The 1950s are often seen as a dull and stultified period in Australian history, epitomised by the growth of suburbia, the white picket fence and indeed the fact that we had the same prime minister for the entire decade. However, when you scratch the surface there were significant cultural changes happening, as well as a growing, though still somewhat tentative self-confidence in ourselves as a nation. This came to a head at the 1956 Olympics, the first ever to be held in the southern hemisphere, when all eyes were fixed on Australia for the first time. In this week’s episode of the Afternoon Light podcast, Robert Menzies Institute CEO Georgina Downer talks to Nick Richardson, author of 1956: The Year Australia Welcomed the World.