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 1999.
A YEAR-long countdown to the Party of the Century – and a new millennium.
“The Sixth Sense” and “The Blair Witch Project” are scaring audiences silly, but it’s nothing to the hysteria around what turns out to essentially be a hoax of
the scale of the Shroud of Turin – Y2K! All those still-new “bloggers” terrified of losing their impassioned outpourings of “interweb” soul-searching…
STATE OF THE NATION
That tax John Howard said was “never, ever” going to happen? It happens.
At a time we’re paying $3 for STD (not that kind – long-distance telephony), a rush for Telstra shares sees Australian share prices skyrocket.
Keeping those bank balances in check, a 0.25 per cent interest rate rise, the first in five years.
John “Golden Tonsils” Laws won’t knock back a bit of cash for comment.
Hoovering up headlines, a two-part constitutional referendum (say, what?): Australia to become a republic with a president plus a preamble recognising [to paraphrase]: “The nation’s first people, generations of immigrants, our unique environment and equal opportunity for all”.
It’s unsuccessful (about 55-60 per cent no to 40-45 per cent yes).
STATE OF THE WORLD
Kosovo/Serbian conflict; Putin as prime minister /president and “the destruction of Grozny”; Turkey’s earthquake kills 15,000; Euro is the currency; 13 dead in the Columbine High School rampage; curse of the Kennedys: JFK Jnr and his wife killed in a plane crash.
And “The Sopranos” debut while Barbie turns 40.
STATE OF THE STATES
For the first time, NSW students game their results online (eventually they’ll figure out how to get them before they’re even supposed to).
NSW Premier Bob Carr beats Liberal Kerry Chikarovski (first female opposition leader) while Labor’s Steve Bracks replaces Jeff Kennett in Victoria.
Premiers horse-trade tax revenue for that never-to-be-introduced GST.
STATE OF THE TERRITORY
“A decade of self-government – or, one year 10 times” opines incisive “CityNews” politico, Jane Lee.
While “The Canberra Times” crows about its circulation, “CityNews” points out the opposite.
“The only missing element from a decade ago is any serious coverage by ‘The Canberra Times’ of local affairs. The newspaper is now totally out of touch with what is actually happening”.
“70th summer under the sun”.
Canberra icons celebrate: the heritage-listed Manuka Swimming Pool, opened Australia Day 1930, and Canberra Grammar School – “the oldest boys’ school in the ACT”.
The Federation Tram proposal: “Heritage trams from every state… to improve city linkages, reinforce the city as the major retail and commercial centre… and alleviate potential car parking shortages”.
Of course, it goes nowhere…
Canberra gets a second “real” pub: Civic’s “King O’Malley” – “focusing on the colourful character” of “the Minister who defended the selection of Canberra as the site for the National Capital”.
“Loose with the truth” might be more apt: claimed he was Canadian to get into parliament but actually American so should never have been able to do any of what he did!
Progress for the “heart of the nation”: the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings to return to their “former focus and identity”, a “$110m facelift for [the] City”, while The Dome (Australian Academy of Science Becker House) gets a facelift for the 2001 Australian Science Festival.
From a potential Canberra jail to a new suburb (in 2015, 1800 residences for the 16-hectare site – latest proposal, 380), community furore continues to frustrate “modernisation” of the capital’s earliest attempts at building itself, the Yarralumla Brickworks (1916-1976).
KINGSTON FORESHORE
“The Darling Harbour of Canberra”: Years of planning to “transform the area into a major multi-purpose city precinct… a realignment of the shoreline [to] create a new basin and parklands, in addition to increasing the size of the boat harbour… The historically significant Kingston Power House, one of Canberra’s first permanent structures, will become the centrepiece of a cultural precinct”.
Community concerns include “the long-term viability of the project”.
AND TO KICK OFF THE 21ST CENTURY
November 19, 1999 – every digit is an odd number (19/11/1999), something that won’t happen again until the year 3111.
The full collection of Nichole Overall’s “CityNews” anniversary columns can be seen here.
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