Saraceni brothers and friends at Yokine Bushland

This photgraph was submitted to the Hisotry and Heritage awards 2020 with the following text:

Setting up camp Yokine Bushland c1953

This photograph of my two brothers with a group of friends who, having crammed themselves up in what space there was available in the trusty Ford, had just arrived at the bush clearing in Yokine, some miles off the nearest bitumen road. They had distanced themselves far enough away from the chimney smoke of the suburbs and the rest of the population to enjoy each other’s company and the peace and tranquillity of their bush surroundings. And all it cost was a gallon or two of petrol and some tucker.

A world apart is how you could describe growing up in the 1950’s, compared to today’s taking life on at breakneck speed. Today’s youngsters seem so eager to experience what’s around the next corner that they don’t take time out to enjoy the moment at hand.

In the 1950’s when this photo was taken, the pace of life was so much more leisurely. The world, including Australia, was only just beginning to adjust to life after years of war with many having lost a family member. Rationing had almost disappeared and there was far more friendliness and tolerance of each other than exists today.

Ben Saraceni, 2020