Rockabilly, living the 50’s in Australia, 2004-2007
It began with an assignment for a newspaper where I had to take a portrait of two young actors on the set of a short film that they had starred in. The interior of the fibro house was covered in old wallpaper and was furnished with post war furniture and house decorations.
I loved it as it was like going back in time.
It was when I met the couple who lived in the house that my interest was sparked. They drove old cars, wore vintage clothes, and even had an old black and white television that they regularly watched
Steven Siewert
The 1950’s were an exuberant decade that saw the birth of rock’n’roll, new fashions and social mores, and a breakaway generation who were the first to be known as teenagers.
At the turn of the 21st century there are some for whom the 1950’s never died.
Photographer Steven Siewert has spent years documenting Sydney’s rockabillies, a vibrant subculture who live and breathe an era that, for many, predates their birth. The men dress for cool jeans or suits with slick quiffs, while women wear colorful print dresses by day and dazzling cocktail frocks by night.
The term «rockabilly» came into existence in 1956 to describe a style of music that combined rock’n’roll with country or «hillbilly» music. Since the 1980s, rockabilly revival groups have brought back the popularity of the era’s music and dancing.
Today, the term rockabilly is used more broadly to describe people who are passionate about the 1950s and its iconic elements – from fashion, decor and cars to music. There are thriving rockabilly subcultures in America, Europe, and here in Australia.
Many people are avid and serious collectors, their homes decked out in retro furnishings and fabrics, while weddings and parties involve vintage dressing and classic cars. Key events on the local rockabilly social calendar include the Fifties fair at Rose Seidler House and Brisbane’s annual GreazeFest.
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