Written by

Pam Van Der Kooy

From DDT to Mr Sheen: Looking back on the spring cleaning products of yesteryears
Pam Van Der Kooy avatarPam Van Der Kooy
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I do have recollections of the occasional Polly Waffle (or Picnic bar) being tossed into the public swimming pool just to liven things up a bit. Source: Facebook Sue Smith.
Experts

The stories behind quirky food names like ‘Violet Crumble’ to ‘Jatz Crackers’

The stories behind quirky food names like ‘Violet Crumble’ to ‘Jatz Crackers’

Take a trip down memory lane and check out the stories behind the endearing names of some of the most beloved food products from the past.
The secrets of our medicine cabinets. Source: Image supplied
Bloggers

Old timey remedies: What have you still got lurking in your medicine cupboard?

Old timey remedies: What have you still got lurking in your medicine cupboard?

This blogger reminisces about the bygone era of home remedies, from Disprin and Vicks Vaporub to Bex and Vincents, and reflects on the transformation of our medicine cabinets over time.
Hats off to my Baby Boomer compatriots who can still hold their frustrations in check. Source: Getty
Bloggers

‘Please be kind’: A call to restore respect and kindness in today’s society

‘Please be kind’: A call to restore respect and kindness in today’s society

This blogger writes about the societal shift towards the lack of respect and basic humanity, sparking a vital conversation about the significance of kindness in our modern world.
Source: Supplied.
Bloggers

Mother’s Day without my mum: A bittersweet reminder of a life well-lived

Mother’s Day without my mum: A bittersweet reminder of a life well-lived

This blogger remembers her mother's love on Mother's Day, as her absence echoes through the lessons she left behind.
Pam Van Der Kooy 1965 Franklin Skyline caravan. Source: Supplied
Experts

Blast from the past: Reflecting on nostalgia to help us move forward

Blast from the past: Reflecting on nostalgia to help us move forward

While it’s normal to feel nostalgic for what once was, this expert reminds us that life moves in one direction: forward.
Pam's first day of school 1967. Source: Supplied
Experts

Things you’ll remember if you went to primary school in the ’60s

Things you’ll remember if you went to primary school in the ’60s

This blogger takes us back to school in the ‘60s, when Columbia pencils, felt-tip colouring markers, and plastic-wrapped books ruled the classrooms.
Aussie sayings to take you back to when you were a child. Source: Getty
Nostalgia

Step back in time with these nostalgic Aussie sayings

Step back in time with these nostalgic Aussie sayings

These nostalgic Aussie sayings will make you 'carry on like a pork chop' and take you back in time.
Pam's old Road trips in the old car. Source: Pam Van Der Kooy
Bloggers

Road trips in the old car

Road trips in the old car

This nostalgia expert remembers taking family road trips in the ol' reliable 64 Holden EH station wagon, with leather seats that burnt the back of your legs and homemade curtains to match the colour of the car.
Source: Pam Van Der Kooy
Experts

That old canvas smell of camping

That old canvas smell of camping

This nostalgia expert remembers what it was like going on family camping trips with canvas tents instead of the modern nylon tents we have these days. Did your family have a camping tradition when growing up?

About Pam Van Der Kooy

A girl from the Brisbane ‘burbs, Pam was born, and raised at Mt Gravatt on the south side of Brisbane, progressing through various hallowed Mt Gravatt institutions like Mt Gravatt Kindy, Mt Gravatt State School, Mt Gravatt High School and then, Mt Gravatt Teachers’ College. She was approached to write a ‘follow up 50s /60s version’ to her father’s successful book Aniseed Balls, Billy Carts and Clotheslines – an ABC to Growing up in the 30s. After much deliberation, late night discussions with others who are over the 50s fence and taste testing of the newer version of Choo Choo Bars and other teeth rotting reminiscences, Stuff We had in the 50s and 60s was born. Pam and her husband now live on the Sunshine Coast, empty nesters with their two daughters studying away from home but returning for food. Both girls struggle to believe that once upon a time, television finished at midnight, and that mum is so old she had a backyard dunny as a child and learnt to write on a slate.