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Somewhere to Live: Suburban sprawl reaches Doncaster East, 1960s

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Old photo of city street with many street signs, large sign reads 'Central Doncaster'
Somewhere to Live: Suburban sprawl reaches Doncaster East, 1960s

SUBJECTS:  Geography, History

YEARS:  9–10


In the 1950s and 60s, suburbs like Doncaster East in Melbourne arose to meet the changing needs of Australian citizens and the government.

A 'baby boom' and increased immigration contributed to the expansion of Australian cities as more and more people sought to create their own 'Australian Dream' on a quarter-acre suburban block.

In this clip from 'Somewhere to Live', architect Robin Boyd critiques this example of 'typical Australian suburbia'.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What do you know about the 'baby boomer' generation? What sorts of pressures would you expect a baby boom to create within society? If you live in a city or town, think about the neighbourhood you live in. Do most people live in houses surrounded by gardens? Are there many blocks of flats, units or terrace houses? If you live in the country, ask yourself these questions about a neighbourhood you know well or may have visited.
  2. 2.How does the narrator describe Doncaster East as it was before the developers moved in? What does this suggest about the people who lived there and the way they used the land? What led to the creation of suburbia, and how did it change life for the people who lived there? What were some of the objections to suburbs like Doncaster East and who made these objections?
  3. 3.What are some of the features of the 'small but successful developments' described by Robin Boyd in the clip? If you were planning a suburb, what are some of the features and characteristics you would insist on? If you could recommend one improvement to the area you live in now, what would it be?
  4. 4.Find appropriate resources to help you learn more about the creation of a suburb. In your research, concentrate on these inquiry questions: When and why was the suburb built? What, if any, were the objections to its creation? How was the land used before the suburb was built?



Date of broadcast: 26 Mar 1970


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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