Born in 1974?

This is a series of books about life in Australia – one for each year from 1939. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series, to coin a modern phrase, is designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten.

These were striking times in 1974. Whitlam and his Merry Ministers tried to change the world and did make impressions. Or maybe dents. In any case, inflation and strikes took the wind out of their sails, and their post-election aura was long gone by Christmas. They won an election but did not gain control of Parliament, they were fighting each other as well as the Opposition by then, and then the nation’s economy was a disaster. Jim Cairns was under the spotlight, and so to was Lionel Murphy. Frank Sinatra came and fought and went. Wills were sometimes ignored; mothers went to work if they chose.