Oz Magazine - the Voice of Dissent

Oz Magazine

The Voice of Dissent

Introduction

In an Australian context, the birth of alternative journalism in the 1960s came a time when the basic world-view of capitalist society came under challenge by an increasingly discontented middle class, driving an ideological struggle between mainstream and alternative lifestyle movements. When the satirical and controversial Oz Magazine emerged in 1963, it boldly set out to challenge the mores and values of what was then a conservative society. This essay will analyse twelve issues of Oz Magazine from 1963 and 1964, in order to discover the social and political role of Oz during this significant era of change. Briefly tracing the history of Australia back to the counter-culture of the sixties, this essay will outline the chronological events surrounding the birth of Oz. Subsequently this essay will explain the methodologies used to analyse Oz, followed by an analysis of the magazines. By systematically analysing Oz, this essay will seek to explain the social and political role of the magazine in terms of the historically significant events that surrounded the magazine during the 1960s.

Australia in the 1960s.

The 1960s began as an era of great political stability and increasing prosperity for Australians (Townsend 1988). Robert Menzies was Prime Minister from 1949 until 1966, and his fervently "pro-British