He's also a passionate student of the state's history, and he lived through the Dunstan era as a young man.

Dull.

It was really dull.

If you're a young person, as I was in the '50s, w- we were living in what was a very successful era economically, the Playford era, which went for nearly 27 years.

So big and good things are happening, but if you're interested in culture and you're interested in progressive legislation, forget it.

I'm, I'm seeing the hip-swiveling Elvis [laughs] on the telly, which has arrived in 1959.

So there's massive change happening in society, but we're not joining it.

And for young South Australians like Keith Conlon, their state felt different.