Kids & FamilyStories for KidsHistory

Wait... They Did What!?

ABC Australia

Wait... They Did What?! is the question you’ll be asking after travelling back through modern history with comedian Tilly Oddy-Black.

Perfect for kids aged 8 and over, Wait…They Did What?! unearths the weird, wild and outright scandalous common practices of people in the olden days... like letting kids buy fireworks, banning bikinis on the beach, putting blood-sucking leeches on sick people, and riding in cars without seatbelts.

Credits:
Host: Tilly Oddy-Black
Producers: Samantha Turnbull and Soumia Bella
Sound engineer: Que Nguyen
Archive researchers: Michael Osmond and Carolyn Cage
Composer: David McDonald
Executive producers: Veronica Milsom and Alex Lollback

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21 episodes
weekly
Avg 7 min
English

Episodes 21

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Sunday · 7 min
Wait... they burnt their rubbish?
Burn, baby, burn... garbage inferno! Before wheelie bins, Aussies used to burn all their rubbish... in their own backyards. This episode will answer questions like: How common were backyard incinerators? When were incinerators banned in Australia? Why were incinerators banned in Australia? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
August 16 · 7 min
Wait... they ate rabbits?
We all think bunnies are cute, but most Australians also used to think they were super tasty... until they became infected with a deadly disease. EWW! This episode will answer questions like: What is myxomatosis? Are rabbits a pest? Why did Australians eat so much rabbit? Why don’t we eat rabbits anymore? Can you eat rabbit? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
August 9 · 10 min
Wait... they didn't pay Indigenous workers and they stole their land?
Indigenous workers were often paid less than white people... if they were paid at all. Hundreds of Indigenous workers went on strike in the 1960s because they weren’t being paid fairly... and it led to the government returning some of their stolen land. This episode will answer questions like: Who is Vincent Lingiari? What was the Wave Hill Walk-Off? What was the Gurindji strike? Why did Gough Whitlam pour sand into Vincent Lingiari’s hand? Did they used to pay Indigenous workers? Find m
August 2 · 7 min
Wait... they used encyclopaedias?
Before the internet, many Australian families owned a set of encyclopaedias... and they bought them from door-to-door salesmen. This episode will answer questions like: What is an encyclopaedia? Do encyclopaedias still exist? What is better: the internet or encyclopaedias? What is an encyclopaedia salesman? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
July 26 · 6 min
Wait... they drank raw milk?
Milk used to be delivered to homes in glass bottles... and it was often raw. This episode will answer questions like: What is raw milk? Is raw milk legal in Australia? What is a milko? What happened to milkmen? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
July 19 · 7 min
Wait... women had to obey their husbands?
Old-fashioned wedding vows made brides promise to obey their husbands... and change their names. This episode will answer questions like: What are traditional wedding vows? Does it say ‘obey’ in wedding vows? Why do women change their names after marriage? Should women change their names? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
July 12 · 6 min
Wait... they didn't wear seatbelts?
Up until the 1980s kids didn’t have to wear seatbelts in cars... there were no rules about baby and toddler seats either. This episode will answer questions like: When were seatbelt laws introduced in Australia? When did baby seats become mandatory in Australia? Why is it compulsory to wear a seatbelt? When were seatbelts invented? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
July 5 · 8 min
Wait... they had to be 21 to vote?
Some people think under 18s should be able to vote... but the legal voting age in Australia used to be 21. This episode will answer questions like: Who can vote in Australia? What age is an adult? Why did the voting age in Australia change? Why can’t people vote under the age of 18? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
June 28 · 8 min
Wait... they used to hunt whales?
Whales were hunted in Australian waters up until the late 1970s... and they were used in everything from detergent to lipstick. This episode will answer questions like: Why did Australia stop whaling? What is whale oil? What was whale oil used for? When did they stop killing whales in Australia? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
June 21 · 7 min
Wait... doctors put leeches on sick people?
Doctors once used blood-sucking leeches as medicine... and they were as popular as Panadol. This episode will answer questions like: What is a leech? How were leeches used in old medicine? Are leeches still used in medicine? What is blood-letting? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
June 14 · 5 min
Wait... they smoked cigarettes indoors?
We all know that smoking is stupid, but do you know what’s even stupider? Smoking indoors... and people used to smoke inside anywhere they wanted. This episode will answer questions like: Is smoking indoors illegal? What is passive smoking? How bad is second hand smoking? Why was smoking indoors banned? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
June 7 · 8 min
Wait... they built toilets outside?
Every Aussie home used to have an outdoor dunny... some people even protested when toilets started moving indoors. This episode will answer questions like: What is an outdoor dunny? What is a night soil man? Why did toilets used to be outside? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. 
May 31 · 6 min
Wait... you weren't allowed to be left-handed?
Up until the 1970s left-handed kids were forced to write with their right... or risk a rap over the knuckles. This episode will answer questions like: What is the history of left-handed people? Why was left-handedness considered evil? Who are the most famous left-handed people? Why were left-handed people forced to be right-handed? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
May 24 · 7 min
Wait... they could send witches to jail?
‘Witches’ were burnt at the stake hundreds of years ago, but witchcraft was still illegal in Australia right up until the 2000s... luckily, it’s safe to wave your wands today.  This episode will answer questions like: Is witchcraft illegal in Australia? Are witches real? What is Wicca? What does the church say about witches? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What?! with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
May 17 · 5 min
Wait... they banned a dance?
The Stomp was a popular dance in the 1960s until it was banned across Australia... we wonder what the party-poopers would think of twerking?  This episode will answer questions like: What was The Stomp dance? Why was The Stomp banned? Why were dances banned? Why was The Twist controversial? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What?! with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
May 10 · 8 min
Wait... they didn't have smart phones?
Landline phones and fax machines seemed high-tech in the 1990s, but now they’re almost  extinct thanks to smart phones and email...  and does anyone remember telegrams?  This episode will answer questions like: What is a fax machine and how does it work? What is a telegram? When were mobile phones introduced in Australia? What is a rotary phone? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
May 3 · 8 min
Wait... they couldn't have long hair or pants?
How would you feel if the school rules said you had to show your legs? In the 1970s, boys had to have bare necks, and girls had to have bare legs... until some students fought for their rights to long hair and pants.  This episode will answer questions like: Why couldn’t girls wear pants to school? Why weren’t boys allowed to have long hair? Can a school enforce hair policies? What to do if you feel discriminated against. Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!
April 26 · 9 min
Wait... they banned bikinis?
Bikinis come in all shapes and sizes today, but in the 1960s you could get arrested for wearing one in public... if the ‘beach inspector’ thought it was too skimpy.  This episode will answer questions like: Who invented the bikini? Why was the bikini banned in Australia? What is a beach inspector? How have swimsuit laws changed? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen.
April 19 · 6 min
Wait... they got in cars with strangers?
Hitchhiking was a popular way to travel in the 1970s... despite some hitchers being accused of needing a shower and a haircut.  This episode will answer questions like: Is hitchhiking illegal? Why don’t people pick up hitchhikers anymore? Why do people no longer hitchhike? What are vagrancy laws? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen... and don’t ever get in cars with strangers.
April 12 · 6 min
Wait... they hit kids at school?
It was legal for Australian teachers to hit school kids up until the 1990s... with a weapon known as the cane.   This episode will answer questions like: What was the cane at school? When was the cane banned in schools in Australia? Why was the cane banned in schools? What are the rights of children in Australia? Find more episodes of kids’ history podcast Wait... They Did What!? with Tilly Oddy-Black on the Kids tab of ABC listen. If you or someone you know is being hurt by anyone, y

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