Memories of Teen hood in Sydney
Jul 26, 2009 1:57:22 GMT -5
Post by douglaslam on Jul 26, 2009 1:57:22 GMT -5
I talked about my childhood in China and Hong Kong, and only touched on my teen and formative years in Sydney, Australia. As usual I have a small selection of music, Aussie pop music of the era that I'd like to share.
In the '60s we witnessed the emergence of the sub-cultures the surfies in tandem with rock n' roll, the rockers. There was a clear dividing line between the two. Take the motor car; the surfies were more modest, whereas the rockers tended to have souped-up V8s such as the Ford Customline, with a flying eagle on the bonnet. This Youtube clip features one of the big hits of the time. Instead of rock n' roll, there was surfing music and a dance craze called the stomp. I remember in one school dance, we all stomped so hard that we shook the building. The headmaster promptly put an end to future dances. He was what we called a wowser.
Surfing aside, water sport is always popular in Australia. I learned to swim when I was in primary 6. It was the practice then and now, toward the end of school year in late Nov. and Dec. school children are sent out to learn to swim classes. I still do a little swimming and body surfing, but I am not a strong swimmer. Back then I was neither a surfie nor rocker. I had very little free time. At my relatives small mixed business, we had two full days off each year, Good Friday and Christmas Day.
The next Youtube clip is about an inter-city (Sydney- Melbourne) overnight express train. The Southern Aurora inaugurated in the '60s also. I stand to be corrected by more knowledgeable train buffs. I think the SA marks the direct rail link between Australia's two biggest cities. Before Federation in 1901, each state in Australia was a separate colony. There was little free trade, and as a further measure of protectionism each state had, and to this day a different rail gauge. Thus the trains cannot go right through. At the border towns of Albury-Wodonga, all passengers had to get off the train early in the morning and let workmen to change the bogies. This was not a good joke gone bad especially in winter months. It was a monumental stuffed up. The group Joy Boys was part of a successful combo called Col Joye and the Joy Boys.
The third clip is a by-product of the blockbuster Hollywood film 55 Days in Peking starring Ava Gardner, David Niven and Charlton Heston. I think to circumvent copyright, the title was changed to "At Peking," not "in.", and the artist was cashing in on the popularity of the film and named the title so. The film was about the Boxer Uprising; it got caustic reviews in HK for straying so far from historical record. Many people who had gone through that tumultuous time were still alive. The Chinese, as in Steve McQueen's San Pablo, were portrayed as savages.
.
Australia had a booming pop music scene, members like Geoff and Alex can perhaps add to my observation. Sorry, Ah Gin you may have arrived a little late and missed those interesting years. Listen and enjoy those catch tunes if you are not familiar with the Aussie teen scene in the '60.
Douglas
In the '60s we witnessed the emergence of the sub-cultures the surfies in tandem with rock n' roll, the rockers. There was a clear dividing line between the two. Take the motor car; the surfies were more modest, whereas the rockers tended to have souped-up V8s such as the Ford Customline, with a flying eagle on the bonnet. This Youtube clip features one of the big hits of the time. Instead of rock n' roll, there was surfing music and a dance craze called the stomp. I remember in one school dance, we all stomped so hard that we shook the building. The headmaster promptly put an end to future dances. He was what we called a wowser.
Surfing aside, water sport is always popular in Australia. I learned to swim when I was in primary 6. It was the practice then and now, toward the end of school year in late Nov. and Dec. school children are sent out to learn to swim classes. I still do a little swimming and body surfing, but I am not a strong swimmer. Back then I was neither a surfie nor rocker. I had very little free time. At my relatives small mixed business, we had two full days off each year, Good Friday and Christmas Day.
The next Youtube clip is about an inter-city (Sydney- Melbourne) overnight express train. The Southern Aurora inaugurated in the '60s also. I stand to be corrected by more knowledgeable train buffs. I think the SA marks the direct rail link between Australia's two biggest cities. Before Federation in 1901, each state in Australia was a separate colony. There was little free trade, and as a further measure of protectionism each state had, and to this day a different rail gauge. Thus the trains cannot go right through. At the border towns of Albury-Wodonga, all passengers had to get off the train early in the morning and let workmen to change the bogies. This was not a good joke gone bad especially in winter months. It was a monumental stuffed up. The group Joy Boys was part of a successful combo called Col Joye and the Joy Boys.
The third clip is a by-product of the blockbuster Hollywood film 55 Days in Peking starring Ava Gardner, David Niven and Charlton Heston. I think to circumvent copyright, the title was changed to "At Peking," not "in.", and the artist was cashing in on the popularity of the film and named the title so. The film was about the Boxer Uprising; it got caustic reviews in HK for straying so far from historical record. Many people who had gone through that tumultuous time were still alive. The Chinese, as in Steve McQueen's San Pablo, were portrayed as savages.
.
Australia had a booming pop music scene, members like Geoff and Alex can perhaps add to my observation. Sorry, Ah Gin you may have arrived a little late and missed those interesting years. Listen and enjoy those catch tunes if you are not familiar with the Aussie teen scene in the '60.
Douglas