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What is a meat safe?

Before fridges were invented, people used meat safes to keep their food cool. But what is a meat safe? Watch this clip to find out! What was the meat safe made out of? How was it designed to keep bugs out? And how did the meat safe actually keep food cool? Think about the way we keep food cool today. How do the fridges ...

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George Negus Tonight: Impact of the contraceptive pill on Australia

If you had to name the most significant inventions of the 20th century, would you think of the contraceptive pill? Very few inventions have had such an impact upon Australian society or been as controversial. In this clip, discover how life changed for many Australian women with the arrival of 'the pill'. See how attitudes ...

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Belief: Mormons in contemporary Australia

Have you ever had somebody knock at your door, wanting to share their faith? If so, you may have been visited by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of this religion believe that it is important to spread their message, and do so by door-knocking around the world, including in Australia. ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Mysteries of Angkor

Did you know that around 800 years ago the world's biggest city was in Cambodia? From the 10th century, Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled a huge part of South-East Asia for around three centuries. But Angkor was abandoned in the 15th century. Discover how modern archaeological techniques are now helping ...

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Four Corners: Native title: 200 years in the making

What do you know about the struggle for native title in Australia? On 3 June 1992 the High Court of Australia handed down a landmark ruling that acknowledged that the Meriam people of the Torres Strait had the right to hold native title over their islands (Murray, or Mer, Dauar and Waier). Find out more about this critical ...

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Spotlight: Power, religion and the civil rights movement

Imagine what you could achieve if you joined together with people who thought the same way as you did about an important issue? In a panel interview in 1960, US entertainer and rights activist Paul Robeson points out the potential political power African Americans could wield if they voted as a bloc, or single group.

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Nexus: Controversy surrounding the Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is considered the 'eighth wonder of the world'. Although recognised as a major landmark today, its construction was controversial. In 1966, the building's Danish designer and chief architect, Jorn Utzon, was forced to withdraw from his position. In this clip listen to Jorn Utzon and discover why he ...

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The Perth Mint Starts Making Currency: The gold rush era

The gold rush of the 1890s, which started in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, prompted a rush of hopeful prospectors to Western Australia. Perth Mint exhibition supervisor Greg Cooke talks about the reality of life in the harsh outback with little water and no roads. Would you have risked your life to try to find your fortune ...

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Life in Medieval Europe: Good and bad medicine

How sophisticated was medical practice in Medieval Europe? In this clip, learn about common forms of diagnosis and cures for ailments in the 14th century. And brace yourself for a medieval-style amputation; it's not pretty. This clip is one in a series of five.

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Flashez: Teenage drinking in the 1970s

Do you think that Australian teenagers drink too much alcohol? If so, do you think this is a new problem? Discover what teenagers thought about such drinking back in the 1970s. This ABC program from 1977 looks at the issue of teenage drinking, some possible reasons for it and some of the social problems arising from it.

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Cambodian refugees

How do people become refugees? From the late 1960s, the small Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia was dragged into a war that was not of its making. Many thousands of its people suffered terribly when their country was caught up in the Vietnam War. Watch as ABC reporter Andrew Swanton covers the flight of refugees into the ...

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Four Corners: Sukarno's collaboration with Japan during WW II, 1966

Imagine that, in order to preserve your freedom, you had to fight alongside your enemy. During World War II, Indonesian nationalists - led by Sukarno - collaborated with Japanese invaders. Richard Oxenburgh's commentary provides a well-argued historical explanation for Sukarno's collaboration with the Japanese in Indonesia.

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Four Corners: Do women's rights threaten men's domains?

Explore the attitudes of Australian men towards the rights of Australian women in the 1960s. Could women's rights threaten those of men's or were such fears typical of gender discrimination? This clip from 1965 investigates the reactions of Queensland men to the suggestion that women should be allowed to drink in public ...

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Four Corners: Margaret Valadian interviewed in 1967

What is the role of interviewers who explore social issues? In this 1967 clip from Four Corners, Margaret Valadian is recognised as the first Aboriginal Australian graduate of the University of Queensland. Here, in the middle of the panel discussion she is questioned by Robert Moore about her personal and professional life.

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The dismissal of the Whitlam government, 1975

On 11 November 1975, something happened that had never occurred before in Australia and has not happened since. It was the sacking of an elected prime minister, and therefore also his government, by an unelected office-holder, the governor-general, who was appointed by the prime minister. How could such a thing happen? ...

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River Valley Civilisations: How did a river valley civilisation arise?

The world's first civilisations arose around rivers. Why do you think this was? Think about the characteristics of a civilisation and how advanced agricultural practices allowed civilisations to flourish. This video mentions four ancient civilisations. Can you think of other civilisations that emerged near a river?

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Thinkabout, Talkabout: Getting around town during the war years

During a fuel crisis, how do most people get around? In Australia during World War II, fuel was rationed (restricted so that people could buy only limited amounts), as it was in very short supply. Car parts were also in limited supply, so they were hard to replace. Hear some accounts of that time and watch footage from ...

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Weekend Magazine: Race riots after the death of Martin Luther King, 1968

Discover what the USA was trying to come to terms with in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Destruction and killing in more than 100 cities is what followed the event. This Weekend Magazine special report features African American civil rights activist Floyd McKissick commenting on the riots and calling ...

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Pocket Compass, Ep 5: An immigration nation

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull once described Australia as an 'immigration nation'. What do you think he meant by that? Do you agree? |Watch four very different people speak about their experiences as first- and second-generation migrants. What were some reasons they or their parents migrated to Australia?

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The Traditional Owners of Perth: Whadjuk country

Ever wondered what life was like for the traditional owners of Perth before the British arrived in 1829? Whadjuk [pronounced wod-JUK] Noongar Elder and ambassador Dr Noel Nannup talks about traditional Whadjuk ways of life and key cultural places in Perth, and he teaches us the Noongar words for some Perth suburbs (such ...