1. Beach days
What’s Christmas without a beach trip? For those who live in colder climes a beach day may be a odd activity for the Christmas period, but for Aussies it is a staple for beating the heat and catching up with friends and family. Rennie Ellis‘s photos perfectly capture the carefree beach vibe of Victorians enjoying the sand, sun and surf.
2. BBQs
What is summer – or Christmas for that matter – without a barbie?
3. Being merry
Often involving both beaches and BBQs, whether it’s a work Christmas party or holiday catch-ups, merry-making and being jolly tend to be high priorities on our social calendars over the holiday period, usually with lots of food and a bevvy (or four) if we feel inclined.
4. Cricket
The Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been a beloved Victorian tradition since 1980.1 But Christmas cricket at the ‘G’ goes back a lot longer than most people might know; intercolonial cricket matches were played at the MCG over the Christmas period as early as 1856.2 In January 1893 Victoria was awarded the first intercolonial Sheffield Shield (Victoria beat New South Wales in front of a crowd of 48,000).3
We take our cricket anywhere we can get it though, whether at the beach, in the backyard, or on the street or a side alley with the wheelie bin subbing for the stumps.
5. Carols by Candlelight
Bringing Christmas joy for 85 years, this beloved tradition was founded by popular 3KZ radio announcer Norman Banks (1905-1985). Since 1965 all proceeds from Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight have gone to support children who are blind or have low vision, and their families.4 Whether we experience the visual spectacle of thousands of candles illuminating the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in person, or broadcast onto our TV screens, the carols remain a treasured part of Christmas Eve.
Learn more about the history of the Carols in our blog: https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/ask-a-librarian/carols-by-candlelight/
6. Myer Christmas windows
The Myer Christmas windows hold a special place in the heart of most Melburnians. Christmas does not feel like Christmas without a trip to Bourke Street to marvel at the window displays. The much-loved tradition is now in its 67th year.
The Library’s Coles Myer archive – a collection of over 30,000 items, stored across one linear kilometre of shelving – contains many items and photographs that chronicle the history of the Christmas windows. We also very fortunate to hold a collection of images taken by the photographer Lloyd Hull (1916-1996), who faithfully captured every single window – from Famous Fairy Tales, to Arabian Nights, to Snugglepot and Cuddlepie – for nearly forty years.
Learn more about the history of the Myer Christmas windows in our blog: https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/such-was-life/myer-christmas-windows/
7. A photo with Santa
A must-do activity for the young (and young-at-heart), and to ensure that Santa is up-to-date with any last minute additions to the Christmas wish list.
Read about Santa’s important work in department stores over the years in our blog: https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/ask-a-librarian/how-to-train-your-santa/
8. Shopping
What is Christmas – or Boxing Day – without shopping? With the proliferation of shopping centres like Chadstone (1960), Northland (1966) and Highpoint (1975) in the outer suburbs, Bourke Street mall is no longer the primary shopping destination it was in days gone by. However, we still love the Christmas hustle and energy in the city as we hunt for last-minute stocking fillers, or an end-of-year bargain at Myer.
You may also like
- Collett, M, (25 Dec 2016), ‘The surprisingly short history of the Boxing Day Test‘, ABC News, accessed 13 December 2022
- Dunstan, K, 2000, The People’s Ground: The MCG, 4th ed, Arcadia, Melbourne, p 17
- Batchelder, A, 2005, Pavilions in the Park: A History of the Melbourne Cricket Club and its Ground, Vol 1, Australian Scholarly publishing, Melbourne, p 281. Also see (1893, April 22). The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946), p 17)
The Sheffield Shield was Australia’s first domestic first-class cricket competition. Originally a contest between three states – Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia – Queensland joined the competition in 1926-27 season, Western Australia in the 1947-48 season, and Tasmania in 1977-78 season on a 2 year trial, from Dunstan, K, 2000, The People’s Ground: The MCG, 4th ed, Arcadia, Melbourne, p 70
Also see Senyard, J, “Cricket”, eMelbourne
- eMelbourne, 2008, Carols by Candlelight, viewed 13 December 2022, <https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00300b.htm>