Page 17 - Demo

15The 1970s brought the rise of Gough Whitlam%u2019snationalism, and the artistic advancement itnourished saw design thrive during the first halfof the decade. The Australia Council wasinstituted and, possibly at that time more thanany other, Australians truly valued the role of artand creation in our society, and its contributionto what it was to be Australian. Aussie film, TVand music were all strong motivators of nationalidentity. We were expressing it in every way.This was a golden period of industrial design,with designers making products that reflectedour culture and lifestyle. It was also the goldenage of leisure time, the quarter-acre block andhome entertaining. You might walk into anybackyard BBQ with your D%u00e9cor BYO wine cooleror bring a wine cask, or maybe pull out a beerfrom the plastic Esky. You%u2019d juggle the sausagesand salad on your D%u00e9cor plate with one hand anduse the Splayd. If the steak was too tough, youmight go and grab the Wiltshire Staysharp Knife.The Australian practice of %u2018BYO%u2019 had begun in the1960s, and dining out and wine consumptionbecame popular in Australia from the 1970s.The Caf%u00e9-Bar was revolutionising the o%u00a0 icetearooms of Australia with its butterfly valve thatdelivered exact amounts of instant co%u00a0 ee, milkand sugar. A stylish melamine Bessemer rangeof cannisters was being designed by LionelSuttie. Bathrooms were given a pop of colourwith the Caroma plastic Bathmates range,available in five colours %u2013 red, white, blue, yellowand brown. And, if there was an opportunity tomake something in lime or orange, we generallytook it. Even Holden went full 1970s, releasingcars in a wonderful shade of purple.Everybody was encouraged to have a go. Asthe saying went, %u2018Give an Australian a pair ofpliers and a piece of wire, and he%u2019ll inventsomething.%u2019 TV shows like The Inventors showedus that anything was possible, and innovationbecame a pillar of our identity. World-recognisedand life-changing technology, such as theAustralian-designed cochlear implant created byGraeme Clark in 1978, further cemented this ideaon our national psyche.1970s