1958: Michaelis
Michaelis’s family is from Kalymnos, Greece. He’s caught between two worlds: the traditions of his Greek heritage and his desire to be seen as “truly Australian.” More than anything, he wants a television so he can watch The Adventures of Robin Hood. Through his longing, mischief, and moments of cultural tension, Michaelis’s story explores identity, belonging, and the quiet power of representation.
1950s Decade Overview
The 1950s were a time of rebuilding, tradition, and quiet transformation. Post-war migration reshaped Australian suburbs, while television, language, and cultural pride influenced identity, belonging, and generational expectations.
1950–1953: Australia participated in the Korean War, supporting international efforts and shaping post-war identity.
1951: A national referendum to ban the Communist Party was defeated, reinforcing democratic values and constitutional rights.
1956: Television was introduced in Australia, transforming home life and national connection during the Melbourne Olympic Games. Polio vaccinations began, marking a major public health milestone and protecting children across the country.
1958: Anzac Day was declared a national public holiday, strengthening civic remembrance and national identity. The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals was established, laying foundations for future First Nations activism.
First Nations Focus: Students can explore how the 1958 formation of the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals laid the groundwork for future activism, including the 1967 referendum.
Provocation Question
Does fitting in mean giving something up, or can we belong without losing who we are?
Clip 1: The Adventures of Robin Hood
Michaelis is desperate to watch television like his neighbours, but his family doesn’t own one. He peers through binoculars to catch glimpses of the show, revealing his longing to be part of the “Australian” world.
Tuning In
Think about Michaelis peering through binoculars to watch Robin Hood and the discussion with the boys afterwards. How does this moment show his longing to belong?
As a class, discuss the following questions:
As a class, discuss the following questions:
- Why does Michaelis want a television so badly?
- What does Robin Hood represent to him?
- How does Michaelis feel about being seen as different and excluded?
Finding Out & Sorting Out
Television arrived in Australia in 1956, just in time for the Melbourne Olympic Games. It quickly became a symbol of modern life and belonging. Families gathered around the television for entertainment, news and sport, and owning a television often showed that you were part of the “Australian way of life.” This new technology changed how people connected and shaped social life across the country.
Research the introduction of television in Australia and its impact on families and communities. Use books, websites or old advertisements to find answers to these questions:
- When did television arrive in Australia?
- What were the first types of shows? (Think news, sport, drama, children’s programs, and live events.)
- How did television change family life? (Did families spend more time together? Did it change routines like mealtimes?)
- Why might owning a television have felt like a symbol of belonging?
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How did television influence what people thought was “Australian”?
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Did everyone have access to TV at first?
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How might this have created feelings of inclusion or exclusion?
Making Connections
Think about how television shaped belonging in Michaelis’ time and compare it to today. In pairs, create a Comparison Chart or Venn Diagram. In one section, explore television in the 1950s-60s. In another section, explore television today, and in the middle, explore what's the same. Use the below prompts to guide your connections:
- How do people watch TV now compared to then?
- Does TV still make people feel included?
- What other technologies shape belonging today?
Extension Challenge
Write a short paragraph answering the following questions: Does technology help us belong, or can it make us feel left out?
Clip 2: Greek School
Attendance at Greek school is a common expectation for young Greek children in Australia. Michaelis is attending Greek school to learn about the history, language and culture of his ancestry, but his mind is still on the escapades of The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Tuning In
Think about Michaelis’s feelings. He wants to be “Australian,” not Greek, and doesn't enjoy attending Greek school - he would prefer to be watching The Adventures of Robin Hood. How does this show the tension between family expectations and personal identity?
As a class, discuss the following questions:
As a class, discuss the following questions:
- Why does Michaelis not want to go to Greek school?
- What does this tell us about his desire to fit in?
- How does the teacher’s comment about Michaelis “shaming his family” add pressure?
- Does belonging mean giving up part of who you are?
In pairs, write a letter from Michaelis to his parents that outlines why he doesn't want to go to Greek school. Include his emotions, fears and hopes.
Finding Out & Sorting Out
How did migration and cultural traditions shape life in 1950s Australia? In pairs, complete one of the following research activities:
Option 1: Investigate post-war migration and assimilation policies in 1950s Australia. Why were families encouraged to keep traditions? How did schools and communities respond to cultural diversity?
Option 2: Explore how language, tradition and media shaped cultural identity. How did Greek school help families maintain culture? How did television influence ideas of being “Australian”?
Share your findings back to the class and reflect on the broader picture of 1950s Australia and how it impacted Michaelis and his family.
Making Connections
Think about times when you’ve felt caught between family traditions and social expectations. What helps us belong without losing who we are? As a class, discuss the following questions:
- Have I ever felt torn between family traditions and fitting in?
- What helps me feel proud of my cultural background?
- How does media influence how I see myself and others?
Create a digital scrapbook that connects Michaelis’s story to your own experiences. You might like to choose images that represent key moments or feelings from Michaelis’s story and then add images that show similar experiences or emotions from your life. You could also select quotes from the episode and write a short reflection exploring how they relate to you.
Australian Curriculum Links
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Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Knowledge and Understanding - History |
causes and effects of changes to the local community, and how people who may be from diverse backgrounds have contributed to these changes
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the motivation of people migrating to Australia since Federation and throughout the 20th century, their stories and effects on Australian society, including migrants from the Asia region |
Understanding – Civics and Citizenship |
why people participate within communities and how students can actively participate and contribute to communities |
diversity of cultural, religious and/or social groups to which they and others in the community belong, and their importance to identity |
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Skills – Questioning and Researching |
develop questions to guide investigations about people, events, places and issues locate, collect and record information and data from a range of sources, including annotated timelines and maps |
develop questions to guide investigations about people, events, places and issues locate, collect and record information and data from a range of sources, including annotated timelines and maps |
develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats |
develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats |
Skills - Interpreting, analysing and evaluating |
interpret information and data displayed in different formats analyse information and data, and identify perspectives |
interpret information and data displayed in different formats analyse information and data, and identify perspectives |
evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives |
evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives |
Skills - Concluding and decision-making |
draw conclusions based on analysis of information propose actions or responses to an issue or challenge that consider possible effects of actions |
draw conclusions based on analysis of information propose actions or responses to an issue or challenge that consider possible effects of actions |
develop evidence-based conclusions propose actions or responses to issues or challenges and use criteria to assess the possible effects |
develop evidence-based conclusions propose actions or responses to issues or challenges and use criteria to assess the possible effects |
Skills - Communicating |
present descriptions and explanations, using ideas from sources and relevant subject-specific terms |
present descriptions and explanations, using ideas from sources and relevant subject-specific terms |
present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions |
present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions |
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Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Language |
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identify the subjective language of opinion and feeling, and the objective language of factual reporting |
understand how to move beyond making bare assertions by taking account of differing ideas or opinions and authoritative sources |
understand the uses of objective and subjective language, and identify bias |
Literacy |
use interaction skills to contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic-specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetically regular words plan, create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations to inform, express opinions or tell stories, using a clear structure, details to elaborate ideas, topic-specific and precise vocabulary, visual features, and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and volume |
listen for key points and information to carry out tasks and contribute to discussions, acknowledging another opinion, linking a response to the topic, and sharing and extending ideas and information plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation
plan, create, rehearse and deliver structured oral and/or multimodal presentations to report on a topic, tell a story, recount events or present an argument using subjective and objective language, complex sentences, visual features, tone, pace, pitch and volume
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describe the ways in which a text reflects the time and place in which it was created use appropriate interaction skills including paraphrasing and questioning to clarify meaning, make connections to own experience, and present and justify an opinion or idea plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, developing ideas using visual features, text structure appropriate to the topic and purpose, text connectives, expanded noun groups, specialist and technical vocabulary, and punctuation including dialogue punctuation plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include relevant, elaborated ideas, sequencing ideas and using complex sentences, specialist and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features |
use interaction skills and awareness of formality when paraphrasing, questioning, clarifying and interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, and sharing and evaluating information, experiences and opinions plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts whose purposes may be imaginative, informative and persuasive, using paragraphs, a variety of complex sentences, expanded verb groups, tense, topic-specific and vivid vocabulary, punctuation, spelling and visual features plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations that include information, arguments and details that develop a theme or idea, organising ideas using precise topic-specific and technical vocabulary, pitch, tone, pace, volume, and visual and digital features |
Critical and Creative Thinking
Students investigate how television, migration and assimilation shaped experiences of belonging in 1950s Australia, analysing historical sources and drawing connections between past and present.
Ethical Understanding
Students consider ethical questions about inclusion, exclusion, cultural identity and whether people should have to give up aspects of themselves to fit in with wider society.
Intercultural Understanding
Students explore Michaelis's experiences as a child of Greek migrants, examining how cultural traditions, language and community expectations shape identity and influence a sense of belonging.
Personal and Social Capability
Students reflect on their own experiences of belonging, identity and family expectations, developing empathy for others and discussing strategies for respecting differences while maintaining positive relationships.
Additional Resources
Additional Clip: The Christening
Michaelis's father and friends are celebrating the birth of the baby. The boys next door, who had bullied Michaelis and called him a 'wog', apologise and pay him a penny to replace his lost ice-cream. Janice shows her affection for Michaelis.
Additional Clip: The Greek Garden
Michaelis and his father are working in their garden when Janice reminds Michaelis that it is time for The Adventures of Robin Hood on TV. When his mother comes to congratulate her husband and son on their work in the garden, she realises that the baby is coming.