Family Life in Geelong

Family Life in Geelong is an excerpt from the film Life in Australia: Geelong (22mins), an episode of the Life in Australia Series (12 × 22 mins), produced in 1966.

Life in Australia: Geelong: Scenes of life and recreation in Geelong Victoria without commentary. The film was made to encourage immigration and had a theatrical release. It shows typical scenes from family life in the 60s in Geelong, Victoria.

Life in Australia Series: The Life in Australia Series visits state capitals and regional centres around the nation to give a picture of life in Australia in the mid 1960s. Part travelogue, it tours streets, buildings and points of interest around the towns, but the emphasis is really on providing a visual record of “typical” daily life, from work and education to home and recreation.

Life in Australia Series is a National Film Board Production. Produced by the Commonwealth Film Unit.

Please see the National Statements of Learning for Health and Physical Education.

Australia has long been one of the most highly urbanised nations in the world.

Part of this urbanisation is the existence of major rural centres.

Geelong is Victoria’s second largest city. Located about an hour’s drive from Melbourne, it is a major port, and features a large manufacturing centre for the automotive industry as well as a major oil refinery and storage area.

In the 1960s it was also a major textiles manufacturing area, though this industry has now declined significantly.

Geelong has always been one of the areas that state and federal governments focus on when they promote regional development away from the capital city, Melbourne.

1. This clip is from family life in 1966. Describe the types of food consumed in the clip.
2. Think about what types of foods you consume. Compare it to the foods consumed in the clip. Complete a Venn diagram to identify the similarities and differences between your diet and food in the clip. Discuss what are the major differences and similarities with the class.
3. Undertake a Think, Ink, Pair, Share. Individually, think about how healthy you think the food is that is consumed by the family in the clip. Write down your thoughts and provide reasons for these thoughts. Pair up with a classmate and compare your thoughts. Share your thoughts with the class.
4. Constipation is a common disease in children.
   1. What is constipation?
   2. Explain how the food in the clip may contribute to constipation.
5. Coronary heart disease is a common disease in adults.
   1. What is coronary heart disease?
   2. Explain how the food in the clip may contribute to constipation
6. Outline the factors that you think influenced the food choices of the family in the clip.
   1. What factors do you think influence the food choices of you and your family?
   2. In what ways have factors that influence food choice changed over time? Think about family life, technology, types and availability of food etc.
      Share your thoughts with the class. Draw a timeline to illustrate what factors influenced food choices in the 1960s compared to influences today.

Extension
As an extension to this activity, you could interview a grandparent, an older neighbour, a classmate, sibling or even yourself, about what influences their food choice, and determine the similarities and differences in your findings. You could even create a blog to reflect on the influences on food choices.

Go to Nutrition Australia website for information about healthy eating.

Go to Life Be In It for information about healthy lifestyle.

For information about heart disease go to Heart Foundation Australia website