New Years Eve 25 Years Ago: 1992

On Sunday night, Sydneysiders will gather by the millions to celebrate the start of 2018. We have been promised a big night of celebrations.

Twenty-five years ago, we were promised what was at the time a big night of celebrations.

The annual skyshow was now in its 4th year and was now evolving into a separate event in its own right, even though this was the launch for the 1993 Festival of Sydney.

Unlike today, the main show was at 9pm with no midnight display. It ran for thirty minutes compared to twelve minutes in more recent times. 

Below is the liftout that was published The Daily Telegraph Mirror on December 29, 1992, providing all the details you needed about the show.

Fireworks were to be launched from three barges and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Note that there were no barges to the west of the Harbour Bridge. For 2017, two of the barges are in similar locations to 1992. The one off Bennelong Point has since been moved further east; nearer to Clark Island.

Syd Howard had the job of bringing the show together. In a first for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, fireworks would be launched from the pylons.

Those attending were told to take public transport. Lots of extra services would operate through the night.

Crowds were estimated at 500 000 for the 30 minute display. The display was not televised but the music was simulcast on 2DAY FM. People were encouraged to bring along their radio to tune into the soundtrack created.

Thousands watched the display in their cars while stuck in snarls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Cahill Expressway. Congestion on city streets, was to become a problem for part of the decade until organisers closed off the Harbour Bridge and the Cahill Expressway.

At least for a while, one could enjoy the fireworks on the Sydney Harbour Bridge itself.

Below is coverage from the January 1, 1993 edition of The Daily Telegraph Mirror. I will include a short summary of some of the details.

• 500 000 watched the skyshow.
• 200 000 gathered at Darling Harbour.
• The fireworks cost $250 000 compared with $7 million to welcome 2017. 
• Boating traffic on the harbour was "the busiest in years". I think it would have been nothing compared to the Bicentenary just five years before!!!
• People staked their place at vantage points from 4pm. No rush needed!!! If you want a prime spot on Sunday night, camping out from Friday might be a good idea. 
• 2000 attended the Bachelors and Spinsters Ball at the Bondi Pavilion. 

Finally, I wish you all a very happy new year. Tune in each Monday during January when I bring back the Remember This series, which was quite popular last summer. 

New Years Eve 25 Years Ago: 1991 (With a special VIP visitor)

Above: Hoodlums and drunks were read the riot act as the reports from the December 31, 1991 edition of The Daily Telegraph Mirror show. 

It is the last day of 2016 and its time to wind back the clock 25 years to 1991 to see how Sydney farewelled 1991 marked the start of 1992. Yes, we have come such a long way as I remind readers each year. But while celebrations were not as grand as today, there was a very special visitor that decided to attend. He was US President George Herbert Walker Bush who was visiting Sydney as part of a tour of the Asia-Pacific Region.

To me, the idea of a president being on a tour on New Year's Eve just seems odd to me because usually, the American President is enjoying a break of the Christmas New Year Period. Barack Obama, for instance, likes to be in Hawaii at this time of year. His visit dominated news coverage. The fireworks were second fiddle.

  

Bush arrived that evening in Sydney on Air Force One before the Presidential Limousine drove him from Sydney Airport to Rose Bay where he boarded a boat to take him to Admiralty House at Kirribilli where a New Years Eve took place. Prime Minister Paul Keating and Governor General Bill Hayden were present. Security on Sydney Harbour was tight. Below is a Youtube Video from Nightline (Nine Network) on December 31, 1991, providing an overview of his arrival in Sydney. Also, there is some footage of the finale of the Skyshow from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

   

No visiting World Leader since has seen Sydney's famous fireworks display. This is rare. For the rest of us, we had to scramble for other viewing points around the city to admire the thirty-minute fireworks display at 9pm. There was no midnight show like we see today.

Below is some of the advertising promoting the fireworks spectacular - Skyshow 3. No mention of Bush visiting at all.

Like in the previous shows, the Skyshow was the launch event for the Festival of Sydney. The estimated cost of the thirty-minute show was $500 000. Unfortunately, it was not televised like today. You had to be there, or you missed out. Don't forget the radio too as 2DAY FM had a special soundtrack to accompany the display.  

Revelers were encouraged to use public transport to join in the festivities in the city. Below is an advertisement for bus and ferry services. Services were to operate through the evening with some services operating around the clock. Organising public transport was a little easier as there were not the street closures we see in central Sydney like now. However, those departing the last ferries from Mosman, Manly and Neutral Bay before the fireworks were in for a treat. Their service would remain moored in the harbour for the duration of the display - all for the price of a normal fare. 

I couldn't find an advertisement for Cityrail, but The Sydney Morning Herald did report that train services would operate until 2am. 

For drivers, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was still open, but if you stopped your car during the show, it would be towed away.

Source: Jackson, S. & English, B. 1992. "Revellers subdued by rain, alcohol ban". The Daily Telegraph Mirror: 6. 

And what about an overview of the night itself? According to The Sydney Morning Herald (January 2, 1992), an estimated 250 000 were reported celebrating in the city around Darlinghurst, Kings Cross, and Darling Harbour. Numbers were "down" due to wet weather but also the alcohol-free zones which scared those needing a drink away. Arrests were down, compared with the year before. Darling Harbour reportedly did not reach the estimated 200 000 attendees. At least 300 000 are reported to be attending this year at the same location.

New Years Eve 25 Years Ago: 1990

Let's head back a generation to see how the people of Sydney marked the start of 1991.

Source: The Festival of Sydney. 1990. "Skyshow: Sydney's Concert In the Sky for the Festival of Sydney 1991" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 30:28. 

Unlike 2015, where the celebrations take place at midnight with activities to count down the final hours, celebrations were a mid-evening affair.

Just like the year before, the thirty-minute fireworks skyshow held at 9pm marked the start of the 1991 Festival of Sydney. This was the second annual show and would be a forerunner to the displays that we see today. The Daily Telegraph Mirror prepared a wall chart ahead of the event.

Fireworks were to be launched from four barges off Bennelong Point which was spread over 100 metres. Even though they were tightly condensed, you were able to see it from anywhere in the harbour. No fireworks were to be let off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I've enlarged the map provided on the preview poster above to give you the idea.

As per the year before, the music for the display was simulcast on 2DAY FM and those attending the fireworks were invited to bring their Sony Walkman along. Even if you are watching the fireworks this Thursday, you will need to take your Sony Walkman (no joke you can get them still) or Ipod Nano if you want to listen to the soundtrack.

Sydneysiders certainly flocked to it as hundreds of thousands descended on Sydney Harbour. It was believed that as many as one million flocked to central Sydney though The Daily Telegraph mentioned of fewer crowds at The Rocks.  For those who didn't flock to the harbour, they were partying the night away at Darling Harbour. In fact it was quite hard moving around that part of the city according to The Sydney Morning Herald on January 1.

Source: Jones, B. 1991. "Happy New Year". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, January 1: 1 & 3. 

There were plenty of buses and ferries to get you around.

Source: State Transit. 1990. "Ringing In The New Year? Catch a lift with us." (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 31: 14. 

Rail services were increased, though there were concerns over the lack of interurban trains running after midnight.  The Daily Telegraph Mirror reported on its commuter club page on December 31 that there very limited interurban services. Central Coast commuters only had one train after midnight - 12:35am to get them home and one extra service to Wollongong an hour later. The explanation by Cityrail was that there were celebrations in those regions that did not necessitate the extra trains.

I don't think people will have much to worry about in terms of heading into the city to celebrate on Thursday evening with lots of trains to operate throughout the evening. As celebrations have grown, transport authorities have had no choice but to respond.  There will be plenty of buses and ferries as well, though many city bus services will have to be either re-routed or suspended to cater for closures to city streets. Ferries will also have to stop for the fireworks. With so many people travelling into the city and harbour, it's imperative that as many services as possible can be provided. And we will smash Melbourne  Melbourne are pretty slack shutting down rail stations for no reason, for instance, this Thursday and funnelling revellers to Flinders Street & Southern Cross Stations. Circular Quay Station here in Sydney will close to those arriving by train between 6pm and 1am.

While the night's entertainment is free like in 1990, there just seems to be fewer places each year allowing one to celebrate for free, and where its free, crowd numbers are restricted for comfort reasons. Unlike 25 years ago, if you want a good view of the night's celebration, you'll have to camp out. If you want to see it at Mrs Macquaries Chair, you'll have to camp out in a queue until early Thursday morning. Otherwise, you'll have to pay, and through the roof as well.

One thing that hasn't changed is the international interest in the night's festivities by visitors to Sydney who got into the spirit of celebrations. One German was reported by The Daily Telegraph Mirror (see above) wanting to become an Australian. A quarter of a century later, they come by the planeload and in fact it has become a pilgrimage as the celebrations are now the best on earth. In f,act you will be lucky if you can find Sydneysiders at some sites Thursdayday like Mrs Macquaries Chair, which attract the global visitors because of the spectacular view of the Harbour Bridge & Opera House.

Finally this is my last flashback for the next four weeks. Our Property Advert of the Week entries will continue through January given their popularity by visitors to the site. 

Christmas Snapshot: 1990

Christmas is on this Friday, and this week we focus on how Sydney marked Christmas in 1990.

1990 wasn't as a dramatic as the year before, but Australia was entering the recession "that we had to have". In November, Paul Keating delivered the news that the nation was going to dread.

So Christmas 1990 was going to be tough for some and the fear of losing one's job or income would see some keep their cash in their wallets.

It was up to the retailers to persuade you to put your fears aside as these advertisements show.

Grace Bros were happy to save the best deals until the last moment, a bit of a forerunner to some of the deals you see in the lead up to December 25.

Source: Grace Bros. 1990. "We've Left The Best 'Til Last (Advertisement). The Sunday Telegraph, December 23: 18.

Source: Brashs. 1990. "Brashs 4 Day Christmas Sellout (Advertisement)".  The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 21: 22. 

And Woolworths promised lots of specials.

Source: Woolworths. 1990. "Christmas brings you Lower Prices (Advertisement)". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 19: 56-57. 

As with 1989, retailers were permitted to trade on the two Sundays in the lead up to Christmas Day (December 16 and 23) which actually required legislation by the NSW Government to be passed before it was approved. Sunday trading was generally still not allowed in NSW.

The Christmas Season in Sydney had begun over a month before. On November 11, Grace Bros put on their second annual Christmas Pageant which began the Christmas season as an estimated 200 000 lined city streets to welcome Santa Claus to Sydney on November 11. The parade was held under sunny skies as celebrities and Santa himself was paraded down Macquarie, Market and George Streets through to Darling Harbour.

Source: O'Rourke, J. 1990. "200 000 join parade". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, November 12, 4-5. 

Carols in the Domain was held on December 22. It had an earlier starting time than today (7:30pm) and the Electricity Commission replaced Esso as the main sponsor.

Source: Anonymous. 1990. "Carols in the Domain". The Sunday Telegraph, December 23: 4. 

Western Sydney had their major carols event to compete with those in the east. On December 16, 40 000 packed Parramatta Stadium for the St George Carols by Candlelight.

Christmas 1990 didn't produce the dramatic news events that shaped the following Christmas, but bushfires on the northern beaches tried to put a dampener on celebrations. Fires swept through suburbs including Wahroonga, North Turramurra, Forestville, Killarney Heights, Terry Hills & Allambie Heights on December 23. Around 20 homes on the Central Coast were destroyed by fires. Cyclone Joy was also menacing Far North Queensland but was downgraded to a tropical low by the time it crossed the coast near Townsville.

The front page of The Sydney Morning Herald on December 24, 1990, with some amazing pictures of bushfires on Sydney's Northern Beaches. 

On Friday, I was taking some Christmas themed photos in the city, and one of my stops was the Queen Victoria Building, where their Christmas tree just becomes more and more ornate each year.

Photos taken by the Author. 

Compare that with 1990, which was quite modest in my view.

Source: Bishop. K. 1990. "Artificial Christmas trees - a growth industry". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 22: 3. 

Next week, New Year's Eve 1990 is our focus and then we will scale back to one entry for the month of January. Given the huge interest in old property advertisements, I'll keep them going and that also gives me time to research.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

ANZAC Day 50 years ago: Sydney marks 50 years since the Gallipoli Landing (1965)

To mark ANZAC Day this week and the 100th anniversary since Australian troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli in Turkey.  I came across some material from The Daily Telegraph half a century ago when Sydney marked its 50th anniversary.

Page 1 of  The Daily Telegraph  (April 26, 1965) shows the marchers proceeding down Martin Place past the Cenotaph. 

   

In 1965, Australia had military advisors present in Vietnam to assist the South Vietnam army in their war with the north. Australian servicemen were serving in Malaysian Borneo alongside the British and Malaysians in protecting population centres from Indonesian attacks. Just a few months earlier, a conscription lottery for national service had been introduced, where 20-year-old men were required to serve in the army if they were selected according to their birthday. This was done in order to provide a suitable defense force to battle the hostilities in Asia that had been triggered by the spread of Communism.

Photo spread from Pages 16 and 17 of The Daily Telegraph on April 26 1965.

The timing of ANZAC Day this year has caused a fuss for some because it falls on a Saturday and people will not get a public holiday on the following Monday to make up for it. In 1965, it fell on a Sunday and it was led by the churches. For the churches, they were unimpressed by the decision by the RSL to allow marches during the morning because it would prevent people from attending regular Church services. In previous instances where ANZAC Day fell on a Sunday like in 1948 and 1954, commemoration services were moved to the afternoons to allow people to attend Church services in the morning.

For the 50th anniversary, there were the typical ceremonies that makeup ANZAC Day in Sydney including the dawn service and the march. It followed the same route as today, except they started at the Macquarie Street end of Martin Place, not at the intersection with Pitt Street where it starts today. The front page of the The Daily Telegraph from April 26 below shows the veterans marching past the Cenotaph. Four days later on April 29, Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies announced that combat troops would be sent to Vietnam. The first wave of servicemen left at the end of May on the HMAS Sydney, arriving in Vietnam on June 10, 1965. Australia would be involved in the conflict until 1972. 50 000 served their nation with 508 killed.

In the years that were to follow, the servicemen from World War I and II had diminished in ranks and some had questioned the relevance of ANZAC Day.

Meanwhile, the opposition to Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War by Australian society led to public shaming of Vietnam Veterans, even though the majority were forced to fight even if it went against their beliefs.

However, in the 1980's there was a resurgence in the ANZAC Legend but also increasing appreciation of the efforts of servicemen in all conflicts.

In 1981, Peter Weir directed the feature film Gallipoli featuring the rising star Mel Gibson. The movie is about two runners from Western Australia who decide to fight in World War I and were sent to Gallipoli. Though the story was fictional, it was an attempt to show the conditions and experiences that the real fighters would have experienced at the time.

Meanwhile, Vietnam veterans fought for their recognition for their services. For instance, Redgum's "When I was Only 19" (1983) bought home to Australian's the challenges that the young servicemen were forced to endure not just during their service in Vietnam, but in the years that followed including the physical and psychological traumas that came from fighting in war.

 

Normie Rowe, who was forced to stop his music career in 1967 to serve in Vietnam pushed for a welcome home parade which took place in Sydney in 1987. I do plan at some point to look at that parade itself. 

As we headed into the 1990's and the first decades of the 21st century, crowds attending ANZAC Day events have surged to record attendances. In recent years as many as 25 000 gather for the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place. In fact, the crowds have spilled several blocks to the east. Crowds estimated at 100 000 gather along the parade route to watch 20 000 veterans and their descendant's march.

I wonder what 2015 will bring. Many events are planned in addition to the traditional ceremonies. I look forward to hopefully covering it at some point in the future.

New Years Eve 25 Years Ago:1989

Last week, I gave you an insight into how Sydneysiders marked Christmas in 1989. Now we ask how Sydney said farewell to the 1980's and welcomed in the 1990's.

1989 is the year where the origins of current New Year's Celebrations in Sydney originate from. Year by Year it would build up to shape what is now regarded as the biggest celebration of the start of the New Year anywhere in the world.

After two years, it was decided to bring back the New Years Eve fireworks display on Sydney Harbour. The Bicentenary in 1988 along with police concerns about rowdy behaviour on city streets led to a decision for no fireworks shows to welcome in 1988 and 1989.

A 30-minute fireworks display was held at 9 pm along Sydney Harbour to launch the 1990 Festival of Sydney. Those attending were asked to bring along a radio to listen to a complication of music that was programmed in sync with the fireworks. 2DAY FM would do the broadcast. Why 9pm? To allow people to enjoy a night out and be home in time for midnight or go to a party with friends.

Popular vantage points included: Mrs Macquaries Chair, Dawes Point and Bradleys Head.

The Fireworks were directed by Syd Howard with 6000 shells launched into the sky.

Source: 2-Day FM. 1989. "Skyshow: The Concert in the Sky (Advertisement). " The Sunday Telegraph, December 31: 29.

At least 400 000 people were reported to have watched the show; either on land or on a boat moored on the harbour. Compare it with the crowds of up to two million that attended New Year's Eve celebrations last year.

The 9pm fireworks show would be an annual feature each New Year's Eve until 1997. In 1998 as a lead up to Millennium celebrations, the 9pm show was shortened to ten minutes and is now promoted as a family fireworks show to allow children to at least engage in part of the evening's celebrations. The thirty-minute show was moved to midnight. From 2000, the show gradually decreased from thirty minutes to twelve minutes.

As for transport, there were plenty of buses, trains and ferries to keep you moving throughout the night. Below is an advertisement listing details of bus and ferry services operated by the State Transit Authority.

Source: State Transit. 1989. "New Year's Eve Buses & Ferries (Advertisement). " The Daily Telegraph, December 29: 21.

Unfortunately, I could not find an advertisement outlining rail services, but if I do find something, I'll add it in.

And finally, Tina Turner was out on the town as she was in town to film the 1990 promotional advertisement for the NSWRL Competition.

I wish you all a very happy new year.

Updated November 2018

Christmas Snapshot: 1989

Source: Anonymous. 1989. "Santa swaps sled for sailboard." The Daily Telegraph, December 26: 9.

For a Christmas Flashback, I've decided to go back a quarter of a century ago to 1989 to give a small snapshot of how the city marked Christmas.

1989 was a big year. Communism was falling apart in Eastern Europe and here at home, sharp increases in Interest Rates were beginning to hit with families and businesses on the nose.

As we know, the arrival of Santa to our department stores and shopping centres marks the start of the Christmas season in November. Grace Bros made sure it was grand with an estimated 200 000 people gathering on city streets on a very wet November morning (November 11) to welcome him to the city for their first ever Christmas Parade.  There were plenty of stars involved including Grace Bros Ambassador Deborah Hutton, Kay Cottee (Sailor), entertainer Normie Rowe and pop star Colette.

Source: Anonymous. 1989. "Ah, music to pour over." The Daily Telegraph, November 13: 3. 

Advertisement for the parade.

Source: Coles-Myer Limited. 1989. "Grace Bros Christmas Parade (Advertisement)." The Sunday Telegraph, November 5: 26. 

The official program.

Source: Coles-Myer Limited. 1989. "Grace Bros Christmas Parade (Advertisement)." The Daily Telegraph, November 11: 20-21. 

1989 was the first time that all retailers were given permission to trade on Sunday's, but only on the two Sundays before Christmas (December 17 and 24). The previous year, Grace Bros had experimented successfully with Sunday Trading at its city store. This was not welcomed by the Allied Shops and Trades Union nor the Churches, but despite that many workers elected to work on both Sunday's attracted by double pay for the hours worked. People enjoyed the convenience that came with it knowing they had extra time to shop. Westfield claimed that 50% of its shoppers wanted Sunday trading. NSW was now another step closer to seven days a week trading. With Christmas Eve (December 24), it was generally the larger shopping centres that stayed open. Stores like BigW which had shops in smaller shopping centres. For instance, Bonnyrigg did not open while their Westfield Miranda store traded.

Below are several reports on Sunday trading from December 17 as covered by The Daily Telegraph, in its edition of December 18.

But even during the week you had plenty of time to shop with extended shopping hours. Westfield's trading hours for the week before Christmas gives us a good idea how late they traded. Compared to today it has changed little, except with weekends with an extra hour or two to trade.

Source: Westfield. 1989. "Open Today and Every Day until Christmas (Advertisement)." The Sunday Telegraph, December 17: 149. 

And an example of how the major retailer's restricted trade to larger centres. This one is from Coles New World Supermarkets.

Source: Coles Myer Limited. 1989. "We've extended our Christmas shopping hours... (Advertisement). " The Daily Mirror, December 22:13.

Peter Fitzsimons of The Sydney Morning Herald spent the Thursday evening before Christmas (December 21) at Grace Bros in the city. It was chaotic, and for some, it was their best chance to get their shopping done. Notice the time on the clock below.

Source: Fitzsimons, P. "To some, night is the time for shopping. " The Sydney Morning Herald, December 23: 2. 

And below a few of the Christmas specials provided by the department stores and supermarkets.

Target

Sources: 

Coles-Myer Limited. 1989. "Great fashion gift ideas at Target (Advertisement). " The Sunday Telegraph, December 17: 144-145.

Coles-Myer Limited. 1989. "Gift ideas for all the family at Target (Advertisement). " The Sunday Telegraph, December 17: 146-147.

Grace Bros

Source: Coles-Myer Limited. 1989. "Extended Hours for Shopping...Last Minute Gift Ideas (Advertisement). " The Sunday Telegraph, December 17: 26-27.

Coles/Fosseys

Source: Coles-Myer Limited. 1989. "Million dollar Summer Price Clearance (Advertisement). " The Daily Mirror, December 20: 52-53. 

Norman Ross

Source: Norman Ross Discounts. 1989. "Appliance and Toy Clearance (Advertisement). " The Daily Mirror, December 20: 16-17. 

Woolworths

Source: Woolworths. 1989. "Lower Prices For Christmas (Advertisement)." The Daily Mirror, December 20: 44-45.

In a report in The Sunday Telegraph, on December 24, retailers were reporting that business was "steady" and earnings would be slightly ahead on the year before, despite the tough economic times settling in.

Carols in the Domain had grown through the 1980s into a major community event and was held on December 16. The Sunday Telegraph reported on December 17 that 90 000 had attended the carols, hosted by Barry Crocker. For the record, it was sponsored by ESSO.

Source: Anonymous. 1989. "Sea of candlelight." The Daily Telegraph, December 24, 2. 

Over the past week, we have been treated to a terribly tragic event, right on the eve of Christmas with the siege at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place.17 people were held hostage for up to 17 hours by gunman Man Haron Monia, a self-styled Iranian Cleric on Monday. The siege ended when police raided the cafe at approximately 2:15 am on Tuesday. Lawyer Katrina Dawson and store manager Tori Johnson were killed. At this stage, we know that Johnson was executed by the gunman Haron Monia, and hence led to the raid

The reaction by Sydneysiders has been of great shock and sadness which I have seen during the week, with thousands lining up to remember Dawson and Johnson at a floral memorial two blocks away from the cafe. Martin Place may be the scene of the crime but it also is the place where Sydney gathers. It has bought the city together, particularly given that Christmas is a time that we come together. We are good at doing that. We have also come together to grieve collectively for the dead. It also demonstrates true resilience. The fact the city is continuing on as normal is a sign of this. People are still working. People are shopping and making use of what the city has to offer. At the same time, we are taking time to reflect on it.

By the end of the week, we had learnt that a mother had killed her seven children and one nephew at her home in Cairns, which has given the nation yet another Christmas tragedy.

1989 also bought on its own tragedy during the Christmas season, which bought sadness upon the nation, though it would not measure to what saw last week. However, the loss of life was far greater than what we saw at the Lindt. 36 people were killed when two buses collided on the Pacific Highway near Clybucca Heads on the NSW North Coast. The incident occurred in the early hours of December 22. This is the worst ever loss of life on Australian roads. The collision had occurred two months after a coach collided with a semi-trailer, near Grafton, killing 21 people.

I found a video on Youtube of assorted reports relating to the crash as screened on Seven Nightly News in Brisbane on the night of December 22.

   

The 1980's was a bad decade for those who enjoyed speeding or having a few drinks and driving home under the influence. They got an even worse Christmas present to end the decade off, with bigger penalties for drink driving.

Source: Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW). 1989. "From Now On, Don't Even Think About Breaking The New NSW Drink-Driving And Speeding Laws (Advertisement)." The Daily Telegraph, December 20: 6

Those who used the Illawarra and South Coast Rail Lines had to deal with trackwork forcing them onto buses or their cars.

Source: CityRail. 1989. "The good news. The bad news (Advertisement)." The Daily Mirror, December 22: 18. 

The pilot's strike which had caused chaos for air travellers was also at an end, just in time for Christmas meaning one could fly to see their loved ones or take a break from normal life.

On the day itself, thousands of backpackers led by the British converged on Bondi Beach for their Christmas celebrations, a tradition that continues decades later.

Source: Fulson, A. 1989. "Streakers, trees and Englishmen out in the Bondi sun." The Sydney Morning Herald, December 26: 4. 

Newspapers were not published on Christmas Day, but the big news continued. On Boxing Day, we were hearing that Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife had been executed by the Romanian Army following a Kangaroo Court trial. Just days earlier, he had been overthrown by the people of Romania.

The video itself of the execution.


Warning: The images may be confronting to some people. 

Just days before Christmas, US President George Bush sent in the US Army to overthrow General Manuel Noreiga. He surrendered on January 3 1990 while seeking refuge in the Vatican's Diplomatic Mission in Panama City.

Later that week, an Earthquake struck Newcastle, claiming 13 lives on December 28. Most deaths were in the Newcastle Workers Club and several died in Beaumont Street, Hamilton. The tremor was felt in Sydney. A tragic end to the 1980s.

If you want to see a bigger copy of any of the images, hover your mouse above the image and click them. From me, I wish you all a very safe and wonderful Christmas. May God be with you and watch over you.