Blue Jeans & Jungle Greens Exhibition: Keith revisits his youth in the Adelaide City region of South Australia
"Blue Jeans and Jungle Greens" is the History Trust's latest offering at the Torrens Parade Grounds. The exhibition looks at the tumultuous decades of the sixties and seventies and you'll see there was a lot more to the period than sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. It was a time of great political and social reform and a time when Australia was at war.
Many Paul, Curator: "One of the privileges of putting together this exhibition was talking to so many participants in both the Vietnam war and the anti-war movements. People generously opened up their photo albums, showed us their objects and told us their stories."
Mandy had a tough job but she's managed to draw together the threads of what was a tough time for everyone. Like conscript, Peter Stanford - like thousands of young men his number came up in the conscription ballot and he endured 365 days serving as a 'nasho', as they were called.
His worn pocketknife, emergency ration pack, dog tags and especially the will he was ordered to make before going are raw reminders of the pains of war.
A specially commissioned film called 'Defining Times' explores the effects the war had on the South Australians who went and those who stayed home. Vietnam energised and divided the community - and for many, the impact is still being felt.
Blue Jeans and Jungle Greens isn't all about the Vietnam conflict though. In the 60s and 70s hairlines were going down and hemlines were going up... This was a time of loud music, drug experimentation and free love.
Mandy: "The idea of sexual liberation had a lot of traction in the early 70s partly to do with the increased availability of contraception and changing ideas about sexuality among heterosexuals. But also in 1972 a lecturer at the university of Adelaide was drowned in the River Torrens, Doctor George Duncan and that precipitated a lot of public debate about homosexuality which was a criminal offence at that point. And again South Australia led the way - in '72 homosexuality was partly decriminalised and then fully decriminalised in 1975."
Another South Australian first. But wait, there's more; Aborigines were given the right to vote and to own their own land, and women demanded equal rights - and got them.
Mandy: "The women's movement in Adelaide began about 1970 with demonstrations at the university against the Miss Fresher competition and by 1972 was very active."
Of course, you can't mount an exhibition about the era without 'the pink shorts'. Yes, the actual pink shorts Premier Don Dunstan wore into Parliament in 1972 are on display.
Mandy: "People are very excited to see them. Most people are a bit surprised by how small they are and how pink they are. They are clearly an icon from the period..."
For many people the events of the 60s and 70s were life changing and still impact on our lives today and this exhibition reminds us of the power of the past in the present.
Blue jeans and Jungle Greens - revisiting the 60s and 70s is in the History Trust's Exhibition Gallery at the Torrens Parade Ground. It runs until August and it's free. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
'Blue Jeans & Jungle Greens'
History Trust Exhibition Gallery
Torrens parade Ground
Adelaide
9.30am-4.00pm weekdays
Until 21 AugustPublished 20th April 2008
