ooh.
I don't know if that's supposed to be that dark.
Back in the kitchen, Carol's finally finished the dessert,
but there's still a roast to cook for main.
And a crayfish.
Ooh. That's a bit scary-looking.
It is dead, right?
Ooh. Oh, that's nasty.
You really don't realise how good we've got it in 2018.
I mean, there's a tool for everything.
You know what?
I'm just going to wedge these, because I'm running out of time
and nobody wants to keep Dawn Fraser waiting.
Dawn Fraser began swimming competitively at the age of 11.
By the 1950s, she was at the top of her game.
ANNOUNCER: Dawn's final spurt gives her another win in 63.8 seconds.
Dawn's the world record-holder!
Over the course of her career, she set 39 world records,
won eight Olympic medals
and has become one of the most celebrated Australian athletes
of all time.
Hello! Oh, my goodness!
Hi, Annabel, how are you?
Dawn! Oh, my goodness! Please, you're so welcome.
Look who I've got here! Everybody, this is Dawn Fraser!
Hello, very pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you!
Thank you very much. And this is Olivia.
Hello, Olivia, how are you? Good!
And Sienna. Hello, Sienna.
How do you do? Dawn, I'm Peter.
Hello, Peter. Pleased to meet you. Pleasure to meet you.
And here we go.
Wow.
Crayfish in white sauce.
That is actually an original Olympic recipe from 1956.
And that would be a smash hit in 1956.
Yes, it would have been.
You were already quite well known, Dawn,
but 1956 would have been the year
that just catapulted you to superstardom.
Was that a weird experience for a young woman?
It was. And especially coming from a working class family.
Mm.
We were purely amateurs.
I mean, you couldn't... you couldn't take any money or earn money.
Like, the Americans were earning a lot of money.
OK.
Everyone overseas was earning a lot of money,
and they could still keep on competing,
whereas our women here in this country, they couldn't.
I've worked three jobs a week... Wow.
..to compete and save up myself.
When you said that the women swimmers weren't paid,
were the men paid?
No, they weren't paid, but they were given the opportunities.
OK.
If there was a trip overseas, it would go to the men first.
Ah. And not the women.
Yes.
Thank goodness that we've come to a stage in our life
that women have been recognised for the sport that they play.
Yes. Yeah, that's right.
And Dawn Fraser, you know, the working class girl from Balmain
who, you know, pretty much became a star and an Aussie icon.
We're privileged to hear all Dawn's stories.
She's a real inspiration.
You were once told, I remember reading,
that you would never be a champion
because you were from the working class, from Balmain.
Yeah, I was told by the President of the Australian Swimming Union
I would never compete for Australia
because I came from a working class family.
Sure proved him wrong! (LAUGHTER)
I'm a history buff,
so getting to talk to such an Australian hero, really,
and learning a lot more about her life,
I really enjoyed that.
RADIO: This is the final of the 100m freestyle for women.
(APPLAUSE)
Millions of Australians listened live to this ABC radio broadcast
of her 100m race.
But this is the first time Dawn's heard it.
This is Dawn's race!
MAN: (ON RADIO) Take your marks.
Go, Dawn, go! Go!
Shh, shh, shh!
COMMENTATOR: (ON RADIO) Swimming in a line after 25m,
we're in line for Fraser showing out
just like Crapp and Leech.
Crapp in five, Fraser in four,
as they turn together, over they go, Faith Leech just behind them.
Come on, Dawn!
COMMENTATOR: 50m to go...
I can't stand it!
COMMENTATOR: About 40m to go!
And it's Fraser and Crapp.
They're coming down with only about 10 yards to go,
and it's neck-and-neck.
Fraser and Crapp, Fraser and Crapp.
And it's to the line,
and it'll be Fraser first, Crapp second.
(ALL CHEER)
I've got goose bumps!
I do when I hear it!
Oh, my goodness!
('50s ROCK'N'ROLL PLAYS)
Oh, wow!
Oh, that is cool.
Toward the end of the decade,
mass production of cars made them cheaper,
giving more families like the Ferrones
a chance to get behind the wheel.
Look at this baby!
Oh, my goodness!
OLIVIA: Oh, it's bouncy!
Bouncy seats, no power windows.
And, seatbelts were not yet mandatory.
OK? Yeah.
Stalled it.
(OLIVIA LAUGHS)
Are you in first?
First is there.
So she's a heavy car, you've got to give it a bit...
Oh, goodness. Oh, my gosh!
Whoa!
OLIVIA: Whoa. This is kinda cool.
PETER: It is kinda cool.
Let's see what this baby can do!
The late '50s were a period of great change.
Apart from more cars on the road,
the advent of television meant that American music,
fashion and films were infiltrating our lives.
And the drive-in, with its all-American diner,
was about to change the way we ate.
♪ Well, I'm just outta school Like I'm real, real cool
♪ Gotta shake, gotta jive
♪ Got the message that I gotta be a wild one
♪ Ooh, yeah, I'm a wild one... ♪
This is exciting... Yes, it is!
..a night out with the family, isn't it?
And I don't have to cook tonight, which is good!
Oh, yes! It's a night out for you, honey.
It is! A very welcome change.
♪ Keep it shaking, baby
♪ I'm a real wild child. ♪
Sienna, there's a juke box.
Do you want me to go put some money in?
Yeah, go put a song on.
('50S MUSIC PLAYS)
Oh, my gosh!
SIENNA: Look at their faces! They're so embarrassed.
Stop!
I can't watch. My eyes are burning!
Julian, why don't you dance with your sister?
SIENNA: No way. No, no, no, no, no, no!
Come on! Come on! Come on!
SIENNA: I'm not dancing with Julian!
Come on, Julian! Just come and dance.
(OLIVIA GIGGLES AND SQUEALS)
I'm really enjoying seeing the changes from year to year.
I went from one year
where I spent most of my day in the home cooking,
cleaning, doing chores.
And suddenly having dinner at the diner together as a family,
it's something we've never, never done.
Thoroughly enjoyable having a meal together with the family.
I miss that. I was really isolated.
Definitely, '50s is getting better as we go through the years.
Cheers to our big night out!
Oh! Here we go! Well, there's a movie!
MOVIE: They call it the Gold Coast. But's it's not gold they want.
Don't you think it's good? We can snuggle together!
You're blocking the view! SIENNA: Yeah!
Oh! Too bad!
Going to the drive-ins was really fun!
Even though there was no aircon.
But that's OK.
We've reached the end of the decade
and to celebrate, the Ferrones are throwing a very '50s event -
a barbecue.
Ah. Hi!
Pants!
I'm wearing pants! You get to wear trousers!
I do! Lovely to see you. Oh, congratulations!
But you're still in the kitchen, love, aren't you?
Ah, still in the kitchen.
While Carol's still required in the kitchen,
Peter is outside, happy to be given a rare chance to cook.
We probably should have gotten charcoal, but, um...
I don't think it's readily available.
No.
I think the '50s was the beginning of a change.
Less time in the kitchen for the mum, dad got involved,
barbecues started his cooking journey.
Must say you're looking a bit happier with tongs in your hand.
I am, I'm quite comfortable with tongs or a knife,
cooking up a storm.
Well, guys, it's farewell to the '50s now!
Yes! I know, how quickly did that go?
I know! Very quickly.
For a family used to the comfort and plenty of 2018,
the 1950s have been shockingly austere.
So we have tripe in white sauce.
Ew!
Who do you reckon had a better time of it, in the '50s?
Oh, Peter, for sure.
'Cause he didn't actually do much, did he?
No, I didn't, but I was in solitude a little bit.
You were. That wasn't nice.
Being isolated from the family was really strange.
I've sort of lost my appetite.
Carol's just, work, work, work, work.
It doesn't feel like a family. It's quite sad, actually.
Having spent most of the decade doing housework...
That is hard work.
..Carol's had to leave her independence behind.
I'd sum up the '50s as a baptism of fire
so really thrown in the deep end as far as my normal life is.
You know, spent eight to 10 hours cooking, cleaning.
That isolation of being in the house,
that's what brought on a general feeling of,
I'm really just the cook and the cleaner.
Let's skip! Julian!
JULIAN: Sure, why not.
I guess I've seen changes in all three of the children.
They're spending a lot more time together.
There's no television,
there's no computers or phones or devices.
So they've really only got each other,
so I'm hearing a lot more conversations,
a lot more laughter between them.
Come on!
I really enjoyed spending extra time with my brother and sister.
Yeah.
I think I will feel a bit nostalgic for the '50s,
but keen to see the evolution of how things change.
I think the '60s will be a little bit more radical.
I'm really looking forward to moving on,
perhaps my role changing,
hopefully getting out and about more.
Now that we have a car,
we'll be able to do some more family outings
and I'm hoping I can get my own driver's license.
We'll see about that!
You and your crazy ambitions, Carol!
Yes!
Well, roll on the '60s, eh?
Yeah. Yes!
Looking forward to that, cheers to the '60s!
Cheers.
Next time...
Oh, my goodness!
..the family strikes out into the '60s.
And hitchhiker.
Do I look ridiculous?
..an age of sweeping social change...
I'm getting a job.
So you are done with school?
Yeah.
..Franken-foods...
It's like an astronaut's meal. It's very peculiar.
It's cold!
..and life-changing innovations.
There is a TV! Oh, my God. Ah!
Done, take that!