If you’ve ever had the experience of visiting a museum and seeing items displayed as ‘historical’ that were common in your home, this article is for you.
We may have trouble realising this but it’s 45 years since 1980. What was your life like in 1980?
In 1980, The Hills (then known as the Baulkham Hills Shire) was a rapidly developing area transitioning from a predominantly rural and agricultural district into a suburban heartland. The region was characterised by a semi-rural lifestyle with large blocks of land and a strong sense of community, and was far less urbanised than it is today.
The Hills Shire in the 1980s
We’ve come a long way since the 1980s.
Population and development: The population was around 90,000 people and growing steadily. Urban development had accelerated since the 1960s, with a building boom occurring first in Carlingford and Baulkham Hills, then in Castle Hill in the 1970s, and expanding into areas like Glenhaven in the early 1980s.
Lifestyle and environment: The area was known as the ‘Garden Shire’, valued for its green open spaces, bushland and well-maintained residential gardens. The climate and fertile soil had historically supported extensive orchards (citrus and stone fruit), and while agriculture was still present, residential expansion was the primary driver of change. (Do you remember Kellyville when it was mostly dairy farms?)
Housing: The suburbs were attractive to families seeking a quieter life outside the main city, offering larger homes in substantial garden settings, often referred to as “country retreats”.
Infrastructure: Infrastructure was developing to support the growing population. The first stage of the Castle Towers Shopping Centre had recently opened in 1979, with a major addition following in 1982. The Council moved into a new administration building in Castle Hill in 1982.
Community: The area had a strong community feel, and a higher rate of religious service attendance compared to other parts of Sydney, sometimes referred to as ‘Sydney’s Bible Belt’. It was a predominantly white, middle-class area.
Transport: While transport links were a factor in earlier growth (such as the tram from Parramatta), getting to the Sydney CBD was still considered a “huge pain” compared to today’s infrastructure like the Metro, indicating a less connected region than at present.
In essence, The Hills in 1980 was a peaceful, family-oriented region on the urban fringe of Sydney, undergoing rapid change as it shifted from a rural, agricultural base to a suburban one, a process that has continued to the present day.
What would we find in Hills homes in the 1980s?
You may have had some or all of these in your 1980s home.
Transistor radio: Every teen’s and dad’s dream. A transistor was portable, and you could add earphones to take your music (or your sports results and horse races) with you wherever you went.
Cassette recorders: Small, compact and efficient, with a built-in microphone, the cassette recorder in most households was used to record ‘letters’ to grandparents or, more often, to put together a mixed music tape.
Polaroid cameras: The era of instant photography that began in the 1970s. The Polaroid fell out of favour with the advent of digital cameras but is making a come-back among the young hipster crowd.
Crockpots: These handy items seduced women who’d entered the workforce by promising delicious meals at the end of the day. They’re still popular in some quarters.
Digital watches: Not content with an analogue watch, in the 1970s, pre-teens and teens went crazy for these watches (though we could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we’ve needed to know it’s exactly 3.17 pm). By the 1980s, Swatch watches (back to analogue) were all the rage and dominated much of the 1980s.
Entertainment units: We needed somewhere to house the TV, the stereo and all the remotes.
Wall phones: Considered to be the height of sophistication, wall phones often replaced the older, desktop-style phone but were mostly still rotary dial. If yours was a push-button style (probably in avocado), you had it made.
Macramé: People went nuts for macramé in the 1980s. Some went one step further and used a spinning wheel to spin their wool or other fibres.
Pine furniture: First popular in the late 1970s, by 1980, pine had become ubiquitous in Australian homes. Mostly, it was cheaper than the 1970s Parker furniture many of our families had and was chosen often by young families who needed serviceable and modern-looking furniture without the expense.
Indoor plants: Leaving behind the stiff aspidistras and rubber plants, we chose ferns of all types (including fishbone and maidenhair), spider plants, ‘devil’s ivy’ and other softer plants such as peperomia and African violets to add to our homes.
Do you recognise any of our 1980s household items?
We hope we’ve given you a nostalgic look into our past. Let us know what you think.
Thinking of selling or need selling advice in The Hills?
We have buyers looking for homes in Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills, Box Hill, Kellyville, North Kellyville and Tallawong. As established real estate agents, we’re here to help. Get in touch today by calling us on 02 8883 0777.
