Page 9 - Go55s summer web

Lifestyle

Bramston Show on Channel 7, and olives. When there was a glut explores the world of Australian
which broadcast 40-odd episodes of tomatoes they would make politics, the time of Harold
a year between 1964 and 1968 and passata and fill empty bottles with Holt’s “All the way with LBJ”,
made the cast members household the brilliant red sauce and if we to the emergence of brilliantly
names.” were lucky we would be given talented women politicians such
Noeline went overseas to work some. as Senator Annabelle Rankin, in
in the UK before returning to “They had fig trees in their 1962 the first Australian woman
Australia to continue her stellar back yards and grape vines to have a Federal portfolio and
career in TV and theatre for more growing over their sheds instead in the law courts, Dame Roma
than 50 years and to even have of chokos...they made their own Mitchell QC, who became the
a shot at the political life twice rough red wine and grappa…” first female Supreme Court judge
unsuccessfully standing as Labor Continuing her evocative in 1965.
candidate in NSW elections and recall of those times she writes: Noeline explains that the book
more recently finishing a six- “Younger children enjoyed more was virtually a labour of love
year stint as Ambassador for the freedom than any other generation. for her and brought back all the
Ageing. Kids hung around ‘soda fountains’ multitude of memories, happy and
But it was the vibrant sixties in American-style milk bars, sad of that time.
that remain a great milestone which were often equipped with Now 78, Noeline lives with
in Noeline’s life and why she flashy jukeboxes, playing stacks of her husband of 41 years, former
has produced such a spectacular vinyl recordings of their favourite writer/director Tony Sattler, in
historical and pictorial record of songs. their Southern Highlands retreat,
that colourful period. “Milk bars were usually among the wombats, kangaroos
“What I liked about the 1960s furnished with colourful and koalas.
was that they were often lurid and Formica tables and chairs and “The book was a wonderful
stimulating and a whole lot of vinyl-covered banquettes and journey for me and the beautiful
things were in the experimental stools with chrome trim…. kids photographs of the time brought
stage which was very exciting,” drank milkshakes and spiders, a back great memories,” Noeline
she says. poisonous combination of soda, says.
The book, with more than cordial and ice-cream...they
160 images, describes the 60s shared banana splits just like the LIVING THE 1960S, BY
Haunting David Moore photograph of immigrants arriving by ship to start
new lives in Australia in 1966. as a decade of safari suits, shift characters they say in American NOELINE BROWN, NLA
dresses, capri pants and droopy movies.” PUBLISHINGAVAILABLE
Whitlam waiting in the wings, writing the book under the various moustaches…of French onion In more serious mode, Noeline NOW, RRP $39.99.
protest marches, the creative headings,” she said. soup, junket, tripe and Bloody
surge of stage and screen, In her forward to the lavishly- Marys… and of success on the
twisting and stomping to the beat, illustrated book, Noeline writes: “I world’s sporting stage and of
beehive hairstyles, bikinis and remember the 1960s as possibly social and political stirrings at
Brylcreem, the birth of women’s the most important decade of home as baby boomers and their
lib, the Pill, and the golden era my life. I was 21 in 1960 and parents began to see the world
of Aussie sports stars, such as was thinking about making the differently.
the Konrads, Murray Rose, Betty great leap from my safe job as She writes: “In the suburbs
Cuthbert, Ron Barassi, Rocket library assistant at Marrickville around my home, Leichhardt
Rod Laver and the explosion of Council and trying my hand as a became Latin, Petersham became
surfing. professional actor….. Portuguese and Marrickville
Noeline explains that when she “After a nervous audition, became home to the Greeks…
was asked to write the book she’d I landed a job in a review called “Our new neighbours
just finished touring in the popular What’s New? At Sydney’s popular introduced us to vegetables we
stage play Mother and Son. Phillip Street Theatre in 1962 didn’t recognise and taught us how
“I finished up with a broken where I made lifelong friends to cook them. On the weekends
leg after the tour so I was a with other cast members Barry our suburban back lanes would
bit confined and it was perfect Creyton, Maggie Dence and Janet smell of lamb laced with garlic
timing for me. I knew the Brown (no relation)…. and rosemary, barbecued outdoors
National Library had a wonderful “We eventually found our with blistering peppers and
store of historical records and way from there on to black-and- eggplant.
photographs and I just set about white television in the Mavis “They introduced us to yoghurt

Locals play a scratch game of cricket in a suburban back lane in 1965.

Athol Shmith’s photograph of five young one-piece swimsuit models in the 60s...the designer was probably
Jantzen, a well-known brand at the time

Summer 2017 | The Go55s Newspaper 9