ANNABEL CRABB: Meet the Ferrones...
Who set this table?
ALL: Julian.
..Peter, Carol, Julian, Sienna and Olivia.
And we like to eat!
Yeah, that's us.
(LAUGHTER)
This everyday Australian family
has set out on an extraordinary, time-travelling adventure...
(OLIVIA LAUGHS)
..to find out how our changing dinner plate...
Roast beef. ..has transformed the way we live.
I feel like I'm feeding my family fake food.
From bland, British fare...
Even the potatoes taste bad.
..to our diverse, modern diet.
This is moussaka.
The Ferrones will shop... Fish fingers!
..cook, and eat their way through 60 years of Australian history.
ALL: Cheers!
With their home as a time machine...
..they'll accelerate through a different decade each week.
Oh, my gosh! Oh my gosh!
Last time...
It's actually the lining of a cow's stomach.
You needed to try it.
(CRIES) I can't.
Aw...
..the Ferrones began their journey in the thrifty '50s.
Oh. That is hard work.
I'm expected to do everything.
I don't even know where to start.
It's, um, pretty lonely in here.
I don't like living in the '50s!
Now...
(GASPS) Oh, my goodness!
..the family strikes out into the '60s...
And hitch hiker...
Do I look ridiculous?
..an age of sweeping social change...
I'm getting a job!
So, you're done with school? I need to go get... Yeah!
..life-changing innovations...
There's a TV! Oh, my gosh!
..and Frankenfoods...
It's very peculiar.
It's cold!
..to discover how our relationship with food...
..has shaped all our lives.
♪ I woke up 'bout noon this morning
♪ My little girl was not in sight
♪ I've been looking everywhere
♪ Morning, noon and daylight dawn She's so fine... ♪
I'd sum up the '50s as a baptism of fire.
Spent most of my day in the home,
so with in the 1960s,
I'm hoping that can perhaps get a job
or get out of the home more.
Ha-ha-ha! Wow!
Hello!
Foxy lady! You look amazing!
Hi! Hi!
It's nice to see you. Welcome to your new decade!
Thank you!
I can't even begin to imagine what's going on under that hat...
Yes. ..but I expect it's probably complex.
It is very complex and that's what's keeping the hat in place.
Right, there you go, that's a little design secret from the era.
Yes!
Are you ready to swing into the '60s?
I am! You do the honours.
Let's do it!
I'll just, like, see if I can keep out of the way of your hat.
Yes!
(GASPS)
Oh, my God!
Surprise!
Oh, it's very spacious compared to before!
As well as graphic new wallpaper and a riot of colour,
Carol's new kitchen has a breakfast bar
and a revolutionary servery window.
Oh, I like this!
I know in the '50s, you felt so trapped in this little room.
But that window just makes such a big difference, doesn't it?
It really does!
The layout isn't the only thing that's different.
Carol now has a fleet of new electric appliances -
a welcome change from the '50s.
Bit of an update on your other one, isn't it?
I don't have to light a match!
Oh, love. I'm so pleased for you!
What about your friend...? Oh!
The refrigerator, huh? Oh! I love this.
You've got, up the top...
A little freezer.
(GASPS) Frozen peas! Wow! Uh-huh, yeah.
Things are getting more packaged now!
That's right! That is absolutely what the '60s are all about.
Gadgets weren't the only exciting new arrivals to the '60s kitchen.
Processed convenience foods began to appear
in larders across Australia,
saving time for housewives
and expanding on the bland food of the '50s.
Cake, pie, pastry and pudding mixes were introduced.
Wow!
As well as exotic packet meals like Rice-a-Riso, noodle dinners,
and spaghetti kits.
Processed cheese?
I know! You see, that would survive the nuclear winter, that stuff.
Yes! It would...
Just will not go off under any circumstance. (LAUGHS)
Hey, '60s, guys, what do we reckon?
Excited! SIENNA: I hope we get a TV!
I'm excited for what's coming forward
because everything was changing a lot, especially from the '50s.
Thing I most love about the '60s is, I think, definitely, the fashion.
The shape of all the dresses...
Revolution in the '60s. JULIAN: Mm.
That'll be interesting to see.
I'm a real history buff.
So for me, I'm really looking forward to the '60s.
Socially and politically, economically...
..I'm definitely looking forward to learning about this era.
Wonder what the food's gonna be like?
Hopefully, it's better. Hopefully, it's better than tripe!
I don't think it can get much worse than that.
BOTH: No.
Coming into the 1960s, I'd like to get back into the kitchen!
(LAUGHS)
Back in 2018, Peter was the chef of the family.
Even one meal, or maybe just to chop something, even.
I have the loudest pair of go-to-hell pants
that you've ever seen.
I like those pants! I'm jealous! OLIVIA: Oh, look!
They're so loud. I'm quite envious.
Hoping I'm gonna get snacks and lollies!
Here we are! We're home!
Wow! Oh, my God!
It's so cool! This is looking a little bit cooler!
Yeah!
Wow! Wow.
The Ferrones' living room of the '50s,
with its modest beige and floral patterns,
has been replaced with a shouty blend of vibrant colour and geometry.
In the '60s, it was cool to clash.
Hello! Hey, honey!
Oh, my goodness, look at you guys!
I haven't seen this room yet. Haven't you?
No!
(GASPS) Oh, my goodness! I'm liking it.
That's a real feast of colour, isn't it?
Yeah! Yeah, swinging '60s! Yeah!
Hey! We've got a phone!
We do!
Do you guys know how to use one of those phones?
No... No.
Oh, my goodness! What's that?
And the phone book, it's a phone book!
You write all your friends' names in it.
We have a record player! I know, I saw that!
Yep, music was starting to become a big part of domestic life.
It's spinning!
And reading magazines for leisure is much more common now,
than it was in the '50s. Do I have leisure time?
Well, I dunno! It's still pretty early '60s, so...
Yes!
I'm sad to say, your leisure time is not massively increased
from the '50s.
So, um...
You're still in the kitchen for a while yet, I'm afraid.
Coming out of the very conservative '50s...
I'm actually quite surprised
that I'm still a housewife at home
that's not working or leaving the house much.
So I didn't expect that.
OK, in order for you to settle in to this fast-moving decade,
you've got your new manual!
It's pink! It is pink!
It's got all sorts of information about the exciting food of the time,
what's going on socially and politically,
all of your new roles
and how they change over the course of this decade.
So have fun, go entertain yourselves,
'cause you still don't have a telly I'm afraid.
Unfortunately! I did notice that!
Good luck in the '60s, I'll be seeing you.
ALL: Thank you.
Alright. Hats off indoors, mate.
Of course. Alright. See you soon!
Where's the hat rack? Come on, guys!
Yeah, we should just put them on the table.
Voila!
Oh, my God!
It's so different! OLIVIA: It's so different!
Look how open it is!
Wow! Oh, my God!
Hello! Hi.
TV delivery?
Gonna make a couples of kids very happy!
Just straight into the living room, I reckon.
Yep. Alright. Thanks, fellas!
Thank you.
So are you gonna help me out in the kitchen a bit more?
I could probably burn water on the stove top.
So you don't have to eat alone any more!
Oh, nice. Oh, wow.
I can just throw your food at you from here.
So, Carol's been doing a lot of the cooking,
or she's doing all the cooking, really,
so I am struggling with that.
So I'm hoping in the '60s
that appliances will cut down time for her
to do something that she wants to do,
maybe get a part-time job again.
So what do you think, guys?
It's cool. Cool!
'60s is pretty funky.
Yeah! It is.
In Australia, and for the world,
the 1960s were an age of significant social change.
Australians were drawn into the war in Vietnam.
We lost a Prime Minister to the ocean.
And we adopted decimal currency.
♪ On the 14th of February, 1966. ♪
Changes to the Migration Act opened white Australia's door
to a multicultural future.
And we voted overwhelmingly
to remove two sections of the constitution
which discriminated against Indigenous Australians.
♪ Vote yes
♪ Give them rights and freedoms just like me and you
♪ Vote yes for Aborigines... ♪
The Referendum is on Saturday.
And it's important that we should have the maximum vote
because the eyes of the world are on Australia.
Australia was growing up.
Hey, guys, look what I found!
What did you find? It's a TV!
Oh, my God! Ohhh!
TV was kinda cool,
I'm happy, actually, we actually got a TV.
Even though it's not like the ones that we have, like, today in 2018.
Ready? Listen to this.
"Now that's your TV, where will you place it?"
It's big. Big.
Can we mount it on the wall? (LAUGHS)
Let's get rid of something we don't use any more.
OLIVIA: Yeah. The radio.
It doesn't work too well, anyway.
OK! Let's get going.
The apron...
It's 1960, and with fewer than one in five
married Australian women going out to work,
Carol is still in the kitchen.
"Tonight, you'll be using tinned soup
"to make the family dinner taste more interesting."
OK.
Patty specials.
Carol's making rissoles.
She's using steak mince, sausage meat, bread crumbs, salt,
pepper, onion and...
..mushroom soup.
Household hints - this'll be good.
"Add a dessertspoon of curry powder to the mix
"when making rissoles.
"This gives them a delicious flavour."
Thank you, Mrs H.O. Sullivan, from Kingaroy, Queensland.
I don't think so.
Curry.
Ew.
(SIGHS)
I can relate to being a 1960s housewife.
To be home but have a yearning to get out.
Oh, for God's sake! (TUTS)
(SIGHS)
While Carol is locked in mortal combat
with her can-opener...
So, how do you know if you've dialled the right number?
Well, you just dial the numbers that are there.
14-year-old Sienna is also struggling
with bleeding-edge '60s technology.
If you have to dial number eight.
You put your finger where the eight is.
In the hole.
And dial it round to clockwise.
That's it. No, don't have to push it right under.
Try it again.
That's it. You've done it.
Oh.
The phone in the '60s was very hard to use at first.
When you can dial on it... Your call could not be connected!
Because you gotta hurry up about it!
OK, well, it's very stressful! People are waiting for you!
And the chord on it is not very long.
So how do I walk around with this thing?
You don't walk around,
it's got a wire plugged into the wall.
But then everyone has to listen to my conversation.
Yeah.
I would never sit on the phone with Dad next to me,
that's just weird!
I don't know anyone's phone number, though!
What about if you dial 1194?
So there'll be a man there
that tells you what time it is precisely.
At the third stroke, it'll be 11:53 and 30 seconds.
It is! (LAUGHS)
It's definitely a challenge! (LAUGHS)
Oh, wow.
You see, in the '60s they would call this 'experimentation',
but today they would call it 'fusion'.
That's just another word for throwing things together
and hoping it turns out for the best.
Not like this smell very much.
Mushroom and curry.
I should have got them to set the TV up in here.
At least I'd have some company.
I don't know how I feel about adding soup to mince beef,
but I can understand why it's done.
Oh, I'm missing my non-stick pans!
All the herbs and spices are in one,
so it makes the cooking process a lot shorter.
Kudos to Mrs H.O. Sullivan
'cause this actually smells really good!
If these kids complain about these, I am going to be very upset.
After my experience of 1950s cooking,
I'm hoping that my family will like this food better.
Dinner's ready!
Coming! Coming!
Sienna, do you want to put these on the table?
Smells pretty good! Oh, wow!
What is that? OLIVIA: Burgers!
These are called, "Patty Specials".
You don't have to stab it, I'm sure it's well and truly dead.
The sauce is... OLIVIA: Yucky.
What sauce did you say it was, Mum?
It's a mushroom sauce that you need to eat...
Yes, of course it's mushroom.
..with the, um, the patty.
Wow.
That's just quite interesting, but nice.
Mm.
I don't know how I can fit this in my mouth.
Probably not something I would think of doing.
Canned soup? And curry.
Mm, but it tastes OK. It does.
Mm. What do you guys think of the meat?
It's very peculiar.
OLIVIA: Oh, I'm not excited. MUM: Do you think so?
It's neither pleasant nor unpleasant.
It's cold.
It's cold! (JULIAN LAUGHS)
You asked us what you thought!
I like the peas.
Just remember the tripe.
Well, my first dinner was interesting.
The kids weren't so impressed,
I was actually expecting
a more enthusiastic response from them,
seeing as our early meals in the '50s were not great at all.
I'll just clean this up a little bit.
You know what we can do, we could just...
Girls, give Mum a hand. Julian?
Mm?
For me, the 1950s, it was hard,
it was lonely and it was unrewarding work,
so I'm quite disappointed
that I'm still doing the cooking, the cleaning,
you know, everything in the home
for my, especially my husband and son
that still don't lift a finger.
We'll see you soon. Yeah.
Ha!
I'm actually quite disappointed that, really, nothing's changed.
I'm really hoping that 1961 is better.
1961!
Morning, honey. Hey, how you going?
How often do you get bacon and eggs on a school day?
Never. (LAUGHS)
(TELEPHONE RINGS) Oh!
The phone's ringing! The phone!
Why don't you go get it, Mum?
Hello?
Is that Carol? It is Carol!
I was looking for Sienna, if she's around.
She is, I'll just grab her, one moment.
Thanks, Carol.
Sienna! Yes, Mum?
It's Annabel, she would like to speak to you.
OK.
I don't know what that's about?
Hello?
Hey, Sienna, how you enjoying 1961?
Really well, thank you.
Hey, listen, I know you're at school and everything, but...
Yeah?
..because you're nearly 15,
I thought you might enjoy the opportunity
to grab a bit of independence?
Yeah, that would be awesome!
Right, well, most girls your age would go off
and look for work as a secretary,
so I reckon, better go and get changed.
Good luck! Thank you!
What?!
I'm getting a job! In a...
Sienna's getting a job! ..office.
Oh, my goodness! DAD: An office job?
SIENNA: I'm gonna be a secretary! Oh!
Riveting! What's a secretary?
How does she get to have a job and I don't?
Because I do not need to have a further education in high school.
DAD: Oh... OK, so, you're done with school?
I need to go get... Yeah!
I need to put on a nice outfit and get ready.
OK.
I'm excited to finally leave school
and finish all the trigonometry and algebra.
But it's a bit strange.
What even is a secretary?
She's the lady that helps out the business person,
and basically runs everything
and doesn't get credit for it.
That is quite disappointing.
My daughter suddenly leaving school to get a job seems quite unfair.
You know, I'm the older woman in the home,
I feel like that should have been me
and she should have been able to stay at school.
Thank you. Oh, wow!
Oh, my gosh! Whoa!
Ready for a big day at work?
Yes! Bit nervous, don't know how to type.
OLIVIA: Your best typing is this.
I envy you, you get to go out and be in the workforce
and meet new people.
I know, maybe you can come pick me up one afternoon.
OLIVIA: Mm... I don't drive yet.
No, you can come and walk!
Bye! Bye!
See ya, have a good day! Learn lots! Love you!
Well, I wish I was the one getting out.
Well, you did that before we got married, honey.
Yeah, I know, but, like...
I could do that again.
While the pace of change for housewives was frustratingly slow,
1961 did bring an extraordinary change
to the lives of young women.
The introduction of the contraceptive pill
gave women control of their own reproductive future,
allowing them to delay having children
and pursue their own careers.
In the 1960s, only 34% of girls were still at school
by the age of 16.
But the range of jobs available to women were severely limited.
Women did women's work.
Excited to go and do something different.
To leave school and go to work,
and to, like, have that independence,
I think it's really cool.
Hello? Is anyone here?
"Good morning, Sienna.
"Today your task is to type:
"'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.'
"This sentence uses every letter of the alphabet.
"You have 30 seconds to insert the paper and type the phrase.
"And if you make a mistake, you'll need to start again.
"There's no delete buttons in the 1960s.
"Good luck, Annabel."
Oh, God!
There's no instructions!
I don't... What...?
(GASPS)
Nothing is even going on the piece of paper.
(BELL RINGS) Well, that's rude!
Oh, it's working! That's so cool!
(BELL RINGS)
That was not 30 seconds. That is not fair.
I was so close.
I don't know how people did this all day.
My laptop is ten times faster.
This is really slow
and the ink doesn't even work properly.
It's really hard. (LAUGHS)
When I first heard about getting a job, I was excited
because I'd get more money
and be able to go shopping and do things,
but now I don't think it's worth it,
just sitting here typing sentences all day.
So many women were probably so much smarter than this job.
Done! Take that. (BELL RINGS)
Under 30 seconds.
I mean, who am I?
I think it is definitely unfair
that women didn't have the chance to work in different roles.
They were expected to work in the 'women's jobs'.
She just doesn't say how many times I have to do it,
and I've done it once, so I think I'm done, to be honest.
While Sienna works away on her typewriter,
Julian is working on his high score.
Come on trigonometry, don't fail me now.
When Sienna got a job
while I was still able to complete university,
I've gotta be honest, I didn't know what to think.
The beginning of the '60s, nothing's changed.
So I'm just sort of cruising along.
No complaints whatsoever.
Yeah, being 17 in the '60s is pretty good, I'd say.
Nothing to do so far. (LAUGHS)
Meanwhile, at home,
Carol is taking a break from being a housewife to watch a TV show
about how to be a better housewife.
TELEVISION: Good afternoon, everybody,
you're very welcome to a Woman's World.
We have some wonderful hairstyles to tell you about.
This is the newest.
This is called "The Paris".
How's it look?
Woman's World was an afternoon lifestyle program
that encouraged its band of loyal viewers...
TELEVISION: We put the plait like that.
..to strive for excellence in the home.
TELEVISION: We have quite an international flavour today -
take down this recipe.
It's very, very nice, it has a Chinese flavour,
which I'm sure you'll love.
Corns with celery and almonds.
And maybe you'd like to use chopsticks!
You're expert at using chopsticks? Yeah.
It would be rather fun, you'd have lots of laughs.
Guess it's almost teaching, especially young women,
on how to be a wife.
But it's company as well.
I mean, they're home alone all day
and it's something that's there while they're doing their homework
and giving that them that view to the outside world.
The introduction of the White Australia Policy in 1901
kept Asian immigration stagnant
during the first half of the 20th century.
But there was a little-known loophole for Chinese chefs.
By the 1960s,
Chinese restaurants were in every city and many country towns.
And cooking Chinese at home was considered extremely chic.
While the Woman's World prawns with celery and almonds
aren't as authentic as Carol would like...
I would have ginger and garlic,
but, unfortunately, going to stick to this recipe.
..the flavours, produce and way of cooking were new,
and Australian housewives of the '60s loved the change
from meat and three veg.
I think the '60s housewife
really would have enjoyed playing with the new flavours,
like, up until now, it's been very traditional,
quite bland food.
But now being introduced to not only convenience foods,
but, you know, new and exciting flavours
from other countries,
I think it's very exciting.
Mm.
It's pretty good.
So how was your first day at work?
It was quite fun, I'll have to tell everyone about it at dinner.
Yeah. How was your day today?
Yeah, just the same as usual really.
I felt a little sad for Sienna that she had to leave,
leave her friends, leave her simple life of school
at such a young age and, you know, start working.
Basically, work, find yourself a husband,
and that's it for you.
You don't need school. Don't need university.
This is your life.
Sticks. Here you go!
Thanks!
I tell you, there's some gourmet ingredients
for the '60s, hey?
SIENNA: Yeah, this is very different.
Just before I serve up,
I was actually reading the letter that a young girl wrote in
to the Women's Weekly, I'd like to read you a little bit.
OK.
She says, "I'm a girl with higher academic possibilities
"than my elder brother,
"but my father intends to give him and a younger brother priority
"over me going to university.
"My mum sees my point of view,
"but my dad says that she's not qualified to comment,"
Isn't that rude? I know.
You know, it's unfair
that her brothers get to go to university and...
Yeah. Mmm, it is unfair.
..and she doesn't, you know,
you've basically been forced to leave school.
Yeah, it was definitely weird not going to school today
and having to go to a job.
Like, most people at 14 or 15 wouldn't go to a full time job...
No. Yeah.
But I guess, you know, the attitude was,
you're just gonna get married... Yeah.
..and give up your career, so an education is wasted on you.
To be honest, the first thing I thought was
"Your life is over. That's it." You know.
And the fact that it was a secretarial job,
I was kind of pissed off at that.
You know, she's an intelligent, beautiful young girl,
but society in the '60s tells her that's all she's good for.
Does it disappoint you that, really, you know,
you can't go to university?
Definitely, like.
That we couldn't have the same opportunities
as say, like, Julian.
He gets to do all of his degrees and anything he wants at university
and I'm not allowed to, that's weird and, like, not right.
How do you feel, Julian, like, honestly about that?
Like, do you care?
Well, I do think it's weird
that, you know, women aren't allowed to go to university,
but I guess I sort of understand the rationale behind it
in the 1960s.
Like, if you're not going to get a job
and you're just going to get married and not have a career,
um, then education is a pointless investment.
DAD: I don't think it's a rationale,
I think it's just what those gender roles
that they had from the '50s spilling over into the '60s
and they thought that's the way it was
and that's how it should be all the time.
That's actually quite upsetting.
I feel very sorry for the girls in the '60s
that they were expected to leave school at such a young age
and give up any chance of a proper career.
I'm lucky that, in my modern life, I'm allowed to stay at school
and that there's not that gender barrier
and I can do whatever I want to.
1963, here we are.
In 2018,
the Ferrones don't often get to the beach.
Oh, we're here, guys.
Julian and Sienna, particularly, are more likely to be found at home,
attached to a laptop or phone.
In the early 1960s, a new, young tribe emerged
that perfectly reflected Australia's love of summer
and distain for authority -
surfers.
Surfers were easily recognisable
by their distinctive clothing, hair and language.
Walking, stalling, turning, trimming, nose-riding.
They even had their own dance, "The Stomp",
inspired by the action of walking on hot sand.
(OLIVIA SCREAMS) Come on, Liv.
Jump higher, Liv! Come on, come on, Liv!
It was great to have a family day out,
having a picnic at the beach today.
Ha-ha!
From a 2018 perspective, you know, that's something new.
We've never really done that.
You might have to jump a bit higher, Liv.
Are you guys hungry?
It's great to be able to get Carol out of the kitchen.
Mmm, this is good, right, having a beach day today?
It has. Better than being home.
Yeah, it's a nice day. Out of the house, fresh air.
You didn't have to do housework today.
I know, that's so good. Look what I got! I got Chiko Rolls!
Chiko Rolls! Can I have one?
Sure. I'm really enjoying this.
Do you want a cucumber and an egg sandwich, I'll swap you.
No, thanks.
With its grab-and-go appeal and reassuringly vague filling,
the deep-fried Chiko Roll really took off in the 1960s
and became strongly associated with surf culture.
At the height of their popularity,
40 million Chiko Rolls were sold each year.
It's yum! Yeah? You liked that?
Think all the birds smelt your Chiko Rolls
and followed you back from the milk bar, mate.
I've gotta tell you, they're making me nervous!
All those cockatoos, it's like I'm in a scene from The Birds!
That sounds scary, that movie. It is! Alfred Hitchcock!
I do enjoy that the '60s dad spent more time with the kids
than the '50s.
But a white bird's not as scary as a black bird.
The villain's always in black. Yeah!
It's fantastic to just become re-involved in their lives.
They are really making me nervous.
Having successfully escaped the set of the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film,
The Birds...
Oh, wow.
..Carol is back home
meeting a much less threatening form of avian life
and a new '60s staple -
the frozen chicken.
Well, I'm not gonna have time to defrost this in the fridge,
so the CSIRO tells me that I should thaw in cool, running water.
The arrival of the suburban supermarket
in the early 1960s
changed the way Australians shopped and what we cooked.
One of the superstars of the supermarket was the frozen chook.
ANNOUNCER: What did come first? The chicken or the egg?
We can't say because the answer's hermetically sealed
in a plastic bag.
Chicken had, until then, been a special occasion dish.
But with the advent of the deep freeze,
chickens entered the mass production market,
and moved onto the dinner plates of the nation.
It's nice to have a chicken to cook.
I don't know how good this thawing method is, though.
I'm making Chicken Maryland for dinner tonight,
apparently it was a really popular dish in the '60s.
This is going to be interesting
because I've never actually cooked a whole chicken in my life,
let alone handled one or cut one up.
OK, ready? I'm sorry, chicken.
(GASPS)
Oh, my God, that's so gross.
I've never cut a chicken up before.
And I'm finding this whole process a bit disgusting.
You know, cutting into a whole animal
is just not sitting well with me.
Eurgh!
Now, I've gotta do the other side again.
OK.
Ready, set...
OK.
OK, that looks like a Maryland that you'd buy.
I might just crumb this up and see how we go!
Carol will be cooking a Chicken Maryland dish
from the CWA Esk Valley Cookery Book.
Ingredients include chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, bananas,
and tinned corn kernels.
Oh, this is really gross.
This is why I buy my chicken pre-cooked.
OK, fried bananas.
We are living life on the edge in the '60s.
Oh!
Oh, they smell good.
This is actually the only fruit that Julian does eat.
(SNIFFS) Mmm, perfect.
You have to stand here. It's pretty big.
Put it over, and put it on your ankles.
And then I go, England, Ireland...
..Scotland, Wales.
Inside, outside, inside, on!
And you have to sing too.
It was very fun, playing elastics with Julian and Sienna.
Julian, do you want to go now? No.
Yes! No.
Yes! You have to take turns!
'Cause we don't usually do that and, yeah, it's really nice.
England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, inside, outside, inside, on.
Oh, these are... Again! One more!
These are not jumping shoes.
I was very surprised that Julian was doing it good.
He was doing it very fast, I thought he'd go very slow.
Scotland, Wales. (THEY LAUGH)
You're actually enjoying this! Inside, outside, inside, on.
INTERVIEWER: You have to admit,
you sort of slightly enjoyed playing elastics, though, didn't you?
No. I can't stand that game.
I dunno if I should laugh or cry!
Come on, let's get this over and done with!
Playing with Olivia and Julian a lot,
I think we've gotten a lot closer
because, like, we don't have that separation
of all of us sitting on our phones and laptops.
And Julian and I can actually have a conversation
without fighting for once!
Dinner's ready!
No!
Bit of green on there would have been nice.
Smells good though.
Hi! Hey!
Hi, Mum. Hey.
What's for dinner? I want you to guess.
Fried chicken? Something fried.
One. SIENNA: And chips!
No.
JULIAN: And salad? No.
Oh, thank goodness. Unfortunately not.
OK, we have Chicken Maryland
which is a very popular dish... SIENNA: Wow.
..in the '60s because now we have frozen chicken.
DAD: Wow, thank you. What the...? SIENNA: Is that a fried banana?
Um, it is a fried banana.
For dinner? And corn fritters.
OLIVIA: Oh, my God. I got the biggest one.
That's OK!
You've got the most growing to do.
It looks like the food's improving. I'll take my apron off.
It is improving.
You know, as time progresses, the meals are getting better
and the family's enjoying them more which is really good
and encouraging to me.
JULIAN: Mmm, the chicken is good! Crispy:
May I add... Mm?
I cut up a chicken body for the first time.
Did you? Wow. I did.
I Maryland-ed these myself. Maryland-ed them!
Yeah! Mm!
The banana's OK. I like it!
But everything's fried.
Yeah. Everything is fried in the '60s.
Can you hear that sound?
That's my arteries hardening. (LAUGHTER)
"Today you are hosting a Tupperware Party
"and some of your closest friends will be attending.
"Time to get cooking to impress your friends!"
(GASPS) Oooh!
Really excited to host my girlfriends for the first time
and have them in my newly decorated '60s home.
The arrival of the refrigerator
created a previously unimaginable phenomenon
in the life of the domestic cook -
leftovers.
But what to keep them in?
Tupperware came to the rescue.
Everything about Tupperware was unique,
from the way it looked, to the way it was sold.
TELEVISION: There's a party going on at Mrs Betty Martin's house.
It's a Tupperware Party! And it's really fun.
The girls get together and meet their old friends
and make some new ones.
Then, there's a demonstration by one of the Tupperware dealers
who lives in your community.
Tupperware parties became important social events,
and hit the suburbs of Australia like a virus.
To help Carol achieve the perfect Tupperware party,
we're mobilising Australia's top gun.
Margaret Pink was 24 years old
when she started out as a Tupperware lady in 1967.
50 years later, Margaret is still selling Tupperware.
Come on through, Margaret. Thank you, thank you.
So is this OK to set up here?
Oh, that's fine, that'll be fine. Yeah?
How about that? Oh, wow!
I started in Tupperware
because my husband hadn't worked for a while,
he'd been ill with his back,
and I thought I should help to supplement our income.
Is that like a big thing in the '60s, like,
what did your husband think?
I mean, I'm sure he enjoyed the extra income
that you were bringing in as well?
Yes, he certainly did. Because it's good money!
It is good money and perhaps you might like to join us some day.
Oh, we might have to have a chat! We might! Yes!
So Margaret Pink, you know, she's a real inspiration,
she really must have been for women of that time.
She decided to get out there and start a business.
You know, for a '60s housewife, that would have just been amazing.
As Carol marshals her hors d'oeuvres...
I meet Peter at the pub for a sneaky beer.
Peter!
Hi, Annabel! Hello! How are you?
Excellent, how are you?
I am fine! Feel weird to be in the pub?
Yes! (BOTH LAUGHS)
You're not much of a pub guy, are you?
No, I'm not. I'm not.
Well, in the '60s,
you get to hang out at the pub between five and six.
For the six o'clock swill. Yeah!
In the early 1960s, pubs around Australia shut at 6pm,
the closing time established during World War One.
The '60s working man typically knocked off work at five.
So "The Swill" was the popular term for the intervening 60 minutes,
in which thirsty blokes tried to get as much beer on board as possible
before the taps were shut off.
South Australia was the last state to abolish the practice in 1967.
What a bonkers tradition that was, you know, right?
Like, an hour of solid, sustained drinking
between five and six.
As much as you could guzzle.
Yeah, I know, and then spill out into the streets!
Was your dad much of a pub goer? No, not really.
Yeah. He found them quite strange.
How there'd be men passed out on the footpath.
Right!
So, your migrant men wouldn't really be invited
to be part of the six o'clock swill,
or it didn't really make that much sense to them.
No, not at all.
So it's another little, just a discreet bar
to the integration of new migrants.
That's right, like, you know, alcohol's part of your meal,
like a wine with your meal.
Sure, yeah.
It wasn't a thing you did, it was part of something else.
Right, exactly.
Whereas, in Australia, you drink it absolutely by itself,
eating's cheating right?
There was no food in this pub, yeah.
Back home, Carol is about to get visitors from 2018.
(KNOCKS ON DOOR)
(SQUEALING)
Oh, God, I've missed you!
You look fabulous!
Do you know how long it takes to put this together?
I'm really excited to see my friends,
you know, it's the first time
that I've seen them in a decade and a half,
or since this experiment started!
You need to see my house. Oh, absolutely! I can't wait.
Come, come, I'm really excited!
Look! Ohh!
I know! Girls, this is Margaret.
And we're having a Tupperware Party!
Have a seat, have a seat.
Take a seat. Thank you.
Well, thanks for coming, girls. Thank you!
And thank you, Carol, for being our host of the day.
Thank you. You're welcome.
I'm going to show you some of the products.
Yes, please. Show you the Party Susan.
Ooh, that's fancy.
So you, actually,
when you're buying this product, you need three pieces -
you need a little midget,
and I've got a little midget tucked in underneath,
and then you've got your Party Susan and your Suzette, it's called.
Suzette? Suzette.
So I want to show you something special. OK?
I'll show you how durable it is,
gonna ask you to stand on this container.
Perhaps Antonella can stand on the Tupperware? Go on!
With my heels? Yeah, you'll be fine!
Come on, up you get.
Oh, wow!
While Carol and her friends stand on Tupperware,
Peter is learning about some other 1960s code violations.
Pubs of the era in the '60s were pretty wild places,
'cause of guys turning up to drink, it was a total man zone as well...
Yeah, that's right.
I shouldn't really be even in here.
Licensing laws were pretty strict about where women are allowed to be,
I should be in the Ladies Lounge
which would be a different area of the hotel.
Oh, OK. Not even with full bar access.
And that's why I'm drinking the lemonade,
because I'm not allowed to buy liquor in a pub.
More segregation. Yeah!
In fact, there used to be,
one way that people used to get round it,
was that men would come to the pub and leave their wives in the car...
Yeah?
..and then run a Shandy out to them! That's nice, isn't it?
Won't get away with that in 2018! (LAUGHS)
No, can you imagine Carol?! Oh, no.
In the car outside? I'd be skinned alive!
I know! (LAUGHS)
You run on fear, do you? Yeah.
In 1965, a band of outlaw women staged a protest in a Brisbane hotel.
TELEVISION: At five o'clock on Wednesday,
Queensland womanhood was on the march again.
The women had found a loophole in the liquor laws.
It all began with orders for lemonade for the ladies,
and this was strictly legal,
but the law came into question
when the brown paper wrappings were lifted.
These women did what I'm about to do.
Making themselves a little instant Shandy.
Oh, that was sneaky of them, wasn't it?
Yeah!
TELEVISION: It all seemed to prove
that women can drink beer in public bars in Queensland,
provided they bring their own.
It's amazing what you can get round,
given a bit of ingenuity... That's right.
..and a changing society
that isn't changing quite fast enough.
But that really did kick things along,
and the prohibition against women in front bar of pubs
really didn't survive the end of the '60s.
Well, here's to progress!
Lovely to have an innocent drink with you! (LAUGHS)
The '60s white man,
I don't think they really thought twice about, um, this inequality.
It was just what's done, you know?
That's what's taught to you as a man's role,
and this is what the man can do and this is what a woman can't do.
They just thought,
"Why do we need to change the rules just to suit them? I'm happy.
"Doesn't really matter about anyone else."
Well, I think my first 1960s party was a hit!
Oh, boy, oh, boy. (SIGHS)
Where's my dishwasher when I need it?
Had a really great morning of entertaining.
You know, my friends were very impressed,
which was really good,
but I'm thinking I might entertain a little bit less! (LAUGHS)
'Cause this is too hard!
Note to self, use as little dishes as possible next time.
♪ In come the dollars
♪ In come the cents! ♪
Decimal currency was introduced on the 14th February, 1966.
♪ When the coins begin to mix
♪ On the 14th of February, 1966. ♪
Olivia has a handful of the new copper coins.
I have eight cents.
Um, I think I could buy lollies,
'cause I think they're one-cent lollies now!
I love lollies. (LAUGHS)
Olivia has embarked upon a path worn smooth
by generations of Aussie kids -
the one that leads to the local milk bar.
Hey, how you going? I would like to get some lollies!
Yeah? And how much do you have?
I've got eight cents here.
For children in the '60s,
deciding which lollies to buy with their pocket money
was usually the first purchasing decision of their lives.
What lollies would you like?
Um, can I please have a gummy bear?
After all, no human organism is more value-conscious
than a ten-year-old with eight cents.
Can I have, um, a raspberry?
In the 1950s, I didn't get any lollies.
So, I'm loving the '60s,
'cause I get to go shopping for lollies.
A blue cloud. And... some teeth.
There ya go! Thank you!
That's OK, see you later!
And it's really cool being at the milk bar, see?
(LAUGHS)
'67!
In the second half of the 1960s,
thanks to the post-Second-World-War baby boom,
there were a lot more young people about.
By the end of the '60s,
almost 40% of the population of Melbourne was younger than 21.
The explosion meant teenagers became a force to be reckoned with,
economically and politically.
By the end of the '60s,
what really concentrated the male teenage mind
was the possibility of conscription for a tour of duty in Vietnam.
OK, dinner.
"Tonight you will be using some of those packaged foods
"in your pantry to cook a tuna 'tato bake for the family.
"Why not use dehydrated peas to serve with it?"
It's like an astronaut's meal!
Anyway...
"Tuna 'tato bake, new crusty-topped casserole".
The ingredients include tinned tuna,
dehydrated potato flakes,
corn flakes, onion and grated cheese.
Oh, wow.
It doesn't look anything like potato.
As this decade progresses,
I feel like I'm feeding my family fake food.
I sincerely doubt that there is any nutritional value to this.
And I can't imagine it would even taste like a potato, so, um...
not looking forward to it, actually.
This cheese doesn't look like cheese either.
One part of me is thinking,
"Well, at least this convenience food is
"making life easier and shortening my time in the kitchen."
But then there's that other side where I'm thinking,
"I'm feeding my kids crap just to make my life easier,"
So I'm feeling really guilty.
Smells like potato.
Looks like mashed potato.
Mm, actually tastes like mashed potato.
It's pretty good. I should have made more.
Oh! What's on?
It's a protest about the Vietnam War.
Oh!
TELEVISION: the past 12 months has seen the heat really turned on
over the issue of...
See, kids just a bit older than you are being shipped off to war...
Oh, yeah. ..with the conscription.
You get a letter, and off you go.
Must have been terrifying.
It's just a lottery. If your name came up, away you went.
You know, we wouldn't know if you would never come back
through our front door.
Because I'm close to conscription age,
I would have known people at university
who would have been conscripted.
I think that would've been quite terrifying, really,
because of the luck aspect.
I wouldn't want to be conscripted into the Vietnam war, either.
In total, around 50,000 Australians served in Vietnam
between 1965 and 1972.
For the first time in history, images of a foreign conflict...
(EXPLOSION)
..could be beamed directly
into people's homes on the television.
And as they watched the horrifying realities
of the Vietnam war on the evening news,
Australians became less and less supportive
of our nation's involvement.
SIENNA: It looks really good.
Thank you! What is it?
Tuna and mashed potato casserole.
Oh, wow.
Smells alright. There you go.
We were watching the news,
there was lots of protests about Vietnam.
The Vietnam War. The conscription.
God. I couldn't deal with that.
No, it'd be scary. Very scary.
And, you know, a lot of men,
or, really, young boys that came back from the war,
couldn't handle being back in society again...
No. ..and commit suicide...
Yeah. ..which is terrible.
I think that it's bad that our sons had to go and fight a war
that had nothing to do with us.
To go die overseas for your country
in what is essentially a futile war, really,
that's quite a terrifying concept.
That notion of everyone you know having the chance to be shipped off
to Vietnam to die.
Um, so yeah, really quite scary.
There you go. Thank you.
You're welcome. Cheers!
Cheers!
You gonna be long? We need to hurry, yeah?
Yeah, alright.
Five minutes and I'm done. You like your new hair dryer?
It's not very flattering! What do you think it's like?
I'm sitting with this contraption stuck to my head
and I have no idea what's happening underneath, so um, yeah.
OK.
Nearly done? Let's get going.
Yeah, alright, I won't be long. OK. Alright.
It's a nice night! It's a beautiful night.
It's good to be out for the first time in two decades!
A couple of decades! Yeah!
It's Carol and Peter's first night out alone.
The 1960s saw an explosion in nightlife,
with cabarets and theatre restaurants offering dinner and a show.
This place down here looks pretty good.
It does! Let's go.
Getting out of the house isn't the end of the treats
for Carol and Peter.
Carol and Pete! Hi! Denise!
I've been waiting for the both of you, how are you?
We've arranged for them to share a meal
with the fabulous Denise Drysdale,
to help the Ferrones understand a different aspect
of life in the 1960s.
Here you are, let's have a drink.
Cheers. Thanks for joining us. Cheers.
Thank you. I actually think I'm...
It looks like I'm either gonna read your fortune or do tarot cards.
It's in the bottle!
This is 1968 at the moment. Yes.
But in the '60s, I left school when I was 14 and nine months old
and I believe that that's just happened to one of your kids.
Yes, to our daughter! Not too happy with that.
Why?
Oh, because I would like for her to finish her education
and perhaps pursue further education.
That's a good thing that you offered her education
because I was never offered that,
I was dancing from the age of three
and lived through the '50s and the '60s
and so that was all I knew.
Yeah. And so that's what I went and did.
I was a go-go girl.
TELEVISION: One of Melbourne's more prominent go-go dancers,
Denise Drysdale, has earnt as much as $400 in one week.
Being behind in a cage with a drummer...
Oh! ..and music.
So the music would play and he'd drum along to the thing
and I'm just sitting there going... (LAUGHS)
I'd love to hear about your experience in the Vietnam War.
Well, it was government-sponsored.
We had to be...
We had to sign up to be in the army. Oh?
We got our army fatigues
and we got all the injections that you've ever had
and we got army pay.
And we went over for three weeks. But...
(LAUGHS)
On the plane, we've got Major Duncan
and he takes Pattie and I to the front of the plane,
he goes, "Now listen, girls,
"we're going into a war zone,
"and the men mightn't have seen a white woman for a while.
"So don't get upset if you hear somebody say, 'Get your gear off!'
"because they're only men." Yeah.
"And whatever you do, don't drink the water
"and don't forget to take your malaria pills!"
And that was our introduction!
But, oh, they were just so lovely, the kids.
And they were kids.
Yeah, of course, they were very young.
I was just off 19. And most of these kids were 19.
Meeting Denise was amazing.
I really had no idea that there was that side to life,
I had no idea how fun the '60s were.
My experience of the '60s is still being a '60s housewife
where, you know, Denise was travelling the world
and entertaining soldiers at Vietnam.
It was just amazing.
You know, there were women that had a life
and quite an exciting life.
Come on! Think you're going to have to now.
Goodness. You've only gotta do this!
OK, here we go. Hitchhiker!
Hitchhiker.
And hitchhiker! And then we've got the swim...
Da-na! Do I look ridiculous?
Head, don't forget the head! Very important!
You know how I want a part-time job in the '60s?!
There we go, go-go dancer! There it is! Thank you!
Put her in a cage! (LAUGHS)
69, party time!
(OLIVIA LAUGHS)
The 1960s are coming to a close.
(COUGHS)
Here, let me stretch it for you! No, wait.
Stretch it.
To celebrate making it through the decade,
the Ferrones are having a moon-landing party.
Where's the machine that... Yeah.
..does it for you? It's called your mouth.
TELEVISION: Lift off, we have a lift off,
32 minutes past the hour.
Lift off on Apollo 11.
On 21 July, 1969,
600 million people tuned in live
to see astronaut Neil Armstrong take one small step.
ARMSTRONG: Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.
Recently introduced satellite technology,
supported by Australian radio telescopes
allowed the great moment to be watched simultaneously
all around the world.
To cater for the historic occasion,
Carol is making moon party hors d'oeuvres
from the ground-breaking Margaret Fulton Cookbook.
Ooh, this looks fancy.
Knock, knock! Hello!
That's another spectacular...
What is that, I'm having a seizure just looking at it,
but that's magnificent.
It's my 1969...
Wow! ..gown of choice!
You are built to party, lady, and how long does that go?
Oh, not very! Oh, not very long at all.
Showing some leg! Huminah, huminah!
You've arrived at Planet Fulton! We have!
That is the greatest cookbook.
You know this woman has sold four million copies of cookbooks?
Unbelievable.
She's written about 20 over the years.
Unbelievable.
More than any other chef, cook, writer or celebrity,
Margaret Fulton taught Australians to cook.
I see people toss salads very gaily.
I saw Lucille Ball do it in a movie once
and it looked such fun.
But I thought, "That poor salad."
You know, what will happen to it?
The author of more than 20 books,
Margaret widened the nation's culinary aspirations
to include recipes from right around the world.
She brought magic into everyday living.
Not to mention the Ferrone's living room.
Here we go. The rest of our snacks.
Oh, my gosh, look at that!
Can you have a seat, please, Carol?
'Cause I feel like you've been on your feet for some time.
Thank you. Shall we see some shots of the moon?
I think the broadcast is just firing up.
Buzz, this is Houston. Yeah.
The LM footpads are only...
ARMSTRONG: OK, I'm going to step off the LM now.
It's one small step for a man...
..one giant leap for mankind.
There he is. There we go.
There he is! He's done it.
Cheers.
OK, well, that's one great step for a man,
but this is the end of the decade for us as well, right?
It is. It is, yes.
Any thoughts on the decade?
Pretty good altogether. Yeah?
'Cause I got out of a lot of housework.
I don't suppose you've lifted a finger
to help around the house this decade, have you?
Not once. No.
I'm looking forward to the 1970s.
I think it will be an era of massive change.
I'm hoping that my husband will contribute more to the home
as far as housework and helping out with the children as well.
Next step, the '70s. ALL: Ooh!
That's our era. I know.
Maybe I'll get some colourful clothing.
I suspect you might. JULIAN: And hugely flared pants.
Apart from 50 shades of beige. (LAUGHTER)
I am getting used to not having to clean.
But, yeah, I think that will change soon.
Here we go, guys.
The '60s are done.
ALL: Bye!
See ya!
JULIAN: We'll have to see what the '70s holds in store for us.
I'm hoping for much more lollies.
(LAUGHS)
Next time... Oh, man, this just got serious.
It's all hurting my eyes.
I'm just overwhelmed with pattern.
..the Ferrones skate into the '70s.
If I don't end up on my arse, that's fantastic.
(GIGGLES)
Ah!
Food comes in from the cold...
I can stock up.
It's so quick and easy.
..men become okka...
To be a real man, you had to crush it with one hand,
throw it behind you and fart.
And that was a real Australian. Lovely.
..and women... "Carol Ferrone, it's time."
..find their voice.
"Today, you will join the workforce." Yes!
I'm feeling a bit of girl power happening.
Yes!