Born in 19XX? What else happened?

But after that, I realized that I knew very little about these, parents of mine. They had been born about the start of the Twentieth Century, and they, died in 1970 and 1980. For their last 50-years, I was old enough to speak with a bit of sense. I could have, talked to them a lot about their lives. I could have found out about the times they lived in. But I did not. I know almost nothing about them really. Their courtship? Working in the pits? The Lockout in the Depression? Losing their second child? Being, dusted as a miner? The shootings at Rothbury? My uncles killed in the War? Love on the dole? There were hundreds, thousands of questions that I would now, like to ask them. But, alas, I can't. It's too late. Thus, prompted by my guilt, I resolved to write these books. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series is, to coin a modern phrase, designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten. Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered. In 1947, Labor was, still in power but, for some silly reason, was not, giving motorists the petrol that the rest of the world was, getting. The Poms were, firing rockets over our Aborigines, while Menzies was discovering Reds under our Beds. Our new Governor General was not a Pom, but a local lad, and Princess Elizabeth said yes to a Greek. Six boys, aged under 17, were gaoled for life for rape, and 10 o'clock closing might stop the six o'clock swill. Indonesia, India and Israel wanted colonial powers to go, and cricket was, again thriving on hatred of the Poms. These were striking times.

ABOUT THESE SERIES ....But after that, I realised that I knew very little about these parents of mine. They had been born about the start of the Twentieth Century, and they died in 1970 and 1980. For their last 50 years, I was old enough to speak with a bit of sense. I could have talked to them a lot about their lives. I could have found out about the times they lived in. But I did not. I know almost nothing about them really. Their courtship? Working in the pits? The Lock-out in the Depression? Losing their second child? Being dusted as a miner? The shootings at Rothbury? My uncles killed in the War? Love on the dole? There were hundreds, thousands of questions that I would now like to ask them. But, alas, I can't. It's too late. Thus, prompted by my guilt, I resolved to write these books. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series is, to coin a modern phrase, designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten. Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered.

This is the 19th book to be, released in a series of 30 about life in Australia, one for each year from 1939 to 1968. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series, to coin a modern phrase is, designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten. Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered. In 1957, Britain's Red Dean said Chinese Reds were OK. America avoided balance-of-payments problems by sending entertainers here. Sydney's Opera House will use lotteries to raise funds. The Russians launched Sputnik and a dog got a free ride. A bodkin crisis shook the nation.

In 1960, Oz women were, said to be drunks, Princess Margaret can now expect to have free photos taken, and professional tennis came via Jack Kramer to this fair land. The concept of male nurses was, raised, Arthur Calwell's dead hand fell on the Labor Party, William Dobell was, said to trick the Art World on April Fool’s Day, and two especially gory murders were committed in Maitland. And, can you believe it, a few men were admitted to hospitals during the labors of women. Has the new idea of the equality of the sexes gone too far? ....But after that, I realized that I knew very little, about these, parents of mine. They had been born about the start of the Twentieth Century, and they died in 1970 and 1980. For their last 50-years, I was old enough to speak with a bit of sense. I could have talked to them a lot about their lives. I could have found out about the times they lived in. But, I did not. I know almost nothing about them really. Their courtship? Working in the pits? The Lockout in the Depression? Losing their second child? Being, dusted as a miner? The shootings at Rothbury? My uncles killed in the War? Love on the dole? There were hundreds, thousands of questions that I would now like to ask them. But, alas, I can't. It's too late. Thus, prompted by my guilt, I resolved to write these books. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series is, to coin a modern phrase, designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten. Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered.