Australia 1950's & 1960's

TV

100

What did Blinky Bill and Skippy have in common in the 1960s?

A) Both children's TV characters

B) Both males

C) Both children's book characters

D) Both marsupial characters

D) Both marsupial characters

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was a TV character. Skip (supposedly a female) played Lassie to Garry Pankhurst's Sonny Hammond. Blinky Bill became a TV hero later, but at that time he was known as a book character. Both were marsupials although only Skippy had a pouch.

200

'Hey, Hey, It's Saturday' was a madcap variety show that ran for 28 years. It was shown on the Nine network on Saturdays, with each episode lasting two hours. Who was the host of the show for the entire run?

Daryl Somers

The show ran from 1971-99. It was initially shown on Saturday mornings, as a vehicle for presenting cartoons. The cartoon side of the show was gradually phased out, and the show changed format to a comedy variety show. After 13 years of mornings, the show moved to Saturday night primetime and rated highly for the next 15 years.

300

Which long running children's show first aired on ABC in 1966?

Play School.

It is the longest-running children's show in Australia and the second-longest-running children's show worldwide after British series Blue Peter.

In 2003, it was estimated that 80% of Australian pre-school children under six watched the program at least once a week

400

Brian Henderson's Bandstand ran from 1958 -1972. What network (channel) was it on?

The Nine Network

500

Who was the first person to appear on Australian Television with the quote "Good evening, and welcome to television" 

A) Graham Kennedy

B) Bruce Gyngell

C) Bert Newton 

D) Brian Henderson 

B) Bruce Gyngell

Toys / Games

100

What was a hop-skip?

A) dance

B) rabbit

C) chanted rhyme

D) toy

 

D) toy

A hop-skip was a toy consisting of a plastic ball on a ballbearing that attached to a thick plastic lead that slipped around the ankle. It was a toy that improved agility and balance, and thrived alongside French skipping, Hula Hoops and Elastics.

200

What was a tombola?

A) giant marble

B) yabby

C) kind of cat

D) Italian icecream

A) giant marble

A tombola was the largest in a collection of marbles. It was at least twice the size of the ordinary ones.

300

If you met a group of 1960s children singing "High, Low, Dolly, Pepper", what game would they have been playing?

One word eight letters.

Skipping

This was a skipping rhyme. Others included "Bluebells, cockle shells", "I love the Beatles, yeah, yeah, yeah" and "All in Together".

400

Originally, how did children create Mr. Potato Head’s face?

A) Using real potatoes

 B) Plastic potato body 

C) Clay modeling 

D) Cardboard cutouts 

A) Using real potatoes
Before the plastic potato base existed, children used actual potatoes to assemble faces, adding a playful twist to mealtime leftovers.

500

What metal toy could go down a flight of steps or down a ramp if it didn't tangle on the way?

The Slinky.

Food

100

What do you call the Aussie favourite sponge cake cubes dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut?

Lamingtons

200

In Australia, bread plus butter plus sprinkles equals what?

Fairy Bread

300

True or False?

Australia made the world's first peanut butter.

True!

Sanitarium made the world's first commercially available peanut butter. Although the cereal manufacturers, Kellogg, patented a peanut butter process in 1895, the Australian product was launched commercially in 1898, several years before peanut butter was first sold in the US.

400

Which cheese snack was invented in Australia in 1950?

A) Cheezels

B) Twisties

C) Cheetos

D) CC's

B) Twisties

Twisties were one of the first “extruded snack foods”. The brand was originally developed by Melbourne businessman Isador Magid who imported the machinery from the USA. He had some problems with the machinery and, at one point, enlisted the aid of the CSIRO to get production underway. In 1955, Magid sold the Twisties brand to two of the Lea brothers from the confectionery firm Darrell Lea.

500

Although it was originally launched as Vegemite, Australia's national spread had a name change in its early years. Was it:

A) Marmite

B) Pawill

C) Happy Spread

D) Aspic

B) Pawill

Although it was originally launched as Vegemite, Australia's national spread had a name change in its early years. The black, salty spread was developed by Cyril P. Callister in Melbourne for the Fred Walker Cheese Company and released in 1923. However, the new product failed to take sales away from Marmite, made by Sanitarium.

In 1928, the makers decided that a change of name, linked to a catchy new slogan, might boost Vegemite sales. They renamed it Pawill and adopted the slogan "Marmite, but Pawill". Strangely enough, the public were not convinced. In 1935 the name was changed back to Vegemite. In the late '30s the British Medical Association endorsed it as a rich source of B vitamins and Vegemite soon became a staple in Australian homes.

Music

100

Who had a hit with "Sadie, the Cleaning Lady" in the 1960s?

Johnny Farnham

Johnny Farnham (now known as "John") was a fair-haired young man with a light voice that strengthened over the years. "Sadie" (1967) was a far cry from more recent hits like "You Are the Voice".

200

Who had a hit in the 1970s with "Santa Never Made it to Darwin"?
A) Bill and Boyd

B) Bill and Ben

C) Ben and Boyd

D) Bob and Ben

A) Bill and Boyd

Bill (Cate)and Boyd (Robertson) were New Zealanders who had moved to Australia in the 1960s. Two of their biggest hits were 1975's "Santa Never Made it to Darwin", and "Put Another Log on the Fire". Bill and Ben (the Flowerpot Men) were TV characters.

300

Whish of the following was not a dance craze of the 60's?

A) The Stomp

B) The Surfer

C) The Twist

D) The Boogaloo

B) The Surfer

It was the Stomp that was associated with surfing. The popularity of surfboard riding gave rise to a new youth subculture in the early 1960s. It soon had its own music, movies, magazines and a new style of dance called the Stomp, which became an expression of the teenage 'surfie' lifestyle. 

400

"Countdown" was THE music show of the 70s and 80s, hosted by Ian 'Molly' Meldrum. It had a huge influence over the local music scene, as well as featuring many overseas acts. What was Molly's catchphrase when urging his audience to watch a particular band?

 A) A rickapoodie and a fandooglie

 B) That's gold

 C) Crikey

D) Do yourself a favour!

D) Do yourself a favour! 

His 'do yourself a favour' phrase has found its way into the Australian vernacular. 'A rickapoodie and a fandooglie' belonged to radio DJ, Ward 'Pally' Austin, who was on air from the 1960s to the 90s. 'That's gold' was popularised by Paul Harragon on the rugby league 'Footy Show', in 2007. 'Crikey' is the well-known exclamation of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, usually when he had hold of a crocodile's tail!

500

The first Rock and Roll hit in Australia was released in 1956, becoming the biggest-selling Australian single ever released up to that time. Was it

A) Shake Rattle and Roll

B) Hound Dog

C) Rock around the clock

D) The Wild One

C) Rock around the clock.

Bill Haley's hit song Rock Around the Clock. 

Sydney's independent record label, Festival Records, released Bill Haley & the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" in 1956. It became the biggest-selling Australian single.  

Sport

100

Who was Australia's "Golden Girl of Athletics" during the 1950s?

A) Dawn Fraser

B) Shirley Strickland

C) Marjorie Jackson

D) Betty Cuthbert

 

D) Betty Cuthbert

As an 18 year old at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics Betty Cuthbert won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay. The 1960 Olympics in Rome turned out to be a disaster for her but in a comeback she captured gold in the 400m at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Marjorie Jackson won gold in the 100m and 200m at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics which helped to start a new generation of female athletes in Australia. Dawn Fraser was Australia's " Golden Girl" of the pool from 1956-1964 winning the 100m freestyle at 3 consecutive Olympics. Shirley Strickland (1925-2004) won 7 Olympic medals from 1948 - 1956 including 3 gold. An interesting fact is that Shirley's father, Dave Strickland, won the professional foot race, the Stawell Gift in 1900.

200

He became Australia's first recognised World Boxing Champion but retired aged 24 after successfully defending his World title three times. Who was this boxing great of the 1950s?

A) Dave Sands

B) Tommy Burns

C) Vic Patrick

D)  Jimmy Carruthers

 

D)  Jimmy Carruthers

Jimmy Carruthers (1929 - 1990) won the Australian bantam weight title in only his 9th professional fight in 1951. In his 15th professional fight he won the World bantam weight title in Johannesburg knocking out Vic Toweel in only 2minutes and 19 seconds of the first round.

He retired after his 3rd defence of the title in Bangkok against Chamrern Songkitrit. Dave Sands, Vic Patrick and Tommy Burns were all Australian boxing champions at different weights during the 40s and 50s.

300

He is the first man to have won the British Open Championship in three consecutive years. Who is this icon of Australian golf?

A) Kel Nagle

B) Jim Ferrier

C) Norman von Nida

D) Peter Thomson

 

Peter Thomson

Peter Thomson won the Open Championship in 1954-55-56, 1958 and 1965. From 1947 - 1985 he had 88 professional wins throughout the world including USA, Europe, Asia and Australasia. Kel Nagle (1920-2015) won the Canada Cup with Peter Thomson in 1954 and 1958.

This was at the time, the World championship of team golf. One team from each country competed in this event. Kel had 81 professional wins in his career spanning 1947- 1977. He won the British Open in 1960. Norman von Nida (1914-2007) had a professional career spanning 1933-1965 with 44 wins. Jim Ferrier (1915-1986) was a professional from 1941-1961.

400

At 17 he was the "Golden Boy of the Pool" at the 1956 Olympics. Who was this swimmer who after retiring as an athlete became an actor, sports commentator and marketing executive?

A) John Henricks

B) David Theile

C) John Marshall

D) Murray Rose

 

Murray Rose

Murray Rose (1939-2012) won gold at the 1956 Olympics in the 400m, 1500m and 4 x 200m relay. He again won gold in Rome in 1960 in the 400m. During his career he set 15 world records. He spent many years in the USA appearing on TV and in the movies. In fact in the 1968 movie "Ice Station Zebra" starring Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine and Patrick McGoohan, his character in the movie aboard the US nuclear submarine USS Tigerfish actually drowns. John Henricks won 2 gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics (100m freestyle and 4 x 200m relay) and David Theile won gold in Melbourne and Rome in the 100m backstroke.John Marshall (1930-1967) set 19 swimming world records from 400m to 1500m with 15 of them coming in one month.

Unfortunately, he was burnt out by the time the 1952 Olympics were held in Helsinki.

500

During the 1950s Australian tennis players dominated Grand Slam events. Who was the player who won a total of 13 Grand Slam events (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) plus three Davis Cup wins, all in a span of just 5 years in the 1950s?

Ken Rosewall

 Rod Laver

 Frank Sedgman

 Lew Hoad

 

Lew Hoad

Lew Hoad (1934-1994) had a winning record in Grand Slam events with 4 singles 8 doubles and 1 mixed doubles all of them between 1953-1956. In 1956 Lew had won the other 3 Grand Slam singles titles (Australian, French and Wimbledon) and unfortunately in the final Grand Slam of that year was beaten at Forest Hills by his good friend Ken Rosewall. Rosewall in this same period won a total of 11 Grand Slam titles but finished with 18 spanning the years 1954 - 1972. Frank Sedgman won a total of 22 Grand Slam events from 1948 - 1952. Rod Laver won 20 Grand Slam titles from 1959 - 1973.

He is the first tennis player to have won the 4 major singles titles in the same year on two occasions (1962 and 1969). Australia won the Davis Cup 8 times in the 10 year period 1950-1959.