General News
7 November, 2025
INEVITABLE CHANGE — By Brian Lennen
The lives of my generation have subtly changed in a way that in my youth I would never have imagined.
Novelist George Orwell’s society of “big brother” and its personal scrutiny would severly impact on our ability to go about our daily affairs.
With the emergence of AI, I am fearful we may be dealing with cybernetics and not humans.
The potential for brainwashing is rife.
I grew up in an age where people were responsible for the decisions they made and had to deal with the consequences.
Children were aware of their status and behaved accordingly.
A common expression was “children should be seen and not heard!” we certainly didn’t live in a youth-centred world.
Sharing was essential. Not only did we share our bedrooms with our siblings, but often sleeping two to a bed.
Our wardrobes were sparse — generally our school uniforms (worn for best) and a few other clothes.
In most families clothes were “hand me downs” and patched and darned to the last thread.
The men on weekends wore suits and vests, often they had pocket watches, and a hat was compulsory garb.
There was no such thing as a mobile phone. Most homes didn’t have a home phone, and families relied on phone boxes strategically placed around the town.
Fortunately you were spared the sight of children of all ages with a mobile attached to their ear.
There were no cases of cyber bullying, scams and child exploitation.
This doesn’t mean people are more evil, it simply means they were more innocent and less exposed to exploitation.
Interestingly the telegram has almost disappeared as a form of communication.
At one time the “Samuel Morse creation” was an essential form of communication and a popular way of recognising special occasions.
For example bridal parties would receive multiple telegrams from afar.
Pre-television, the radio was central to most families. The wonderful part of the radio programs was that they were often family affairs.
The family gathered round the radio listening to the news, the serials, the football and test cricket.
Local radio, 3CV, was an important part of the Maryborough community with many programs of local content. Fortunately the community station based at The Hub is continuing the service.
School uniforms were enforced for many years. Girls wore pleated skirts, shirt and tie with a pullover and blazer.
Boys wore shorts and ties with blazers and a cap.
The boys would have their hair cut at home (often a basin cut). The girls sported bungees and plaits. Rollers were used to create curls.
Personal hygiene, an important issue for young and old, was limited by the lack of access to hot water. Most had a daily sponge with a basin of hot water and a washer.
Commercial deodorant sprays weren’t available. You simply had to grin and bear it.
Your hair was washed weekly with Velvet soap. Men used Brylcream to slick back their hair.
In winter you crowded around the lounge room fire and on summer nights you sweltered in the incredible heat (100°F was common).
Meals were limited in variety but large on substance. Thick stews, mashed potato and a variety of vegetables with thick slices of bread filled the hungriest.
Delicious puddings and dumplings topped off the meal. Everyone looked forward to the Sunday roast.
Dripping was spread on bread as a snack and fried bread was a breakfast favourite served with an egg cooked in the same fat.
Supermarkets didn’t exist but the local grocer, butcher, fruiterer, baker and dairy delivered to the home.
Flies and mosquitoes were constant pests usually combatted with flysprayers or flysticks (hanging from the ceiling).
An extravagance was the dry cleaners.
Both men and women would have their suits and pullovers cleaned to wear on the weekend.
A traditional home design was a weatherboard with a verandah front and back. A passage way from the front through to the back divided the house, and the roof was iron.
The laundry was at the back of the house, often apart from the main building together with the bathroom and usually a wood shed.
The toilet, prior to installing sewerage or septic tanks, was simply an outhouse sitting above a hole in the ground as far from the house as possible.
When filled up the outhouse was relocated and the hole filled in. Toilet paper was usually newspaper (not really suitable).
In 1972 I visited the State Bank computer. It was three storeys high. A basic mobile stores far more information today.
We are living in the incredible age of miniaturisation.