The mystery box

Percival Milverton

The mystery box

Sometimes we are given objects in boxes about the past we do not really comprehend the contents of until we go rummaging through. They may sometimes be something that would help as the building blocks to learning more about family member’s lives and where they had lived. Pictures, school certificates and even house insurance receipts fill in the gaps that might be in the families lives like where they lived down to the street and suburb. When families move house or pass away many of these records do have a tendency to disappear into storage or even taken to the local dump without thought. What doesn’t seem to be of value, could actually be valuable to many family historians in the form of primary sources.

When I was holidaying in New Zealand, I stayed with my grandparents for around five days before I would travel to Auckland and then home in Australia. Not long after I had arrived at their place, my grandmother pulled out a box that was sitting under the computer desk. It was a jumble of things that had been placed in there and on top were several old photos with the edges torn folded to the shape of the box. These photos I had recognised their importance as I knew the subject matter, these a2 size photos were of firemen sitting in front of a camera. I knew these photos were of my great, great grandfather, Percival Milverton when he was involved with the fire brigade in Palmerston North between 1900 and 1945. One other item was a photo album, which had many pictures that I had never seen before. Some of these were of the Milverton family members with several that were from the late 1800s. One of the pictures was of Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

It actually took me several days before I was able to have the time for an in-depth look through this box. It didn’t help that I had started just before 10pm and it took me longer than I had expected. Luckily on my person I had several folders one was a normal one and the other was one of the big A2 folders for the bigger sheets of paper. I had used this on other parts of my trip especially when getting some information on another branch of the family while in Wanganui with the surname of Watt through the local archives. As I was pulling things out of the box, many of the loose documents I was placing into folders as I did not want them to become torn or fall apart once I put everything back into the box neatly. I was allowed to take a few of the things I found home, which would be around 5 days away. The folders actually started filling up with many school certificates and other documents from around 1912 to 1980.

I did not take every file or document home with me as there were still stuff in the box when I left mainly as my bag would end up becoming over weight when I left on the plane. Some of the heavier items I did leave letting my grandmother know that I would collect them at a later date. What was left behind was interesting in their own right. Some of these items included seven motor Caravan association bulletins between 1979 and 1981, A ribbon and ribbon case for the Ancient Order of Foresters, two books about stock and purchase prices including if the animal was lost in the bush or died, various letters that had been written around the 1940s and two telegrams. I did find another two photo albums down towards the bottom of the box, which had pictures from my great grandmother’s younger days just before she was married. Not that most of the text helped me very much when it had the usual that people write is “me”.

The next morning I showed what I had found to my grandmother and said she had not actually been through the box herself. I surprised her with many of the photos and we set out with identifying many of them especially since she knew a lot of the people. I had never seen these photos before and not many of them did identify who the characters were. On several of the photos, I wrote the names of the people along the borders or on the back of the picture themselves. It did take several hours to actually look through the photos and I made sure the albums, I was taking with me home were safe in my bag. Before leaving I did place the loose photos that I was not taking with me back into the box, but into a bubble wrap bag, where I hope they would be safe from the elements. The return home would be several days in Auckland before flying back to Australia with the albums in my hand luggage.

The copying of the letters, photos and other documents did take several days to complete. I was careful when removing loose photos from the albums to places them back into their exact place they were. On closer inspection several photos from my great, great grandfather’s album had pictures of locations from America, which included early ones of fire brigades. These could only have come from the uncle who had gone to America. I had assumed the family had been estranged when Frederick Milverton had been left behind in England. Several pieces of evidence recently have shown this was not the case. Frederick had two photos in Percival’s album including a portrait wearing the uniform of what I soon learnt was that of a Judge Advocate in the US, several photos showing American landmarks and fire brigades. Another was as witness in the 1904 wedding of Amelia Milverton to John Harold Watt in Palmerston North and the death notice of Frederick within the Palmerston North paper clippings for the Palmerston North fire brigade, where Percival Milverton was Superintendent.

The records I have received will lead to further enquiries for further research. The portrait of Frederick Milverton has led to contact within the United States to learn more about his service within the Judge Advocate beginning from WWI, through a historian familiar with the records. The correct storage of old photos to preserve them for longer, while in storage or someplace safe. The pictures of the other Milverton’s and even several Lissington’s will eventually lead to more people in the pictures being identified. Research into Percival Milverton has already shown results especially when pictures have been discovered of him when he was younger. Research into his record through the Fire brigade in Palmerston North has been fruitful especially when records are found in Newspapers and National Archives in New Zealand. This does not mean the research has been concluded as there will always be questions, which need to be answered.

One of the records I found

What impact did the media portrayal of the Vietnam War have on the Australian national identity?

    

The Vietnam War was mainly seen as an American conflict although Australia followed them into the war. Australia’s involvement began in 1965 until 1975 when they were withdrawn. Australia’s involvement shaped the general public’s vision of what conflict involving Australian soldiers and changed what they had thought of the ANZAC legend. Memory to conflict could be selective and maybe politically motivated depending on the organisation who was distributing the information. In previous wars, a legend was created like when Charles Bean created the Anzac Book. This created a legend about those who served during the First World War and would have had an impact on how people viewed soldiers. The purpose of the Vietnam War was for the spread of communism to be stopped in its tracks. The media followed in the footsteps of both countries and with nearly free reign began reporting the war from their perspective both at home and in Vietnam. The war in Vietnam was the first war where the public could view images from the conflict in their living rooms from their Televisions. Australia during this time had their White Australia policy, which made the country worried especially when the country was mainly Anglo Saxon and Asia was on their doorstep. Vietnam was the first of many wars, where technology would be used for reporting wars.

   The idea for war in Vietnam was to prevent communism from spreading as the general thought was if one country fell then other countries in Asia would fall to communism. During this time America was in battle with The Soviet Union who was trying spreading their communist ideals throughout the world. Both countries were nuclear powers during the Cold War and both were waiting for the other to launch nuclear strikes against each other. The Cold War had begun not long after the Second World had ended and the allies were occupying Germany. During the Cold War several hot wars occurred during this time. One was the Korean War, which Australians had participated and the other was the Vietnam War, where Australia also followed America. War in Vietnam was nothing new as the history of the country had a reputation of being conquered by many races and nationalities within its history. China had both invaded Vietnam through its many dynasties along with the French who had come later. All would eventually be repelled and America would be the next group to visit the country in the name of conquest and to prevent an ideal called communism to stop spreading. The cold war was one of two events which was occurring during the same time and was when European empires had begun decolonising in Asia.

  People’s perspective of war in their minds was of something brave and heroic. The battle between good and evil was supposed to be one where the good were always victorious. The Television broadcasts of the Vietnam War changed people’s minds and showed them the reality of what war was actually like. They were shown the harsh reality of what was really occurring. Images published and shown on TV are seen to for a perspective of what the promoter wants the viewer to see or remember and then views a memory and an association with an event especially during wars. Memory of an event occurred, when the US wanted to send soldiers to Vietnam was actually manipulated and had not occurred at all. The Americans wanted an event where they could send the military so a story was fabricated of their ships being attacked when they had actually not been, although the media had been manipulated during the time. The event became a national memory. The Cold War during this time was something America had been fighting with communism. The knowledge of Vietnam and the war in Australia was very limited in the way the public interpreted them. In 1968 ninety five percent of Australians had access Television set either at home or elsewhere.

  The first people to be sent to Vietnam from Australia were combat advisors who would train the Vietnamese soldiers in jungle warfare that Australia had learnt while they were in Malaya. The advisors also known as the Australian Army Training Team were in Vietnam to help in the defeat of communism. It had not been until later when armed soldiers went to Vietnam as the advisors were actually unarmed combatants. When Australian troops were sent to Vietnam, several newspapers asked the general public about their opinion of the war. Different newspapers asked the public at various locations throughout the country. The newspapers found mixed responses and many people who did not have any idea of what was going on within the country and even where it was actually located. Some people who replied they did read the papers were not concerned about what was occurring overseas or did not even know about the war. The newspaper surveys found there was a need for better communication when informing the public not only from the news, but through the government too.

  One newspaper ‘The Australian’ was mainly against the war in Vietnam from the beginning and sending Australian troops to the country. The newspaper continued its stance throughout the entire time Australia was in Vietnam. Other Australian newspapers were happy to send troops over to Vietnam and supported the government’s decision. The only fear the media hid hold about America was if Australia would be abandoned by her ally if Australia didn’t fulfil obligations or commitments when we may need help in later years when needed. Television did open up different styles of reporting the war to the rest of the world especially Australia. The media in Australia asked questions in newspaper editorials about sending support to Vietnam, but did not seek out answers to their questions, which had been asked. Vietnam War was known as the television war or living room war. The public influenced by images that were directed to their TV as they were able to access images of the war quickly than in previous generations. The media during this time mainly had near free reign during the war and not all journalists were experienced in reporting about war.

  The American media was seen as a force of manipulation to events during the war. They were actually accused of being the force behind the Americans withdrawing from Vietnam and the war being lost. Many people who reported the war had no experience and actually ignored certain aspects of events which were occurring. Photos were seen as an important part of the war by bringing a visual representation back to the newspaper reading public. Some events where the media had witnessed something occurring like a monk in Vietnam burning himself in protest where they could have prevented did not. The reporter commented about the event “He could have as a human, but as a reporter he could not become involved with politics in another country”. Newspapers published pictures of Vietnam that became see as the war. The public associated images of war with true events although they interpreted the image to what they had thought it to be and not the entire event. The entire war from beginning to start war played out in the media outlets especially through the newspapers within Australia. As a nation people remember events differently or are influenced by through popular culture and even by the media. The memory during the Vietnam War was influenced largely by the media bombarding people at home with images of both the protests and what was happening outside the country as well. Events can be manipulated in such a form that only certain parts remain in memory especially when used with audio visual.

  Protestors of the Vietnam War used several incidents of events which had occurred under command of Australian soldiers. One of these events was the alleged water torture, where a female Vietcong soldier was tortured by Australian soldiers. Some of the anti war protestors used this event to attack the myth of the Aussie ANZAC. Various protest groups gathered for a mass protest called a moratorium, which had been successful in America. The first Moratorium was held on the eight of May in 1970. This was a peaceful march and riots had been expected in the cities although none occurred. People were surprised at the numbers that did appear in the cities especially in Melbourne where between 50,000 to 100,000 people attended. Myth through the Vietnam War has been something that triggers the collective national memory. One of these is images of protest movements or the deliberate exclusion of an actual even to make it seem something that it was not. When the American president was in the city of Melbourne his car was covered in paint by several protestors who were amongst the crowd welcoming him. Images of the painted vehicle circled the world. Another was of one woman during a march for returned soldiers. She covered herself in red paint and smeared some paint on several soldier. Memory of the crowds and the march are drowned out and replaced by those of a woman covered in paint.

  Movies can be influential in providing memories of events especially when one person was recording another’s memories of a war and found the events being played out were actually from a movie and not his own memories. Movies about wars like Vietnam can portray people differently on screen than what it is like in Real life. The hero who is misunderstood or who wants to fit in do what is expected of them like Rambo, movies create a myth about what happened during events which have occurred. Popular culture during the Vietnam War flourished and affected public memory of events especially when influenced by Hollywood films and war novels about the conflicts. Many were from America especially films which stared celebrities like John Wayne who was more known for his western films. The movies did lead to other literature to being written by Veterans of the conflict. The experiences in Vietnam during and after the war did emerge amongst Australians create their own version through popular culture that played with the national memory. Many ideas and movies came from America, although several bands performed songs they created about the Vietnam experience. Bands like Redgum and Cold Chisel sang songs like ‘I was only 19’ and ‘Khe Sanh’ dedicated to the veterans and events which took place. The images used by Redgum were actually of American events and not totally Australian. The use of popular culture helped the veterans on the road to recognition.

  Attendance during ANZAC Day during the 1960s and 1970s was at an all time low during the Vietnam War. The sights and sounds of the Vietnam War, which was associated with the Australian was actually an American public memory. When the veterans to Vietnam returned from service they were treated differently to those who had served in the two world wars. They never rose to the legendary status of the Anzac and were either ignored or seen as problems that could be ignored. Around ten years after the Vietnam War the healing process for the veterans had actually begun when Welcome Home marches in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne were used as recognition to those who had served. It was not until 1992, when a national memorial in Canberra had been constructed. Smaller memorials and plaques had been appearing since 1982 in towns across Australia. Vietnam War memorials have increased since the 1980s. There are many monuments dedicated to the Vietnam War throughout the country. The soldiers who served during the war have been dedicated during the ANZAC day parades and the battle of Long Tan is commemorated every year. The official history of the Vietnam War has recently been published through the Australian War Memorial, which would cover all aspects of the conflict.

  Technology since the Vietnam War has changed especially the style of reporting than the use of the media. The mass media saturation exposure of an event like the Gulf War provided live viewing on events from the actual battle field until later events where new techniques were used like blogs and direct access to hot spots with both sides playing the game. Lessons learned from the war in Vietnam that there was a need for the military to explain their roles to the public clearly. Information to be clearly communicated to the public did tend to change when there was a conflict in communication between the reporting of events in Vietnam and from what Parliament house was sending out, which caused confusion amongst the public. Australia’s role in Vietnam can also be seen in future wars that include the American government. One would be the involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan when Australia joined in to help hunt down weapons of mass destruction and terrorist cells. Australia follows America even though would be seen later that the public and media were lead to believe there was something dangerous when there was not. The media in the later conflicts were fed information and censured to make sure that the military could control some aspect of their involvement. 

   Australian and overseas media were used during the events of the Vietnam War to push agendas and create memories of events. Motivation and reasons to send soldiers into war were used by governments to explain why. The time of the Vietnam War was when the Cold War in America was in full swing and their war against communism. The media’s role during the war in Vietnam was in bringing images straight to the living rooms of people back home. After the war popular culture played its part with restoring the reputation of the soldiers who had served overseas and the public accepted the service men as the war they had viewed was different to what they had believed in their minds how they perceived war. Pictures and video told stories to people of events which have become part of the national memory to the war. Many of these images, which Australians perceived as their own were actually from American events. The technology the media used evolved since Vietnam until the internet and live streaming became part of the war experience, which is well known today and accepted. Each war brings new memories the general public recognises as being part of that conflict, which has occurred. Memories of events are not part of war either as larger events could be depicted by a single event like protests amongst dignitaries from other countries being welcomed or events influencing the public and major events occurring at home like criminal trials.

Sources

Appy, Christian G. Vietnam: The definitive oral history told from all sides, Suffolk, Ebury Press, 2003.

Bourke, Joanna 'Remembering War', Journal of Contemporary History, London, SAGE Publications, 2004.

Dennis, Peter and Grey, Jeffery The Military and the Media: The 2008 chief of army military history conference, ed. Peter Dennis and Jeffery Grey, Australian History Military Publications, 2008

.
Griffin, Michael 'Media images of war', Media, War and Conflict, SAGE, 2010.

Harper, Melissa and White, Richard Symbols of Australia: Uncovering the stories behind the myths, Sydney, UNSW Press, 2010

Kent, D.A. 'The Anzac Book and the Anzac legend: C.E.W. Bean as editor and image-maker.', Historical Studies, 21, 1985, pp. 376-390.

Payne, Trish War and Words: The Australian Press and the Vietnam War, Carlton, Melbourne University Press, 2007.

Cook, Peter and Manning, Corinne Australia’s Vietnam War in History and Memory, Melbourne, La Trobe University, 2002.

Edwards, Peter A Nation at War: Australian Politics, Society and Diplomacy during the Vietnam War 1965 - 1975, St Leonards, Allen and Unwin, 1997

Grey, Jeffrey and Doyle, Jeff Vietnam: War, Myth and Memory, St Leonards, Allen and Unwin, 1992.

Ham, Paul The Illustrated Edition Vietnam: The Australian War, Sydney, Harper Collins Publishers, 2010

Cold War, children and youth in the 1950’s

American popular culture during the 1950s was the most influential of cultures in the world especially to the younger generation who were called the baby boomers. Many other western countries were actually influenced by America in one way or another. The major threat to the American way of life during this time was from communism. The 1950’s culture is central to the events of the Cold War, where America was in a battle against communism within the country. Radio would have been a popular medium of Cold War popular culture, although the new forms of mediums like Television, music and comic books during this time would have had more influence. Children and youth during the decade of the 1950s was influenced by different forms of popular culture and the technology that bought about changes to the way they lived, which continues until the present day. Television was in its infancy during this time period and was used as a tool for education and entertainment. Reading material like comic books and even some forms of music were subject to harsh scrutiny, which would pave the way to their reinvention and censorship. Events which occurred during this decade shaped the future until the end of the Cold War. America at the time was against communism and this lead to hearings by Senator Joseph McCarthy into communists within the government and the entertainment industry being regulated by HUAC in search for supporters of communism, who were thought to over throw the government, thus the silver screen released anti communist style movies. The Atomic bomb was now possessed by the Soviets, bringing with it the fear the United States and other countries would be attacked, which started with the civil defence movement.  The Korea War occurred, when America started fighting against communist forces of the Chinese that lead to Korea being divided to the north and south. Towards the end of the decade the Soviets caused a stir, when they launched the first satellites before America that entered the Space Race.

Popular culture during the 1950s was heavily influenced by events during the time especially in regards to the Cold War. Important parts of the decade were the McCarthy hearings and the HUAC style inquisitions were influential as they both involved with hunting for communists. While Joseph McCarthy was hunting for communists amongst the government with his list of communists and direct accusations, HUAC was doing the same within the various industries that would eventually lead to the use of popular cultural items that had a slant towards being anti communist when items and people seen to be supportive of communism were blacklisted and nor published. The Russians were very aware of the propaganda that was being used against them through all forms of mass media that was used as popular culture during the 1950s. Spies had reported back home about the use of anti Soviet and anti communist material was being directed towards the middle class American families. The youth of this time started standing up to their peers when a culture of their own had been created.  The Rock and Roll craze bought about hysteria that would continue onto the next decades to follow. Movies about the youth rebel at the time started appearing.

At the start of the decade Senator Joseph McCarthy pointed out there were communists within the government and this lead to hearings to find proof. McCarthy was one of the most famous anti communists during the decade for voicing his opinions publically. This in turned coined the word McCarthyism, which became part of the American culture during this time. HUAC and McCarthy were seen as working together when they here actually two separate inquiries although they were working towards the same goal of stamping out communism within their country. This was in part known as the second Red Scare as a whole new fear of the communist gained ground and Senator McCarthy were actually feeding the fear by attacking those who he thought were the enemy. Joseph McCarthy would go on in 1954 with hearings against the army, where he thought there were communists. This was broadcast live on Television for a short period of time.  Joseph McCarthy was the biggest threat to all forms of communism during the 1950s until the other senators decided to censure him and the hearings vanished.

Early in the 1950s, Hollywood was told they had a positive duty to make anti communist films by one of the people in HUAC by the name of Richard Nixon, who would later become the president on the United States.One of the most active anti communist groups in America during the 1950’s was HUAC also known as the House on Un- American Activities Committee. They had been active in the 1940’s and their aim was to find those who were involved with communist activities that could be used to overthrow the government. They were most active within the entertainment industry and had a reputation for getting people into trouble and out of work. The most famous group that had been blacklisted shortly before the decade started was the Hollywood Ten, a group of men who were not allowed to work within the movie industry in America as they had not answered the questions given to them and opted to remain silent. The 1950’s bought about more people being interviewed by the group and more people were blacklisted with suspected ties to the communist parties or other groups. Other people were listed in the Red Book as being suspected of being involved with communism. There was a view, anything or anyone who showed signs of being un-American would lead to the downfall of America. During the time of HUAC hearings, Hollywood was using the silver screen to portray the communist as evil people. Hollywood used scare tactics of lies and smearing as a strategy to show Communists as those who would take advantage and exploit those in times of need or incite hatred. 

During the decade the testing of atomic bombs on American soil; scientists were worried about the long term side effects of using an atomic bomb especially when they knew so little about the radiation and the dangers of it. Popular culture at the time played on the effects of radiation and fallout from the bombs. Books and movies both portrayed what could happen from giant ants in Them! And even On the Beach, where the world was slowly being wiped out by a radioactive cloud and the setting for the end of the world was in Melbourne, Australia. The movie and book of the same name were discredited as being further from the truth by the Eisenhower Administration. Spies during the 1950s, who publicised their exploits through popular culture, drove home through the media the perils of the Red Menace. This was through the different mediums such as books, films, TV shows and radio. This gave a face to the public of the fears of the communist that would use the atomic bomb for war. Popular media turned the understanding of the Russians into a stereotype that the general public believed, why would the government have a reason to lie about the greatest threat to their country.

The world had changed once the Soviets detonated their first atomic bomb in 1949, making the Americans fear they would be the next ones attacked. The Atomic bomb bought about great changes to how people portrayed the world. The Soviets were now seen as a threat greater than the government could understand and the authorities needed something to protect their populace. During the early 1950s the Federal Civil Defence Administration (FCDA) was formed. Their job was to design education programs and propaganda material, which would be used to inform the general public. The reason for anti communist and atomic war civil defence educational movies in education was a genuine fear during the cold war that the Americans would end up in a war with the Soviets. Civil defence was different in countries all over the world during the Cold War, but they usually had the same idea. Civil defence usually had four parts that were to be implemented during at attack. Detection of a possible attack and warn the civilian population, a policy to evacuate urban areas, construction of shelters and survival on a national scale. Children in schools would be educated on what they would do during the detonation of an atomic bomb. At this time few schools had televisions, although it was usually up to the various states to enforce. The shows that were shown were information programs like Bert the turtle in ‘Duck and Cover’. At one point school children were given identity dog tags, so they could be identified in the event nuclear war began.

The civil defence movies like duck and cover were not the only movies shown to school children and teenagers. Educational films like a company called Coronet instructional Films gave advice about how young people were supposed to react in different domestic situations. Many movies including foreign movies depicted the impact of nuclear weapons being used. The civil defence movies showed the Americans were ready for an attack coming from the Russians and had movies about how to spot a communist traitor to their country. Today the series can be viewed on Youtube in the order of when they were made. Many of the old black and white educational films from the 1950s can be found online. The red scare during the 1950’s had an impact on the minds of young people, especially when everything was suspected with having ties to communism including the teachers. Schools were basically the front line, where children could be influenced through the educators and what they taught.  Children were taught that communism was not the correct way of living and it was a threat to modern western society. The western countries like America and the UK used popular media like propaganda to shape the thinking of their countries youth. Books like Biggles pointed out the Soviets were evil people and would do anything to turn countries against each other for their purposes. They also made communism to be a bigger threat as well especially to the western countries like America and the UK. The Era of the Cold War bought about a new way of teaching the youth how to react. The use of censorship on popular mediums like music and books were seen as social control.

 

Television during the early Cold War era was seen as way to use culture as a tool for National Security, national identity, creativity, values of freedom and self realisation as a concept that could be used overseas, by showing their programs that depicted the American way of life.   There were some people within the government that did not want Television to be used as a direct propaganda battle against the Soviet Union communism. Television became popular during the decade especially in the United States as it was available since the early 1950s, although Australia did not get TV until later in the decade. The TV serials shown were not directed at the Cold War, but showing shows about the ideal American lifestyle like family sitcoms, where families were near perfect and every problem was worked out within the time frame of the show. The perfect family was usually a nuclear family consisting of a housewife who was the homemaker, a Working husband who was the bread winner and two children. Gender roles are shown as how the ideal life was meant to be in the suburban household. Children were watching the same shows their parents were watching, so the generation was being influenced by a whole new genre of material.

The spy in popular culture during the decade of the 1950’s was influenced by events that took place during this time. Spies were seen everywhere during the decade as Senator McCarthy was trying to oust them from the government and the army. HUAC was exploring the communist ideals that were appearing within movies and amongst people who were involved with creating the mediums like the movies. Two spies at the time were executed for treason in the United States was the Rosenbergs. Ian Flemming published his first James Bond Novel in England called Casino Royale. He had moved away from being fully anti communist to a character who was a gentleman. The Bond novels and later the movies became a very popular franchise.  Television shows and movies were becoming popular in exploring the spy during this time especially when people who claimed they were spies for the government appeared. Children watched television shows that centred on the spy and their exploits against the communist threat. Cartoons and live action shows included Rocky and Bullwinkle, Atom Squad and Flying Commando. The characters always triumphed over the communist bad guys in the end. Heroes from radio were adapted into the new format of television.

One of the people who had influence over popular culture in the 1950’s was Walt Disney, who was a founding member for the Motion Picture Alliance (MPA) for the Preservation of American Ideals. This group was active by helping and being involved with HUAC and their hunt for communists with in the entertainment industry. Walt Disney owned the Disney Company that produced animated movies with characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Disney movies try to show children an ideal world where happy endings always happen by the end credits.  Disney movies during the 1950 Cold War times showed children an ideal world where conformity was the normal part of life, where the capitalist was the right way to live. Social hierarchy, social norms, family values were all part of the Disney shows informing children subtly about how they should live their lives. Disney had its role in shaping the minds of people especially since it was part of the popular culture that has prevailed across all time.  Disney is seen as the most influential of all popular culture that is directed towards children.

Disney movies during the 1950s showed images of a utopian life that was aimed at the minds of children. These images of perfection were shown amongst the movies and even throughout the theme park when it opened in 1955. Disneyland shows examples of American popular culture along with places of better living. Disneyland in the decades following its opening had expanded and entertained children. The theme park had several fantasy areas like frontierland, which all featured within the opening credits of Disney productions. The atom and its uses were explained to children by Walt Disney through a film called ‘Our friend the atom’. The film was meant to be for education through schools to teach science classes and there was a book published by the same name as well. During this time the Disney studios were involved with bringing space exploration to the masses by using one of the men who was involved with the Space Race, Wernher Von Braun. Walt Disney used Wernher’s expertise in rocketry to make films about how man would be sent into space during the late 1950s. Both men knew the benefits of using the new medium that was television to get the message across and into every house, when asked it was said Von Braun jumped at the chance to help Disney. Wernher Von Braun would later be part of NASA after the Soviets had launched Sputnik in October 1957.

Superheroes in comic books during the Second World War fought the evil Nazis and with the end of the war the humble superhero had found another enemy to battle. The Villains of the Cold War were now the communist often seen as thugs, so they started appearing in the comic books. Various superheroes like Captain America were portrayed battling communist villains.  The 1950s comic books were very popular with young people. It was not until 1954, which the comic book underwent a great and monstrous change that would be felt in the decades to follow afterwards. The story of comic books can be told in two parts, why they were the subject of a McCarthy style investigation and what the industry would do to regulate the offending books. This would mean they would be more sanitised and wholesome for the readers who were usually younger people. During this time the communist threat was actually the comic book themselves and people exploited this by spreading fear and hysteria.

            In 1953, a publication written by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham called ‘Seduction of the innocent’ discussed what forms of mass media would be suitable for children. The book mostly discussed the dangers of the comic books and the mass media that was corrupting children. The publication ended up with the comic book industry being reviewed by a senate inquiry that lead to the comic book code being formed. The senate inquiry not only looked at the contents of the horror comic book, but the superheroes were in the firing line as well. Batman and Robin were two heroes that were viewed upon with suspicion mainly to do with their relationship and their sexuality was actually questioned. The harmful effects of comic books on young people are similar to how violence in computer games today has been placed under the microscope by the media. The comic book industry opted for their own guidelines instead of the government stepping in and making the decision for them. 

The comic book Industry in 1954 created the Comics Code Authority (CCA) as a form of self censorship due to the senate inquiry that was to investigate juvenile delinquency, which was held around April to June. The main aim of the Comics code was to restrict the sale of comic books containing sex, crime, horror and violence set out in the guidelines. To be approved by the CCA comics had to have good triumphing evil.  The bad guys punished by the law for their misdeeds and show moral decency, which included not showing current issues like drug use. This meant the horror comic books that contained excessive use of bloodshed and various uses of horror were now out of business. The comics that bore the code on their covers promised the young readers were now safe to read the books. Shops that sold comic books would not sell the ones that had no comics code stamped on the front cover.Over the next few decades comics would change with the different times until the CCA approval was actually dropped by many publishers after the end of the Cold War when new forms distribution opened up. 

America was not the only country looking to ban horror comics as the UK had started doing the same thing when one of their own researchers had said the comic book could influence young people to commit crimes they had seen being glorified in the popular medium. In Australia during 1954, the comic industry was being publically scrutinised, when one of the comic artists was on trial for rape and the media pointed out his work contained violence of a graphical nature. Queensland at the same time had formed a literature board of review that had banned one comic, called The Lone Avenger. Australia didn’t have a comic’s code like America, although censorship of some comics were seen as being similar in nature to what was being banned overseas. Towards the end of the decade the Australian comics were in direct competition with the American comic books and had suffered from the bad press, which had ended up with regulation of the Comic book industry in America.

Music during the decade for youth had changed to something the adults actually feared. Rock and Roll first came into being when Bill Hailey and his Comets played ‘Rock around the Clock’ in 1954 for the movie Blackboard Jungle. Older people thought of this music as gangster rebellion and communist infiltration. This actually bought about bans across America from radio stations of the music, which had bought about a Rock and Roll scare just like the comic books. There were groups that were anti Rock and Roll as people was the music as disruptive especially when it encouraged the youth to dance and sing to the music. During this time there were some radio stations and groups which actively destroyed the records either on air or strangely enough as a publicity stunt in one case one of the disk jockey’s borrowed a hearse to dump records into the ocean by a mock funeral service. Towards the late 1950s, one person that became very popular within Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley appeared on the scene. Elvis became popular for his music with youth of the day for his music. Rock music was viewed as black music and it horrified people, when young white Americans were singing and dancing to the music especially to Elvis who had became an instant icon of the age. Studios like Ed Sullivan at first ignored him and even censured the songs, but it was not long before he was shown on Television. The Rock and Roll movement would become more distinguished during the decades following for its popularity and the bands playing in the genre.

By analysing the Cold War period of the 1950’s popular Culture, researchers can understand what was happening during this time where the fear of threats abroad and within their country thrown into their laps and fed to them by the mass media, especially from Television that showed social norms being upheld. Unlike other decades in the future, the Cold War and its threat of being swallowed up by the atomic bomb wielding communist beast that was seen slowly taking over the world. Youth of the 1950’s were subject to intense pressure to conform to what adults thought was to be right and outsiders who said differently were thought to be unpatriotic with the possibility they were communists. All parts of popular culture directed towards the young people from Comic books to Television showed them the idea of communism was the difference between freedom and government based slave labour. They were shown images of a perfect society which was the perfect nuclear family, a mother in the kitchen, the household breadwinner being the father and two children. At the end of the day the mother had dinner on the table when her husband got home from work. Other western countries adopted this style and format for shows of their own or repeated from recordings. The atomic bomb was a threat that was seen throughout the entire Cold War, although during the 1950s this was seen as an event that could lead to the end of the world or War against the Soviets.  Not all popular culture was directed towards the anti communist as Rock and Roll music appeared giving the youth of the time something they could identify much to the displeasure of their peers who had thought of the music as disruptive and planting the seed to rebellion. People of authority identified something as different as being a communist threat when the new culture was harmless.

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The lonely grave of Captain William Rowlands

Captain William Rowlands from Sydney was an experienced captain, who at the age of 34 had extensive knowledge of the shipping route between Tweed Heads and Sydney. The captain’s extensive knowledge did not stop him from losing another ship ‘Uncle Tom’ on Christmas day of 1870 near the Richmond River. His ship the schooner ‘Setters Friend’ had arrived in the Tweed River on the 29^th December 1871. The schooner had made several trading trips between Tweed and Sydney in the past. Captain Rowlands had become ill, when the cargo of maize had been loaded and the delivery destination would have been down the coast with the possible stop being Sydney. During this time conditions had changed at the river entrance and the ships became bar bound. The conditions of the bar had become too dangerous to cross and the captain had to be carried off the ship. The captain was taken William McGregor’s residence known as ‘the white house’. William McGregor was a former captain and the local pilot, who had been appointed to the area in 1870. While the pilot’s wife Eliza Jane looked after William, a doctor who had been sent for arrived at the house. The name of the Doctor was Daniel George Rowlands, who was of no relation to the ill captain. The doctor was the first doctor appointed for the area of Tweed Heads.

Captain William Rowlands died on the 22^nd of February 1872 from inflammation of the lungs with duration of the illness of around four weeks.  The captain was still in the same residence where he had first been bought when he had first become ill. William Rowlands burial took place the next day on the 23^rd of February where his final wish was carried out. William requested to be buried ‘where the waves of the pacific will roll at his feet’ There was no minister attending to the burial, but the funeral was attended by captain and crew of six vessels. On the first of January 1872, William had written his last will and testament while he was ill. He gave his wife, Ellen Jane all his estate and had appointed William Short of Sydney as his executor to the will. The probate states the current residence for his wife was in Surry Hills near Sydney. The will of William Rowlands was signed and witnessed by William McGregor and Alfred Grey. Alfred Grey was one of four boatmen employed by William McGregor, who had also served on the ‘Panic of 66’. The date of the death was February 1872, but the probate was not granted until the second of May in 1872.

William McGregor was also in attendance with his boatmen. Captain William Rowlands’ last wishes were to be buried on the Danger Bay beach with his feet towards the sea. This beach would later become known as Greenmount. The ‘Settlers Friend’ crossed the Tweed bar on February 16^th 1872 by the first mate. Later the headstone for William Rowlands grave was sent from Sydney by the late captain’s wife Ellen Jane. The existing headstone would have been made of the most common material used, which was sandstone especially since the stone came from Sydney. The headstone would have likely been transported to the Tweed River by schooner. The headstone was erected by William McGregor and his boatmen at the grave location, where it would stand for many years. The grave location during the 1870s was covered with thick undergrowth. Through the passage of time the headstone had been knocked over on several occasions either by natural forces or human intervention and had been replaced at the grave location. Locals understand the headstone was replaced at the original location. Communications to the outside world were usually sent by the occasional schooners or by hiring a local who would deliver the letter on foot.

A surf club in Coolangatta was first formed in 1911, which became known as the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf life saving club. The surf club took advantage of the tourism coming from Brisbane to spend time on the beaches.  The idea for the surf club came when visitors from Bondi during 1909, bought with them some equipment, which could be used for rescuing people from the water. The surfing movement had appeared around the same time on the coast. Several buildings had occupied the Greenmount area, which included bathing sheds for the members of the surf club. The various buildings were not immune to the forces of nature as several cyclones had damaged the buildings and had to be rebuilt. The surf club was the location of the first surf lifesaving completion in Queensland during the summer season of 1911 / 1912.

During 1952, the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Club wanted to expand. They looked at alternative venues for a new club house, including one area of beach front. The club ended with the choice of expanding the current venue at Greenmount, although there were restrictions and recommendations placed with expanding the building. One of the recommendations from the Coolangatta council was for the headstone of Captain William Rowlands to be incorporated within the western wall of the club house. The proposed expansion would include both the club house and the car park both of which would go over Captain Rowlands grave site. The new building was completed around the start of 1956 / 1957 summer season. The building at the time was considered to be the best and most modern of surf clubs in Australia. The headstone was part of negotiations with not just with the council, but between the state government as well. From big cities to small country towns, developments have always encroached on any land including cemeteries and monuments. Both are usually moved to a safer location, although their meaning would be lost especially when they are unique to that specific location. The burial location and the headstone of William Rowlands have several unique properties as the man had lived and died in two different states. Had both been removed to another location like one of the local cemeteries the meaning would have been lost like many graves which were relocated when urbanisation converged onto the land.

During the 1920s the Coolangatta council was pushing to have the grave and headstone of William Rowlands removed from the current location on Greenmount beach and moved to the cemetery in Tweed Heads, where the captain would then be on consecrated ground. The proposal did not go through as no living relatives could be found. A cemetery in the town of Coolangatta was proposed, although the costs involved were looked at during the time and it was pointed out the labour work in Tweed Heads was voluntary and was cheaper to purchase grave sites in Tweed Heads than Coolangatta. The Coolangatta council looked at a cemetery, but had to build one further away as one area was swampy and unsuitable.  Something that has made the grave of William Rowlands very unique to a town the size of Coolangatta is the town has no cemetery. There was only one grave in the locality of Coolangatta and that belonged to William Rowlands. The grave had at one time been covered by sand from the dunes before the land reclaim had commenced in Coolangatta. The increase in tourism would have meant people would have tramped over the grave site with the headstone half covered in sand as witnessed by one reporter who had visited the towns. After the controversy with the council’s attempt to exhume the grave, the media attention had directed tourist attention onto the man who was buried at that location.

The headstone of William Rowlands offers no explanation nearby to why it was located on the side of the surf club on Greenmount beach. People who view this memorial stone would not understand the significance to the history of the local area as there is no plaque explaining the significance. The Tweed Heads and Coolangatta surf life saving club is located on the corner of Hill Street and Marine parade. The state border, which runs through both the towns of tweed Heads and Coolangatta is around two hundred metres away.  In the past the street called boundary street, where the border runs through was actually a no man’s land dividing the two towns. During the early 1900s there was a border fence constructed which served several purposes. During the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919 people’s movements were restricted and enforced by the law. The cemetery across the border restricted the dead from Queensland being moved for burial in the cemeteries of Tweed Heads. The border between the two towns did end up for a time being cut off by a fence with a small area between the two as a no man’s land as either state did not know who owned it.

The burial of William Rowlands during 1872 took place before the development and society’s movement which would populate the area. . The border towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads have changed dramatically from the beginnings of European settlement. When explorers and traders appeared, the region was the most isolated that any person could get from the major settlements of Sydney or even Brisbane. During the early years before major roads we now take for granted, travel was by either ship or walking along the beaches. The grave of William Rowlands had become threatened not just by the encroachment of the urban environment, but by tourism along the local beaches. The headstone became attached to the western wall of the surf club on Greenmount Beach after the club and existing car park expanded out over the grave, the headstone became known as a memorial stone soon after it had been placed on the side of the building. An ornamental fence had been placed around the grave when the local council had been reclaiming and beautifying Greenmount beach. The meaning of the headstone and grave would have vanished if not for a savvy council including the stone to be placed as part of the building. The same council in the past had looked to move the grave to one of the local cemeteries. Both Tweed Heads and Coolangatta are unique from the rest of Australia as they are border towns which have grown to be what they are today. 

                                             Sources used

Death certificate of William Rowlands, died 22 February 1872, Registrar of Birth, Deaths and Marriages NSW, 1872/ 006919.

Lionel Gilbert, A Grave Look at History

Robert Longhurst,  From Tallebudgera to the Tweed: An early history of the southern

Gold Coast, Gold Coast City council

 Brian Styman 100 years of saving lives Tweed Heads and Coolangatta surf life saving club  

Various newspaper articles on William Rowlands headstone available through Trove.