Aussie - where were you?
Apr. 28th, 2004 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreHere's one for us Aussies. We've had our fair share of major events.
When the Beaumont children went missing from Glenelg Beach (Janurary 26 1966) - This was long before I was born. It's an intruging mystery though.
When Harold Holt disappeared off Cheviot Beach (December 17 1967) - Again, before my time.
When a 6.9 scale earthquake hit the wheatbelt town of Meckering, causing shocks all the way to Perth (October 14 1968) - My mum and nan vaguely remember the tremors.
When cyclone Tracy struck Darwin on Christmas Eve (24 December 1974) - I wasn't born yet, but I do remember when I was a kid I got a book called "When Tracy came for Christmas". I didn't realise what it was about until I read it. The book was fiction but the photos in it were real.
When Gough Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General (November 11 1975) - "God save the Queen! Because nothing will save the Governer General!" I wasn't born yet.
When a train struck a bridge in Granville, causing it to collapse and killing 83 people (Janurary 18 1977) - Before my time.
When the Ash Wednesday fires burned throughout South Australia and Victoria (February 16 1983) - I don't really remember this. But Matt has told me stories about it. The flames were visible from their house.
When a 5.6 scale earthquake struck Newcastle (December 28 1989) - It wasn't long after that L.A. earthquake we had to write about. I remember it, but not awfully clearly.
When Ivan Milat, the Backpacker Killer was caught (May 22 1994) - A friend of mine was rabbiting on about how terrible it all was. I didn't really have a clue what was going on.
When Martin Bryant shot 35 people dead at Port Arthur, Tasmania (April 28 1996) - THIS I remember. I remember the newspaper the next day with a full page colour shot of Martin Bryant and the large words KILLER above it. Port Arthur affected me weirdly. I collected news articles and became quite fascinated. I don't believe Bryant was at all malicious, he belongs in a mental ward, not jail.
When the Sydney to Hobart yacht race ended up disastorous with 6 deaths and 12 boats never finishing (December 27 1998) - I saw quite a bit on the news. The storm was amazing, the death toll was terrible. I saw a documentary on it later and was proud to learn of the heroism that occured that day. I think only one or two boats actually kept racing to the finish, the rest participated in the rescue efforts. I remember them showing footage of a waterspout out in the middle of the Tasman on the news.
When bodies were disovered in a bank vault at Snowtown (May 20 1999) - I thought this was longer ago than that! Not long after we passed through Snowtown by bus and went there to catch the bus on the way back to Perth. Didn't see the bank however.
When the Sari club in Bali was bombed (October 12 2002) - Claire was desperately trying to contact Jared because she knew his parent's were leaving for Bali that day. They were okay. It was also my birthday!
Others (no dates)
Hoddle St Massacre - don't remember
1994 Sydney fires - They were BAD.
2003 Canberra fires - That was just freaky, residential housing!! Not bushland with the odd house among it.
Mid 1998, when a 21 year old guy fell down a well in Lesmurdie - I remember seeing it in the news! 6 months later I met the man and started going out with him! *giggles*
When the Beaumont children went missing from Glenelg Beach (Janurary 26 1966) - This was long before I was born. It's an intruging mystery though.
When Harold Holt disappeared off Cheviot Beach (December 17 1967) - Again, before my time.
When a 6.9 scale earthquake hit the wheatbelt town of Meckering, causing shocks all the way to Perth (October 14 1968) - My mum and nan vaguely remember the tremors.
When cyclone Tracy struck Darwin on Christmas Eve (24 December 1974) - I wasn't born yet, but I do remember when I was a kid I got a book called "When Tracy came for Christmas". I didn't realise what it was about until I read it. The book was fiction but the photos in it were real.
When Gough Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General (November 11 1975) - "God save the Queen! Because nothing will save the Governer General!" I wasn't born yet.
When a train struck a bridge in Granville, causing it to collapse and killing 83 people (Janurary 18 1977) - Before my time.
When the Ash Wednesday fires burned throughout South Australia and Victoria (February 16 1983) - I don't really remember this. But Matt has told me stories about it. The flames were visible from their house.
When a 5.6 scale earthquake struck Newcastle (December 28 1989) - It wasn't long after that L.A. earthquake we had to write about. I remember it, but not awfully clearly.
When Ivan Milat, the Backpacker Killer was caught (May 22 1994) - A friend of mine was rabbiting on about how terrible it all was. I didn't really have a clue what was going on.
When Martin Bryant shot 35 people dead at Port Arthur, Tasmania (April 28 1996) - THIS I remember. I remember the newspaper the next day with a full page colour shot of Martin Bryant and the large words KILLER above it. Port Arthur affected me weirdly. I collected news articles and became quite fascinated. I don't believe Bryant was at all malicious, he belongs in a mental ward, not jail.
When the Sydney to Hobart yacht race ended up disastorous with 6 deaths and 12 boats never finishing (December 27 1998) - I saw quite a bit on the news. The storm was amazing, the death toll was terrible. I saw a documentary on it later and was proud to learn of the heroism that occured that day. I think only one or two boats actually kept racing to the finish, the rest participated in the rescue efforts. I remember them showing footage of a waterspout out in the middle of the Tasman on the news.
When bodies were disovered in a bank vault at Snowtown (May 20 1999) - I thought this was longer ago than that! Not long after we passed through Snowtown by bus and went there to catch the bus on the way back to Perth. Didn't see the bank however.
When the Sari club in Bali was bombed (October 12 2002) - Claire was desperately trying to contact Jared because she knew his parent's were leaving for Bali that day. They were okay. It was also my birthday!
Others (no dates)
Hoddle St Massacre - don't remember
1994 Sydney fires - They were BAD.
2003 Canberra fires - That was just freaky, residential housing!! Not bushland with the odd house among it.
Mid 1998, when a 21 year old guy fell down a well in Lesmurdie - I remember seeing it in the news! 6 months later I met the man and started going out with him! *giggles*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 10:32 pm (UTC)I sure do remember that - that was my 4th birthday, I remember it was SO hot (back in the days when Melbourne used to never reach over 30 degrees & the sky went red & it smelled bad)
The rest of the events I sure do remember. I'd also add the bushfires in 1994 & last year (?) in Sydney. My friends parents had to install sprinklers on their roof.
I'd also add the Hoddle Street shootings. That was awful.
All this gang stuff between the Italians in Melbourne is also horrible & I can only see it getting worse.
Claremont serial killer - Jane Rimmer went to school & was quite close to one of my friends.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 10:35 pm (UTC)Yeah the 94 Sydney fires and last years Canberra fires were also pretty damn bad.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 11:49 pm (UTC)When Harold Holt disappeared off Cheviot Beach (December 17 1967) - Wasn't born yet. Wasn't he a Prime Minister though? I think I read about it in History once...
When a 6.9 scale earthquake hit the wheatbelt town of Meckering, causing shocks all the way to Perth (October 14 1968) - Wasn't born yet.
When cyclone Tracy struck Darwin on Christmas Eve (24 December 1974) - Wasn't born yet.
When Gough Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General (November 11 1975) - Wasn't born yet.
When a train struck a bridge in Granville, causing it to collapse and killing 83 people (January 18 1977) - Wasn't born yet.
When the Ash Wednesday fires burned throughout South Australia and Victoria (February 16 1983) - Still a few months before my birth.
When a 5.6 scale earthquake struck Newcastle (December 28 1989) - Don't remember it.
When Ivan Milat, the Backpacker Killer was caught (May 22 1994) - Don't remember hearing anything about it.
When Martin Bryant shot 35 people dead at Port Arthur, Tasmania (April 28 1996) - I remember this, but only vaguely. It all seemed so distant and didn't really affect me at all.
When the Sydney to Hobart yacht race ended up disastrous with 6 deaths and 12 boats never finishing (December 27 1998) - Don't remember hearing about this one.
When bodies were discovered in a bank vault at Snowtown (May 20 1999) - I really should remember this, but I'm not sure I ever heard of it. In any case, I don't remember it.
When the Sari club in Bali was bombed (October 12 2002) - Everyone was trying to get in contact with me and my family because my parents and sisters had just left for Bali that day. It turned out they weren't even there yet when it all happened.
Others (no dates)
Hoddle St Massacre - Don't remember
1994 Sydney fires - Remember hearing a bit of hubbub about them, I was only 11 at the time though.
2003 Canberra fires - Didn't really affect me much, was hearing about it on the news for days/weeks though.
Mid 1998, when a 21 year old guy fell down a well in Lesmurdie - Heh. I would find it amusing if I remembered hearing about this one, seeing as I know him too. But alas, I did not :P
P.S. There were a couple of spelling mistakes (Janurary x2, disovered x1, disastorous x1).
no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 08:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 08:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 11:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 11:50 pm (UTC)I know you and I weren't alive, but it might be interesting to see what others thought at the time...
no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 11:54 pm (UTC)Australia has an unnerving amount of serial killers.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 01:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 03:50 am (UTC)aren't we proud to be Australian
no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 06:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-28 08:26 am (UTC)When Harold Holt disappeared off Cheviot Beach (December 17 1967) - Still before I was born.
When a 6.9 scale earthquake hit the wheatbelt town of Meckering, causing shocks all the way to Perth (October 14 1968) - I only know what I've been told of it, not coming from this state and being before my time still.
When cyclone Tracy struck Darwin on Christmas Eve (24 December 1974) - Just before I was born, still know about it though.
When Gough Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General (November 11 1975) - I wasn't born yet.
When a train struck a bridge in Granville, causing it to collapse and killing 83 people (Janurary 18 1977) - I was about 6 months old. one of my uncle's (i think it was uncle) was a rescuer at it.
When the Ash Wednesday fires burned throughout South Australia and Victoria (February 16 1983) - I was 6 1/2 and I remember being up during the night on priority notice to evacuate. We were fighting spots of ash falling on a neighbour's brush fence and watching a fire-front appearing over black hill. It is something I'll never forget.
When a 5.6 scale earthquake struck Newcastle (December 28 1989) - I'd just finished my first year of high school and was on holidays in Adelaide. We found out not long after that my dad had a brother that lived over there and their house took a bit of damage.
When Ivan Milat, the Backpacker Killer was caught (May 22 1994) - I remember hearing about this, but didn't pay much attention. Probably because I was in hospital having major operations in a 12 week stay that changed my life. It should have been approaching my first semester exams at uni though.
When Martin Bryant shot 35 people dead at Port Arthur, Tasmania (April 28 1996) - I remember this one pretty well, I was in my third year at Adelaide Uni and I was in the habit of watching the news regularly over dinner with my sister, since I was living with her at the time.
When the Sydney to Hobart yacht race ended up disastorous with 6 deaths and 12 boats never finishing (December 27 1998) - I've always watched the Sydney to Hobart coverage and this years one was just eerie. It was the end of my first year in WA and I'd gone home for christmas and then traveling on to Tasmania for NCYC'99.
When bodies were disovered in a bank vault at Snowtown (May 20 1999) - Knowing where the small town of Snowtown was before this event, since I'd lived in the area for many years and played sport in the same district as it, this event shocked us. I was in Perth at the time though, since it was during semester time. In July it was when we travelled through there.
When the Sari club in Bali was bombed (October 12 2002) - I was here in Perth. I think I went to the cricket that day with Jocelyn. I know either 02 or 03 was on your b'day. It was shocking, but has become more expected in the terrible terrorist climate we seem to live in.
Others (no dates)
Hoddle St Massacre - don't remember.
1994 Sydney fires - They were BAD. They certainly were.
2003 Canberra fires - And just before it we had Sarah move in with us having moved here from Canberra! It was wierd.
Mid 1998, when a 21 year old guy fell down a well in Lesmurdie - yeah, It was June 1, 98. I'd been doing an assignment and took a break. The rest is the reason for this event :)
Ooh, fun!
Date: 2004-04-29 01:33 pm (UTC)Here's one for us Aussies. We've had our fair share of major events.
When the Beaumont children went missing from Glenelg Beach (Janurary 26 1966) - This was long before I was born. It's an intruging mystery though.
When Harold Holt disappeared off Cheviot Beach (December 17 1967) - Again, before my time.
When a 6.9 scale earthquake hit the wheatbelt town of Meckering, causing shocks all the way to Perth (October 14 1968) - wasn't born, and my parents hadn't even come over yet!
When cyclone Tracy struck Darwin on Christmas Eve (24 December 1974) - I wasn't born yet.
When Gough Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General (November 11 1975) - "God save the Queen! Because nothing will save the Governer General!" I wasn't born yet.
When a train struck a bridge in Granville, causing it to collapse and killing 83 people (Janurary 18 1977) - Before my time.
When the Ash Wednesday fires burned throughout South Australia and Victoria (February 16 1983) - vaguely remember it...
When a 5.6 scale earthquake struck Newcastle (December 28 1989) - I remember it, and all the ads asking for donations, but that's about it. I was in primary school.
When Ivan Milat, the Backpacker Killer was caught (May 22 1994) - A friend of mine was rabbiting on about how terrible it all was. I didn't really have a clue what was going on.
LOL, same!
When Martin Bryant shot 35 people dead at Port Arthur, Tasmania (April 28 1996) - Yep, I gotta remember that too... You kept saying he was cute, and wondered why I looked at you weirdly!
When the Sydney to Hobart yacht race ended up disastorous with 6 deaths and 12 boats never finishing (December 27 1998) - Not really much... Tony Buliman, right?
When bodies were disovered in a bank vault at Snowtown (May 20 1999) - Again, only vaguely. Wow, I suck!
When the Sari club in Bali was bombed (October 12 2002) - My brother's birthday, too. 17th, actually. Surprisingly, since I don't watch much TV, the first I heard lof it was from a CNN "newsflash" that I used to get emailed to me. So I heard about this local event first from an international source!
Others (no dates)
Hoddle St Massacre - don't remember
1994 Sydney fires - Don't remember. but 2002 were worse, and a friend of mine in Sydney was/is a volunteer firey during that. Scary stuff.
I'd probably put Claremont as just 1996, maybe? Sarah Spiers disappeared in January, so that's when it started, but Jane Rimmer was about 4 months later, which was the first time the words "serial killer" came up.
Re: Ooh, fun!
Date: 2004-04-29 01:39 pm (UTC)Nope, he was in some round the world race a few years earlier.
Re: Ooh, fun!
Date: 2004-04-29 02:11 pm (UTC)Then I remember it even less than I thought, obviously. ;) I do remember the boats stopping to help instead of continuing to race.
And I forgot to add, about the Sydney fires 2002... I remember them so clearly cos I was working Directory Assistance on Christmas. It's a national number so I was dealing with lots of freaked out people wanting to know who they could call to find out info. And of course there were the ones who would abuse me because the lines were jammed. Cos it's all my fault, don't ya know?
Call centre jobs have made me bitter.