Sydney Fifties Fair

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We have a local organisation, the Historic Houses Trust that has preserved a few houses representing the different phases since Australia was colonised (invaded), just over two hundred years ago. We recently visited one, the Rose Seidler House not far from where we live. This house is significant because it is a good example of the architecture and design of the fifties.

The fifties fair is held around the end of August each year in Sydney and runs all day.

The house was built between 1948 and 1950 for Rose and Max Seidler and at the time was rather controversial; it took rather a long time because of difficulties with the local council whose officials did not understand such modern building techniques. The architect was their son, the late Harry Seidler, international architect who was born in Vienna but eventually settled in Sydney. His background and training was unlike that of local architects: he had studied under Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer at the Harvard School of Design and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina with Joseph Albers. He also worked with Breuer at his New York practice and briefly with Oscar Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro. Seidler decided to establish himself in Sydney in 1948 after visiting his parents, who had moved there.

The occasion of our visit was a fifties fair which also gave us an opportunity to visit the house and have a look at the 50s furnishings. In the gardens they had 1950s style entertainment and many stalls selling memorabilia at unbelievable prices.







We then moved inside the house





Remember pictures like this?





Not unlike some of the modern IKEA designs





Great for visitors, not for long term sitting









Finally a look at the kitchen with all its labour saving devices, huge stove, they did a lot of entertaining and on the right of the sink was a very big top-loading dishwasher.

We noticed that on the small stage outside they had some 1950 style dancing. There are several clubs around Sydney that teach this style and they seem to be thriving and from what we could see doing it very well. The main difference from then to now was tights instead of stockings etc.











Later a group with the name “Flatfoot Shakers” came on. We were told that they spend about half the year playing in Las Vegas. We didn’t recognise many of the songs that they performed but they were good and sounded right.



In keeping with normal decorum I have managed to hide most of the drummer.







A really good singer who could move from one style to another quite easily.


We then had a walk around the grounds


Remember these, the kids loved it


Found some motorbikes


I had one of these, a 500cc BSA but I traded it in on a 1000cc single



This was a war time BSA, must be very rare, don’t think that they were available to the public in UK.






Did your Mums dress like this when doing the housework?







This couple seemed to thoroughly enjoy the music







Anyone from Australia might recognise Adrian Franklin and Niccole Warren panellists from the ABC TV show Collectors, seemed to be really nice unassuming people.



A few more vehicles







Do you ever remember about six people cramped into one of these on a rainy day playing Monopoly?





I don’t remember seeing many sidecars on scooters



Was this the original colour scheme?



Remember these in the sixties with flowers and other thing all over them?








Next we had a look around the stalls. If you have anything from this era don’t throw it away you could be rich.









We have a very similar table with four chairs that we picked up for next to nothing from the Salvation Army about 30 years ago. The asking price for this one is $350.





Remember anodising?





I think most young ladies had a make-up case like this.







A recent reproduction.



I don’t remember these but this one looked interesting





If you still have one of these you are rich. The ‘Goblin Teas Made’, in working condition the bring about $800 at auction.





Quite a few manufacturers of these retro styles, they sell through fairly high class shops at high class prices.



Modern Art but it might have had another name





Well we had a really good day but were glad that we had arrived early. The house and grounds would comfortably hold 500 people but half way through the day 3,000 had gone through the entrance and there were many more queuing as we left. Had a thought, if you want to make an investment for your children buy some of today’s’ goods and just store them properly with their original packing, a small investment today could be the deposit on their first house.

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Comments

[Sara Thomas]

Goblin Teasmade?
Hi Nigel I read through all of your blog, and it was great to see the photos of some extraordinary 50s memorabilia. I actually have my grandma's Goblin Teasmade and wondered which auction it was that brought such a huge amount ($800) for the teasmade you saw? It'd be great to hear back from you ... 2006 being so far away (: Cheers Sara

[NigWar]

Hi Sara, I got that figure from the local TV show "Collectors", that is the figure that one of them, Adrian Franklin, gave. He is a fifties freak though and he might have been a bit enthusiastic when he forecast that price. There were several stalls selling things that day and many of the asking prices were a bit high, I suspect that a bit of haggling would be expected.