To mark the 30th anniversary of “CityNews”, social historian and journalist NICHOLE OVERALL has written an eclectic history of Canberra and beyond over the past three decades. Here is 2021.
PROVING the bastards didn’t kill Kenny, the irreverent hit “South Park” extended till 2027 (which will see it run for 30 years) and “CityNews” introduces its own new slice of political irreverence.
In earlier versions of “CN”, there was the ouch-inducing “The Whip”, unattributed as long as it lasted.
A favoured target was Tasmania’s independent senator, Brian Harradine, and particularly his views on the “X-rated industry”, once whipping out that “18 per cent of Tasmanians viewed a bit of X … rather more than twice as many as voted for him”. Also quick to crack that TransACT could be thanked for the lightning-fast download speeds of such material…
With the debut of the biting satire of “KEEPING UP THE ACT”, once again we’re treated to the laser-sharp pen-work of an invisible, politically-savvy anti-hero.
In top “CityNews” reporting for the 21st year of the 21st century: covid still dominating – the capital going from unprotected to more than 98 per cent fully dosed in 12 months and “Freedom Friday” signalling the end of lockup and a “new normal”; administrative confusion costing the ACT coffers with thousands of Canberrans let off speeding fines; and “CN’s” news websites “smashing all the previous 11 years’ records”.
Internationally, the “world’s most powerful woman”, Angela Merkel, stands down; Trump trumped; and the US goes next level with the Capitol riots.
Facebook gets snarky, wiping itself of Australian content on the push (rightly) to see Zuckerberg’s Frankensteinian monster pay those who produce original thinking.
And that really big ship blocked that really narrow Suez Canal.
In the midst of the “covid-blur” of Year 2, there were momentous moments to mark:
- The ANU is 75.
The only university created by an Act of Parliament (1946), the launch of year-long events to “honour our past, celebrate our present and make our future”.
- Remember pre-dawn milk bottles clinking on your doorstep? Canberra Milk chalks up 50 years as the ACT’s Lone Ranger of local dairy production (NB: manufacturing operations moved to Penrith in 2023). ACT Brumbies and the Raiders’ sponsorship part of the capital’s sporting capital (“up the Milk”).
- We do see a return of Raiders Lime Milk – introduced in 1990, out by ’96, reintroduced 2013, discontinued in 2015. The hype was always good but maybe the flavour not so much? (insert debate here).
- In more sobering recollections, it’s the 50 year anniversary of the oldest unsolved murder in Canberra’s history: the tragedy of Keren Rowland. The 20-year-old, pregnant at the time, went missing from almost the centre of Canberra in 1971. Three months later her remains were discovered in the Fairbairn Pine Forest. Her family continues to look for answers.
- Gardening guru Cedric Bryant’s long-running “CityNews” columns were a highlight for many and sadly, Cedric leaves us for the great garden in the sky (in 2014 he was honoured with life membership of the Horticultural Society of Canberra for his significant contribution and in one everlasting piece of advice for territory gardeners – don’t plant tomatoes before the Melbourne Cup).
- Another with considerable longevity to soon call it quits, film aficionado Dougal Macdonald – one of his most clicked reviews before he does, the 2022 Australian flick, “How to Please a Woman”.
- And speaking of bowing out, NSW Premier Gladys resigns, as does Deputy Premier Barilaro, while Canberra Liberals leader Alistair Coe steps aside, Elizabeth Lee stepping up.
The full collection of Nichole Overall’s “CityNews” anniversary columns can be seen here.
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