Victor Harbor High Old Scholars
The 50s
1950s inventions
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1951. UNIVAC First commercial computer. ...
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1952. Mr. ...
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1953. Radial tires invented. ...
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1954. The first nonstick pan produced. ...
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1955. Tetracycline invented. ...
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1956. The first computer hard disk used. ...
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1957. Fortran (computer language) invented. ...
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1958. The modem invented.
Cochlear Implant invented 1953
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Black box flight recorder. The black box flight recorder has helped make commercial air travel the world's safest form of travel. ...
Music and Dance in the 1950s
RankSong TitleSong ArtistYearGenre
1 That's Amore Dean Martin 1953Oldies
2 Come Fly With Me Frank Sinatra1958Oldies
3 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley1957Oldies
4 I Walk The Line Johnny Cash1956Country
5 I've Got You Under My Skin Frank Sinatra1953Oldies
6 In the Mood Glenn Miller1955Jazz
7 All Shook Up Elvis Presley1957Oldies
8 La Bamba Ritchie Valens1958Oldies
9 You Make Me Feel So Young Frank Sinatra1953Ballad
10 Great Balls Of Fire Jerry LeeLewis1957Country
11 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley1956Oldies
12 Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry1958Oldies
13 Rock Around The Clock Bill Haley & HisComets1956Oldies
14 When I Fall In Love Nat King Cole1956Ballad
15 Mack The Knife Bobby Darin1959Oldies
16 Hound Dog Elvis Presley1956Oldies
17 You Send Me Sam Cooke1957Oldies
18 I Get a Kick Out of You Frank Sinatra1953Ballad
19 Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) Penguins1955Oldies
20 In The Still Of The Night Five Satins1956Oldies
21 Blue Suede Shoes Elvis Presley1956Oldies
22 I Only Have Eyes For You Flamingos1959Ballad
23 TequilaChamps 1958Oldies
24 Only You (And You Alone) Platters1955Ballad
25 Our Love Is Here To Stay Frank Sinatra1955Ballad
26 Walkin' After Midnight Patsy Cline1957Oldies
27 Rockin' Robin Bobby Day1958Swing
28 Chantilly Lace Big Bopper1958Oldies
29 (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock Bill Haley & His Comets1955Oldies
30 At The Hop Danny & The Juniors1958Oldies
31 Let's Do It (Lets Fall in Love) Ella Fitzgerald1956Ballad
32 All The Way Frank Sinatra1953Ballad
33 Dream Lover Bobby Darin1959Oldies
34 Chances Are Johnny Mathis1957Oldies
35 Peggy Sue Buddy Holly1957Oldies
36 Tutti-Frutti Little Richard1956Oldies
37 Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley1956Oldies
38 Put Your Head On My Shoulder Paul Anka1959Oldies
39 I'll Be Seeing You Billie Holiday1954Blues
40 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Platters1958Oldies
41 Volare Dean Martin1958Oldies
42 They Can't Take That Away From Me Frank Sinatra1955Ballad
43 Memories Are Made Of This Dean Martin1956Oldies
44 Mona Lisa Nat KingCole1950Oldies
45 All I Have To Do Is Dream Everly Brothers1958Oldies
46 Wake Up Little Susie Everly Brothers1957Oldies
47 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear Elvis Presley1957Oldies
48 Banana Boat (Day-O) Harry Belafonte1956Easy Listening
49 Night And Day Frank Sinatra1957Ballad
50 Yakety Yak Coasters1958Oldies
Johnny O'Keefe
Australian Bandstand
Fashion in the 50s
American Films of the 50s
Australian Films of the 50s
Sport in the 50s
The 1950s were an outstanding decade for Australian sport. Technology made it possible to watch sporting performances live on television and in 1956, Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games - the first time the event had been held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sports participation
Australians fervently participated in sporting pursuits in the years following World War II. Membership of sporting associations boomed as many young men craved the close friendships that they had experienced during war time. With increased prosperity and leisure time, the working class enjoyed sports including tennis, golf and bowls - sports formerly reserved for the wealthy. Early post-war affluence also led to the construction of many new sporting fields and outdoor swimming pools.
European sports like soccer, gymnastics and volleyball also became more popular in Australia with an influx of new migrants during the 1950s.
The Melbourne Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were considered to be a huge success. Australians were delighted that they had hosted an organized a major international event and impressed the world with their brilliant sporting performances. Australia was exposed to the war like never before, as the Melbourne Olympics became the first ever to be broadcasted by television. Australians who were unable to attend the events could see them at home on their television , or gathered to watch on televisions sets in shop windows.
The Olympic Games helped stimulate a huge sense of national pride in Australia and marked an important step in the formation of Australia's national identity. Rather than considering themselves as a British outpost, Australians had demonstrated that they now felt pride in their own flag, and had created their own iconic sports heroes.
Australia's performance at the Melbourne Olympics Australia finished with excellent results at the Melbourne Olympics, coming in third behind the United States and the USSR with a total of 35 medals, including 13 gold. Our greatest medal haul was in the swimming events. Australia won every men's and women's freestyle race and collected a total of 8 gold medals.
Standout individual Australians at the Olympics include sprinter Betty Cuthbert and swimmers Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser.
Tennis in the 1950s
Australians prospered in world tennis throughout the 1950s with stars like Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman and Lew Hoad. Australians won the men's singles title at Wimbledon from 1952 to 1958 and beat the United States eight times to claim the Davis Cup.
Cricket in the 1950s
Australia advanced in cricket throughout the 1950s. Australian cricket legend Don Bradman was sorely missed however, following his retirement in 1948. The Australian team played 57 Test matches throughout the decade, winning 29 and losing 12. After treasuring the Ashes for 19 years, Australia lost to England in 1953, but regained them in 1958. New international rivals, also emerged in as teams from the West Indies, Pakistan, and India became increasingly competitive.
Football in the 1950s
All forms of football saw a huge surge in spectator interest during the 1950s. Australian rules, rugby league and rugby union football games consistently drew in crowds of thousands.
Australia's increased affluence in the 1950s led to the planning and construction of many new football fields. Union fans were treated to first-ever games against new international competitors like Fiji. Rugby league fans enjoyed nine visits from international teams throughout the decade and five Australian rugby league teams travelled overseas to compete.
Soccer
Soccer played a significant social role for many migrants, providing a means for them to socialize with others who spoke their language and understood their culture. Many migrants formed local soccer teams according to the country of origin.
Anglo-Australians and British migrants also formed teams which began competing against each other at the local, State and later, at the national level.
Soccer had been played on a small-scale by some Australians in earlier years. As a result, many people embraced the formation of new teams and enjoyed the greater level of competition in the sport. Such advances in sport reflected a growing national confidence in Australia - the nation no longer felt entitled to defining itself through traditional British sports like cricket.
However, foreign sports such as soccer were met with suspicion, and sometimes even hostility by the wider community. Such actions reflected the prevailing mentality of the time - migrants during the 1950s were expected to 'assimilate' or blend into Australian society, rather than establish their own social and sporting networks.
1956 Olympic Games Melbourne
Betty Cuthbert
Dawn Fraser
In the 1950s, Australia became a tennis power, and Australian men won the Davis Cup 15 times from 1950 to 1967, led by outstanding players such as Frank Sedgman, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Roy Emerson, and Ashley Cooper.
