ABSTRACT
There are some important similarities between a tour around a display home and the perusal of the kind of glossy magazine that is devoted to displaying ‘ideal’ homes. The inscription of the concept of leisure into the home has not just affected changes in gardens but also generated new structures such as games rooms, family rooms and the pool area. There have undoubtedly been some significant changes in Australian suburban homes during the past 30 years, changes that everyone recognises and accepts as significant. One of the insistent meanings of such ideal homes is class. The Australian male has turned the outdoor living area into an expensive and central feature of the suburban home. The ‘backyard’ of the 1950s contrasted with the outdoor living area of today in a whole set of features. The usage of this backyard varied, depending upon one’s position in the family.
