Pools, palm trees and pulling a caravan: Australian retro holidays – in pictures
News Source
•Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:00:14 GMT
📰 What Happened
The Guardian has published a gallery of old Australian holiday photos. The pictures show family road trips, caravans and beach holidays. One photo shows the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour in 1964. Others show pools at Surfers Paradise in the 1960s and Luna Park in Sydney in the 1950s. There is also a train bar in 1963 and a prawn-eating contest in the 1970s.
🔍 The Backstory
The images come from national archives and libraries, including the National Archives of Australia and the State Library of NSW. They capture how Australians spent their summer breaks across several decades. Favourite spots included the Whitsundays, the Hawkesbury River and the old Hume Highway park El Caballo Blanco. Many families shared simple holidays close to home.
🎯 Why It Matters
The photos give a warm look at how families used to travel and relax. They remind older readers of their own holidays and show younger ones how times have changed.
The Guardian has published a gallery of old Australian holiday photos. The pictures show family road trips, caravans and beach holidays. One photo shows the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour in 1964. Others show pools at Surfers Paradise in the 1960s and Luna Park in Sydney in the 1950s. There is also a train bar in 1963 and a prawn-eating contest in the 1970s.
The images come from national archives and libraries, including the National Archives of Australia and the State Library of NSW. They capture how Australians spent their summer breaks across several decades. Favourite spots included the Whitsundays, the Hawkesbury River and the old Hume Highway park El Caballo Blanco. Many families shared simple holidays close to home.
The photos give a warm look at how families used to travel and relax. They remind older readers of their own holidays and show younger ones how times have changed.