Wait... They Did What!?

Wait... schools taught girls how to be posh?

Dahhhhling! In the 1960s girls went to deportment schools to learn how to be ‘ladylike’... and women were also taught how to be ‘good wives.’  This episode will answer q

Wait... bike helmets weren’t compulsory?

You were allowed to ride your bike without a helmet until the 1990s... and lots of cyclists kicked up a stink when the law changed.  This episode will answer questions l

Wait... people only travelled overseas by boat?

If you wanted to travel overseas in the olden days, it took the whole school holidays... because you had to go by boat.  This episode will answer questions like:  When

Wait... discos were run by the police?

Buddies, bangers and... hold on, police? Blue Light Discos were a vibe in the 80s and 90s.  This episode will answer questions like:  What is a Blue Light Disco? What d

Wait... they burnt their rubbish?

Burn, baby, burn... garbage inferno! Before wheelie bins, Aussies used to burn all their rubbish... in their own backyards.   This episode will answer questions like: 

Wait... they ate rabbits?

We all think bunnies are cute, but most Australians also used to think they were super tasty... until they became infected with a deadly disease. EWW!  This episode will

Wait... they didn't pay Indigenous workers and they stole their land?

Indigenous workers were often paid less than white people... if they were paid at all.   Hundreds of Indigenous workers went on strike in the 1960s because they weren’t

Wait... they used encyclopaedias?

Before the internet, many Australian families owned a set of encyclopaedias... and they bought them from door-to-door salesmen.  This episode will answer questions like:

Wait... they drank raw milk?

Milk used to be delivered to homes in glass bottles... and it was often raw.  This episode will answer questions like:  What is raw milk? Is raw milk legal in Australia

Wait... women had to obey their husbands?

Old-fashioned wedding vows made brides promise to obey their husbands... and change their names.  This episode will answer questions like:  What are traditional wedding

Wait... they didn't wear seatbelts?

Up until the 1980s kids didn’t have to wear seatbelts in cars... there were no rules about baby and toddler seats either.  This episode will answer questions like:  Whe

Wait... they had to be 21 to vote?

Some people think under 18s should be able to vote... but the legal voting age in Australia used to be 21.  This episode will answer questions like:  Who can vote in Au

Wait... they used to hunt whales?

Whales were hunted in Australian waters up until the late 1970s... and they were used in everything from detergent to lipstick.  This episode will answer questions like:

Wait... doctors put leeches on sick people?

Doctors once used blood-sucking leeches as medicine... and they were as popular as Panadol.  This episode will answer questions like:  What is a leech? How were leeches

Wait... they smoked cigarettes indoors?

We all know that smoking is stupid, but do you know what’s even stupider? Smoking indoors... and people used to smoke inside anywhere they wanted.  This episode will ans

Wait... they built toilets outside?

Every Aussie home used to have an outdoor dunny... some people even protested when toilets started moving indoors.  This episode will answer questions like:  What is an

Wait... you weren't allowed to be left-handed?

Up until the 1970s left-handed kids were forced to write with their right... or risk a rap over the knuckles.  This episode will answer questions like:   What is the hi

Wait... they could send witches to jail?

‘Witches’ were burnt at the stake hundreds of years ago, but witchcraft was still illegal in Australia right up until the 2000s... luckily, it’s safe to wave your wands t

Wait... they banned a dance?

The Stomp was a popular dance in the 1960s until it was banned across Australia... we wonder what the party-poopers would think of twerking?   This episode will answer q

Wait... they didn't have smart phones?

Landline phones and fax machines seemed high-tech in the 1990s, but now they’re almost  extinct thanks to smart phones and email...  and does anyone remember telegrams?