A group of 35 bikini-wearing protesters descended on Bondi, Coogee and Bronte beaches in Sydney this week – but not everything was quite as it appeared.
The women, who donned retro hairstyles, makeup and swimwear, were recreating the 1950s bikini ban protest to in the lead up to the premiere of Season 2 of the Stan series Ten Pound Poms on March 10.
The powerful reimagination drew huge crowds of curious bystanders as the women chanted: “You can’t tell us what to wear. We want what’s fair.”
Just in time for International Women’s Day, Stan revived the spirit of the women in our history who fought back against bikini bans and barring from pubs in the 1950s.
As part of of the activation, the women stepped off a vintage red double decker bus and marched onto Bondi Beach, placards in hand – just as many women did decades ago.
The detail of the recreation was impeccable with the ‘protesters’ dressed in hand-sourced original 1950s bikinis and swimwear.
Watch what happened in the video above.
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Storylines of Season 2 of the period drama will see the characters deal with the very real issues of our history when beach inspectors would patrol shores with tape measures to ensure women complied with modesty standards.
As rights for women increased after the second world war, and with the invention
of the bikini in 1946, newspaper archives show regular run-ins between inspectors
and women.
Back in the 1950s, Bondi Beach was the scene of some unusual drama. ‘Beach
Inspectors’ would patrol the sand, to ensure the women followed strict guidelines.
If the rules were broken, criminal charges were issued, and headlines declared that women were “causing near riots.”
In 1952 20-year-old Bettine Baker of Kings Cross was ordered off Bondi Beach
because she wore a brief bikini.
These moments were part of everyday life for the women of that era – and
something that the characters from the show would have experienced firsthand.
Some of the cast of Ten Pound Poms including Stephen Curry, Cheree Cassidy, Tina Bursill, Maya Strange and Grant Lyndon joined the protesters at Bondi to mark the occassion.
Stephen Curry said: “To bring these characters and this rich part of our history back to our screens for season two is pure joy. Ten Pound Poms is a timeless piece of television and I’m thrilled to be part of an incredible cast.”
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A slew of other actors are returning for the second season including Michelle Keegan, warren Brown, Faye Marsay, Leon Ford, Declan Coyle Hattie Hook, Finn Treacy and Emma Hamilton.
New characters introduced to the second series include Marcus Graham as unscrupulous landlord Benny Bates and the Skinner family portrayed by Sam Delich, Maya Stange, Tommy Green and Clare Hughes, who arrive in Australia from Ireland ready to enjoy their new lives in the sunshine.
The brand new season of the Stan Original Series Ten Pound Poms premieres March 10, all episodes at once, only on Stan.
Every episode of season one is now streaming, only on Stan.
Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.
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