Skip to main content

The Dictionary of Sydney
Subjects
Sydney's People
Life cycle
Adolescence

Adolescence

Subject

Bodgies and African American Influences in Sydney

Breeding delinquents: Surf City 1963-1966

Puberty Blues

Stomp

Beatles fans in the rain outside the Sheraton Motor Inn, Potts Point 11 June 1964

Bodgie Styles for Spring 1951

Bodgies, widgies have might night - but def! February 1951

Have YOU tried the Stomp? September 1963

If you're a square you'll have to get hep to bodgey language, March 1951

Key-chain as long as a rodeo lasso will be essential for up-to-the-minute bodgies this spring, July 1951

PIX studio portrait of Johnny O'Keefe 27 August 1959

Radio personality Jack Davey talks to young men at David Jones 1952

Saturday arvo, Cronulla, 1961

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

The Bodgie-Widgie Cult: Its bad influence is spreading 1951

The Echoes band entertaining dancers at Surf City, Sydney 1963

The Johnny O'Keefe show 'Sing, Sing, Sing' being filmed at ATN 7, January 1965

Search

Browse

Browse
- Artefacts
- Buildings
- Events
- Natural Features
- Organisations
- People
- Places
- Structures
- Entries
- Multimedia
- Subjects
- Roles
- Contributors

Connections

Broader Subjects

Life cycle

Footer

Home
About
Copyright
Contact

Footer Secondary

Contribute
Donate

Adolescence

Bodgies and African American Influences in Sydney

The bodgie movement was a feature of street life in Sydney in the post-war period. This article, based on oral history interviews, reveals how bodgies modelled their dress and movement on African Americans, including black GIs stationed in Sydney during World War II. Part of the first generation recognised as 'teenagers', bodgies embraced fun, sensuality and spectacle as a rebellion against the dull years of depression and war and the conformism of the dominant Anglo-Irish culture, and their parents' generation.

Breeding delinquents: Surf City 1963-1966

The venue Surf City in the former Kings Cross Theatre on Darlinghurst Road was accused of ‘breeding delinquents’ soon after it opened in 1963. Despite its short lifetime, the venue is crucial to the musical history of Australia. For three years it served as the spiritual home of Australian beat music, giving rise to mainstream pop stars and underground cult heroes whose influence remains today.

Puberty Blues

Book and film based on teenagers growing up in the surfing culture of the Sutherland Shire. The book was made into a film in 1981.

full record »

Stomp

Simple and energetic dance that became an Australian teenage craze in the early 1960s with the rise of surf music. Some councils tried to ban it as they feared buildings would collapse. In February 1964 45,000 people turning up to Lane Cove National Park for the Stomp National Championships.

full record »

Beatles fans in the rain outside the Sheraton Motor Inn, Potts Point 11 June 1964

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[d7_16579 / APA 16579]

(Mitchell Library)

Bodgie Styles for Spring 1951

full record »

Almost-deserted Sydney beach (except for pretty, dark-haired Joan Francis) was chosen by bodgie David Roper, 17, to air leopard-skin trunks, with tail.

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(PIX, 14 July 1951, p30 (detail))

Bodgies, widgies have might night - but def! February 1951

full record »

Groovy widgies were carried away by Bob Gibson's hot music. They gave little yelps, waved their arms.

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(PIX, 10 March 1951, p21)

Have YOU tried the Stomp? September 1963

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Australian Women's Weekly ,11 September 1963, p 91 via Trove]

If you're a square you'll have to get hep to bodgey language, March 1951

full record »

Bodgies and widgies have added to the headaches of the English language by inventing a whole tribe of new expressions.

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(PIX, 10 March 1951, p23)

Key-chain as long as a rodeo lasso will be essential for up-to-the-minute bodgies this spring, July 1951

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(PIX, 14 July 1951, p30 (detail))

PIX studio portrait of Johnny O'Keefe 27 August 1959

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 388/Box 052/Item 016]

(Mitchell Library)

Radio personality Jack Davey talks to young men at David Jones 1952

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[d7_42200 / APA 42200]

(Mitchell Library)

Saturday arvo, Cronulla, 1961

full record »

By

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-an24681758]

(Courtesy of the photographer http://www.jeffcarterphotos.com)

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

full record »

By

Courtesy

Horwitz Publications

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 558/Box 49/nos. 58-65]

(Mitchell Library)

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

full record »

By

Courtesy

Horwitz Publications

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 558/Box 49/nos. 58-65]

(Mitchell Library)

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

full record »

By

Courtesy

Horwitz Publications

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 558/Box 49/nos. 58-65]

(Mitchell Library)

The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964

full record »

By

Courtesy

Horwitz Publications

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 558/Box 49/nos. 58-65]

(Mitchell Library)

The Bodgie-Widgie Cult: Its bad influence is spreading 1951

full record »

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[The Mail (Adelaide), 15 December 1951, p7 (via Trove)]

The Echoes band entertaining dancers at Surf City, Sydney 1963

full record »

By

© By kind permission of

National Library of Australia

[PIC Online access #PIC/14971/6]

The Johnny O'Keefe show 'Sing, Sing, Sing' being filmed at ATN 7, January 1965

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[ON 388/Box 101/Item 032]

Life cycle