Primary Catalogue

This clip looks at products and services in four areas of society at the turn of the century: Fashion, Food, Communication and Transportation. Common fashions of the era, from women's corsets to men's hats, are illustrated. Next, we learn about the typical Australian diet, including how people produced and purchased their food. Imagine what communication was like, when letter writing and telegrams started to make way for the latest invention: the telephone. We conclude with common methods of transportation at the turn of the century including trams, steam engine trains and the trusty horse. However with the first airplane flight by the Wright Brothers, and the mass production of Model T Fords, transportation was about to change forever. Show Less

This clip looks at work and leisure at the turn of the century. First we explore what life was like for children in the early 1900s. While primary schools were common, most children left school at 13 to work long hours, often in poor conditions to help support their families. Next we look at domestic labour, a common occupation before automated appliances and wider employment opportunities. Finally we imagine what it must have been like before there was a TV in every home, when the piano was the most popular form of entertainment. Common childhood entertainment as well as innovations like the gramophone and cinema are discussed. Show Less