Retro Australia is a rewarding dive into life in Australia from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Feature image credit: New Holland Publishers
Nostalgia for all things vintage has experienced a resurgence in recent years. Retro Australia – The Way We Were Back in the Day invites us to recall ‘a period of great optimism and even greater change’ through a photographic collection celebrating Australia’s Baby Boomer era. Writer Ian Collis, well-known rugby league historian and Head of Fox Sports Statistics, has published over 30 books. Titles include Cricket Back in Time (1996), Old Sydney – A Pictorial History (2008) and Retro TV (2014). His latest work is a hefty hardback (504 pages, measuring 280 mm x 255 mm) that’s the perfect coffee-table book for sparking family conversations. With over 600 images, there’s plenty to jog memories and provoke discussion, whether you lived through the times or were born well after the arrival of the Internet.
Photographs were sourced from a mix of private and public collections, including Australian libraries. Chapters group the content as ‘lifestyle,’ ‘beaches and coastlines,’ ‘cities,’ ‘out of the city’ and ‘transport’ – broad categories that work well to bring loose order, and which also feature subsections. Lifestyle, for example, pays special attention to ‘working life,’ ‘fairs and Easter shows,’ ‘the Queen’s 1954 visit,’ ‘Australian television,’ ‘music,’ and sporting pursuits such as lawn bowls, boxing and wrestling, racing, motorsport, and the Olympic Games. Aussie Rules, rugby, soccer, cricket, and tennis also receive individual attention. Many of our sporting greats get a mention. Lionel Rose, professional boxer and first Indigenous Australian to win a world title, is shown returning to a hero’s welcome in his home city of Melbourne after his 1968 victory in Japan. Swimmers Dawn Fraser and Murray Rose are noted for their Olympic achievements, while John Newcombe, Rod Laver, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley are shown in action on the tennis court.
Many readers may relate to the author’s introduction to the book. His childhood memories capture a particular slice of mid-century Australia. Backyard chook pens, outdoor dunnies, cracker night, and bread with dripping will be familiar reminiscences for those of us of a similar age. There are brief descriptions of the decades in focus – the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s – before we enter the main body of the book. It’s a superb set of photos. As expected, there are some famous images of historic moments in time. Jean Shrimpton, wearing a mini dress but minus hat and gloves, shocked the crowds at the 1965 Melbourne Cup race, and the snapshot that captures her bold stare into the camera lens has been reproduced countless times since. It’s no surprise that she pops up again here, along with shots from the wildly successful Beatles visit, the opening of the Sydney Opera House, and many other iconic events and places. All worthy of revisiting, certainly, but the magic of Retro Australia lies in its presentation of aspects of everyday life, from homes to workplaces, from country towns to cities, beaches, parks, and mountain ranges. What works so well is the mix of professional shots alongside personal ‘behind the scenes’ glimpses and photojournalism. Retro Australia is an absorbing read that’s perfect for dipping into.
Reviewed by Jo Vabolis
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: New Holland Publishers
Released: December 2025
RRP: $60
