Building Australia

While houses from the recently decommissioned airforce base in Tocumwal, New South Wales, delivered via truck to Canberra went some way toward addressing the housing crisis in our nation's capital, with post war immigration and the baby boom the rest of Australia needed some 400,000 new homes. This episode tells the story of how factory built houses and project homes met this intense demand for housing and, to a degree, reflected both the taste for 'modernity' and the preferences of the 'New Australians' who moved into the spreading suburbs.

Beginning with the Father of Federation, and Australia's second prime minister Alfred Deakin's Federation Bungalow Ballara, this episode tells the story of the optimism and confidence that powered the movement to make Australia an independent nation. This national idealism was reflected in the assured, even showy architecture of the Federation house.

Up until now, the houses we've looked at were all meant as permanent residences. But, as the Labour Movement agitated for fair working conditions, including paid holidays and the five day week, leisure was on people's minds. This episode tells the story of what many did with their leisure - they built and, when they could, retreated to weekenders.