The Australian summer holiday is a collection of sensations, each one with the power to transport us to a particular moment. The foundation of this nostalgia is routine. Year after year, many of us do the same thing in the same place at the same time. This familiarity lets us forget what is going on elsewhere – and relax.
In the 1920s, the car started to help people get to new hard-to-reach spots away from the heaving crowds. Initially, car holidays were seen as a form of individual expression – the beginning of the weekender where you could go anywhere you wanted.
As the road trip caught on, automobile clubs published maps of noted destinations. As a result, roads and parking were improved, along with other travel infrastructure such as campgrounds. Soon after, the caravan was born.
The post-war Australian way of life was constructed around the family, homeownership and job security. The summer holiday played an essential part, starting with the ritual of packing the car after Christmas Day and heading off for most of January. Social bonds were formed, and people enjoyed going to the same place with the same people in the same camping area, year after year after year.
In the 1920s, the car started to help people get to new hard-to-reach spots away from the heaving crowds. Initially, car holidays were seen as a form of individual expression – the beginning of the weekender where you could go anywhere you wanted.
As the road trip caught on, automobile clubs published maps of noted destinations. As a result, roads and parking were improved, along with other travel infrastructure such as campgrounds. Soon after, the caravan was born.
The post-war Australian way of life was constructed around the family, homeownership and job security. The summer holiday played an essential part, starting with the ritual of packing the car after Christmas Day and heading off for most of January. Social bonds were formed, and people enjoyed going to the same place with the same people in the same camping area, year after year after year.