I can't quite believe it's been just over 50 years since the Beatles first performed in Sydney but as a new article written by Kim Hanna for the Dictionary records, it was

"at 6.30am on the morning of 11 June 1964, The Beatles flew into Sydney’s Mascot International Airport, where a crowd of 1,000 greeted them. Not everyone was pleased to see them; one mob held up a banner that read 'Go Home Bugs – NSW Anti-Trash Society.' Nevertheless, their arrival, along with the new independence of teenagers and various social changes, meant the tour was a cultural phenomenon."

Contemporary music has a big influence on teenage and popular culture and this can be clearly seen with the impact of the Beatles in Sydney. It was teenagers who idolised the Beatles and screamed their way through their concerts. They played Adelaide and Melbourne, before coming back to Sydney. The Beatles played six shows over three days at The Stadium at Rushcutters Bay, a tin shed that was once a boxing stadium and had terrible acoustics. But you couldn't hear much, above all the screams. The Stadium was the city's largest performance venue, holding 12,000 people, about 6 times the audience of the Sydney Town Hall. It stood on the corner of New South Head Road and Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay, but was demolished in 1973 to make way for the Eastern Suburbs Railway.  Just like today, merchandise was all the rage, and where the band made a good proportion of their money. There was  "plastic wigs, autograph books, bracelets, pencil cases, drink tumblers, powder puff compacts, stockings, dolls, scarfs, boots, stickers, posters, serving trays, fans, hairbrushes, face masks, wallpaper and schoolbags. And the fans could not get enough." By the 1st July it was all over. The Beatles flew out of Sydney, destination London. Popular culture and music moves Sydneysiders. And as the Beatles sung: "With a love like that, you know you should be glad". To relive the Beatles and the popular culture tsunami they created, check out:

• The Dictionary of Sydney's article
• the ABC radio Hindsight documentary 'The band that fell to Oz: The Beatles tour of 1964'
• Powerhouse Museum - Beatles in Australia exhibition interviews on YouTube

You can listen to a podcast of my segment with Nic at 2SER Breakfast here. Tune in again next week for more of Sydney’s history courtesy of the Dictionary of Sydney, on 107.3 at 8:20am. Don’t miss it!