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In the past: Christmas in the city

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Old photo of Christmas display shows toy circus animals
In the past: Christmas in the city

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  F–2


Take a look at a crowded city street during the Christmas season more than 60 years ago.

Discover what Christmas shopping was like when your grandparents were not much older than you are today.

This silent black-and-white clip was filmed in Sydney in 1961.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Have you ever been to a big shopping centre at Christmas time? What do you remember about it? What do you usually see in the shops at this time of year? If you could talk to someone from the past, what questions would you ask them about shopping at Christmas time?
  2. 2.What do you notice about the cars in the clip? Note the men using wooden ladders as they decorate the Christmas trees on the roof. What can you see for sale in the shop displays? What are all the children looking at through the windows?
  3. 3.What things in the clip tell you it was filmed in the past? How have these things changed? What things in the clip are the same today? Think about the workers on the roof. What do you notice about workers today when they are doing dangerous jobs? (Hint: do they have special clothing and safety equipment?) Talk with an adult about safety rules for workers today.
  4. 4.Ask an older person about the gifts they received when they were children. What gifts do you like to receive today? What do you think people will give to children in the future? Make three lists of children's gifts, named Past, Present and Future. Use words or drawings. What things could go in more than one list?



Date of broadcast: 2 Mar 1961


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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