Born in 1961?

This is the second of the 1960s and the 23rd book overall to be released in a series of 33 about life in Australia – one for each year from 1939 to 1971. 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 1961, the term New Australian was no longer politically correct. State governments still would not allow petrol vending machines. We all thought that Mrs Aeneas Gunn would never die, but she did. The Sydney University denied that its Philosophy Department was a centre for free love, and the Brits were talking about joining a Common Market with Britain. Ten Pin Bowling was laying ‘em in the lanes, people were up in arms over Russia resuming nuclear testing. American visitors thought that our public lavatories stank.

Book Features:

• Nothing like this in the market for people who turn 60 in 2021.
• Sell year round.
• Long back-list.
• Unique, delightful birthday gift for the hard-to-buy-for.
• Written by an Australian for Australians.
• A series of 33 books covering life in Australia in each year 1939-1971.
• A birthday book is better than a birthday card.
• Informative, entertaining, charming conversation starter.
• Radio interviews, reviews in magazines and newspapers from September 2020.

About the Author

Ron Williams is a retired teacher, mathematician, computer-man, political scientist, farmer and writer. He has a BA from the University of Sydney, and a Masters in Social Work and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii. He writes: “I was born in 1934, so that I can remember well a great deal of what went on around me from 1939 onwards. But of course, the bulk of this book’s material came from research. That meant that I spent many hours in front of a computer reading electronic versions of newspapers, magazines, Hansard, Ministers’ Press releases and the like. My task was to sift out, day-by-day, those stories and events that would be of interest to the most readers.