Christmas lights: Wollongong
While the tradition of using small candles to light up the Christmas tree dates back to at least the middle of the 17th century, electrically powered Christmas lights kicked off in 1881 at the Savoy Theatre.
Wikipedia says it became increasingly the custom to completely outline the house and especially the eaves with weatherproof Christmas lights from the 1960s in the United States. It notes Australian Christmas lights were adopted as an effective way to provide ambient lighting to verandas, where cold beer is often served in the long hot summer evenings. It notes for many years the use of Christmas lights on Australian homes was mainly limited to the simplest form.
Wikipedia even features a photograph of a cottage with veranda at a miner's cottage in Wollongong (pictured above). One could almost image Norman Gunston doing a live television cross for his 1970s segment, What's On In Wollongong.
But Wikipedia suggests from about 1990 increasingly elaborate Christmas lights have been displayed and driving around between 8pm and 10 pm to look at the lights has become a popular family entertainment. While in some areas there is fierce competition, with town councils offering awards for the best decorated house, in other areas it is seen as a co-operative effort, with residents priding themselves on their street or their neighbourhood.
Over the next week we’ll present some other terrific Christmas sights.
