Introduction..

During the 1960’s, many important things happened that affected the history of Australia. However, this is not what the decade was known for. The Hippies were born into the changing world of the early 1950’s and late 1940’s. They grew up in the midst of a revolution, a time when sexual freedom, drug use and wild music took centre stage. Many of the hippies were rebelling after the post war era, because their parents were very conservative.
(Google 2008. Google image Search, viewed October 2008. http://www.google.com/imghp)

What they believed in..

The 1960’s gave Hippies the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions in a number of different ways, including; how they dressed, what music they listened to and how they danced.
Due to the baby boom in the post WWII period, 1945 and 1955, more than half of the population was less than 30 years of age in the 1960’s. These people began to revolt against society, reacting to the Vietnam war, feminism and the fear of the unknown and outer space (e.g. the man landing on the moon on July 20th, 1969). The Hippies wanted to be an example and prove to society that they could live independently. “Rules were simple: there were good guys and bad guys, the narcotics police were bad, governments were bad, war was bad, the mainstream media was bad. Under the powerful vibes of the good people all these would somehow fade away.” (Boycott, 2006. p 1)
In the 60’s, hippies freed themselves from societal restrictions, and decided to choose their own way to find a new meaning in life. They were individuals. “We wanted to elevate non-material values through the global power of rock’n’roll, and we believed we could do this through drugs, music, having fun, hanging out.” (Boycott, 2006. p 1) stated Rosie Boycott, who turned 17 years old in the summer of 1967.
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Hippies of the 60's..

Hippies were citizens of the baby boom years 1945 to 1955. The term “Hippie” came from the word ‘hip’, which means “turned in” or “aware”. They were given this name, as they often rejected the customs, traditions and lifestyles of society in order to develop their own.
Hippies believed that helping people to express their feelings honestly, would help change the world to a happier, more peaceful society. Therefore, Hippies opposed Australia and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (1957 to 1975). Hippies also gave people flowers in order to express their feelings of kindness. This lead to Hippies, being referred to as “flower children”.
Many Hippies shared their possessions, and never settled down into a job or home. They often wandered from place to place seeking part-time work and temporary shelter. They also allowed their hair to grow long, wore sandals or went bare foot and often wore clothing which was brightly coloured with interesting patterns.
However, several Hippies associated themselves with drugs, such as; LSD and Marijuana, as these drugs were easily assessable during that decade. LSD causes the user to have hallucinations and effect the person’s senses; causing them to hear or see things that do not exist. “Drug experiences shaped many of their symbols and ideas.”(World Book Encyclopedia, 2004 edition)
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Clothing..

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In the early 1960’s and late 1950’s, clothes weren’t yet the bright floral fabrics that the 60’s were remembered for. They were traditional, and were normally dull colours of blacks, greys and whites which were unpopular with the younger generation, as they were conservative and old fashioned. To accommodate younger people, small, fashionable boutiques began to sell cheap and colourful clothing. Towards the middle of the 60’s decade, women started to wear knee length mini skirts, which were seen as a revolution and a scandalous one at that, because nothing that short had ever been seen before. Leather boots became more popular and heavy makeup was worn, including eyeliner and fake eyelashes. Men were inspired by British fashion, especially from the Beatles when they came to Australia in 1964. English designers Mary Quant and the Carnaby St designers for men began to be sold in Australia and created the trend for the rest of the 1960’s. Towards the end of the decade, however, skirts made from floaty, floral fabrics or Indian cotton fabrics again began to lengthen. Both men and women also wore psycadelic clothing and clothes were bigger and brighter than at the beginning of the decade.

The Vietnam War..

The Hippies were very open about their opinion on the Vietnam War and it was the beginning of the phrase, ‘make love not war’. Although America was the first western country to aide South Vietnam, many other countries, including Australia, played huge parts in the war against North Vietnam. Australian hippies, although against the war from the start, became outraged when young Australian men were conscripted, (in other words forced), to serve against North Vietnam. Many Australians were divided on the issue of conscription and many Australians (and Hippies) believed that Australia shouldn’t be involved in the war at all. Many organisations were formed to help return the men who were fighting in Vietnam back home to Australia. Some of these include; SOS (Save Our Sons). Also, during the Vietnam War, 150 000 Brisbane citizens participated in a national protest to ‘stop work to stop the war’.
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In all, about 50, 000 Australian troops served in Vietnam from 1962, with 520 dead and close to 2400 wounded. Australia redrew its troops in 1975 and by that time, most Australians were against the war, and some protests had become violent.


The Moratoriums were large protests that took place for the first time in Australia. These were led by many types of people, but mainly university students. The Anti-Vietnam War protestors held the first moratorium marches in Australia in May 1970. Approximately 120 000 people throughout Australia were involved with this protest.

Segregation and Integration..

In the early 1960’s, schools in Australia, America and Britain were assimilated and people from different races had an unconcealed hatred for each other. In Australia there wasn’t as much of a problem as there was in other countries because of the Immigration Restriction Policy, which meant that Australia was still a predominately white country. However, there were many separated schools, especially in NSW and Victoria where the Indigenous population was larger.
Hippies were always very firm on equal rights. They believed, and rightly so, that everyone was equal, not only if they were a different colour, but also if they were a different race, faith or sex. Towards 1963, many hippies protested in America against segregation, to the point of the famous March on Washington. Australia didn’t follow an assimilation policy until 1966, when the white Australia policy was finally abolished. There was a new policy for assimilation introduced and it was supported by both the government and hippies, as both recognised the importance of integration for ethnic organisations, and creating opportunities for individuals from different backgrounds.

Music and Dance..

The music and dancing styles often reflected the big changes in society, which affected fashion, hairstyles, and especially the styles of music that emerged from that era. As the “hippie” culture continued to increase in popularity, the new styles of music came into the spotlight. The main types of music in the 60’s were psychedelic, folk rock and pop, but also long instrumental solos and strange electronic effects were a part of many bands styles. However, there was no one style that was the most popular. There were many popular artists during this decade, including; The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Supremes, The Everly Brothers, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Sonny and Cher, The Who, the Doors and Pink Floyd.


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The Beatles were especially popular during this period. They became the most popular group in Rock History. The band consisted of 4 English men; Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison.

The Beatles, 1960's.

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Although there were major changes in the type of music, the dancing styles also reflected the big changes in society of that decade. The “twist” is an example of a popular dance in the 50’s. It became so popular due to the fact that it helped people let go of the cold war tension.
The music and dancing styles/techniques during the 1960’s contained much variety and was very different from previous decades.

Conclusion

By the end of the 1960’s a big social change had evolved in Australian society. In conclusion, the Hippies from the 60’s decade were examples that you could free yourself from societal restrictions, and could find your own meaning of life.


"Hippies started the ecology movement. They combated racism. They liberated sexual stereotypes, encouraged change, individual pride, and self-confidence. They questioned robot materialism. In four years they managed to stop the Vietnam War. They got marijuana decriminalized in fourteen states during the Carter Administration." (Leary, n.d.)



Neville and Ferrier, 1968. (Unknown 2007. Hippie Hippie shock, in technicolour, viewed October 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766964047.html)

Bibliography

The World Book Encyclopedia, 2004, 2nd and 9th edn, World Book, Inc. Chicago, USA.
Google 2008. Google image Search, viewed October 2008. http://www.google.com/imghp

Queensland Police Service 2008. LSD and Hallucinogens, viewed October 2008. http://www.police.qld.gov.au/services/drugs/identification/lsd.htm

Rosie Boycott 2006. Power to the People, viewed October 2008. www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2006/oct/08/2

The Sydney Morning Herald 2007. Hippie Hippie shock, in technicolour, viewed October 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766964047.html

The University of Queensland 2008. The Vietnam War, viewed October 2008. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/fryer/worth_fighting/6.html

Unknown n.d. From Hippie to New Ager, viewed October 2008. http://www.crystalinks.com/hippies.html

Unknown n.d. Famous Hippie Quotes, viewed October 2008. http://www.hippy.com/hippyquotes.htm
Unknown 2007. Hippie Hippie shock, in technicolour, viewed October 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/16/1194766964047.html

Valencia Higuera 2006. Hippies Life, viewed October 2008. http://www.loti.com/hippies_life.htm
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