From Hills Hoist to High Rise.
This book captures the spirit of home life in Australia, decade by decade since the 1920s. It presents a panorama of memories via the archives of Australia's best-loved home magazine. 'The Australian Home Beautiful' magazine has guided generations of readers through the good and tough years, through economic depression, world war, the ultra-modern fifties, the psychedelic sixties and seventies, and onto the present day.
When the first issue of the magazine appeared in 1925, electrical appliances were magical, new, and a bit daunting. How could one bake a cake with no visible flame? At the same time, the wireless was welcomed into living rooms as the latest in home entertainment. Many hoped it would keep the young people at home, safely away from those disreputable dance halls. Open-plan living, laminated bench tops and televisions were still a generation away and the very idea of personal computers and microwave ovens would have seemed like something from an H G Wells novel.
Celebrating the success of the magazine that has shaped Australian home style, the book is a unique record of home decoration from the 1920s to the present. From the bedroom, to the bathroom, the living room and the kitchen, this collection of fascinating images and absorbing text take the reader for a nostalgic stroll through our history.
