Year in Focus

1990. The promise of a new decade was there but - as we are all finding out with the challenges of 2020 - the reality was somewhat different. There was a return to a lot of hippy ideas and clothes with paisley shirts, vests and worn out jeans but – just like Sixties – there was a war in the background. By the end of 1990, Iraq had invaded Kuwait then America - under George Bush Senior - and Australia - led by Bob Hawke - invaded Iraq and the world was not so in love.

Whilst Mrs Mitchell and Lisa enthusiastically talked of the successful 2000 and 2006 games, in 1990, the Olympic story was not so happy. Many Victorians will resentfully remember that 1990 was the year the 1996 Olympics were awarded to Atlanta despite Melbourne being the “Sporting Capital of the World” ©. Alas, Atlanta was the home of Coca Cola and Australians bitterly blamed their cash for swaying the final IOC vote. We drank Pepsi in protest for about a week but soon reverted to the superior cola and even watched the games in 1996.

But it wasn’t all bad. By 1990, Healesville learned to love board shorts after years of fierce opposition from the footy short wearing contingent at the pool. By the turn of the decade, you were no longer a ‘skeg” to be run out of town if you donned a pair of board shorts. Whilst I am depicted here in the Mountain Views Fashion Pages wearing footy shorts, I know I felt more comfortable wearing a pair of hot pink Okanui shorts to the pool. 

To put 1990 in context, you should know that Mrs Todd had been at HHS for a few years and Mrs Dell and Ms Shelley had recently started teaching here. Mr Rennick was a young PE teacher (think Mr Biffin with less smiles and fewer colloquialisms) and Mrs Morley was my (excellent) Year 12 Human Development and Society teacher. Mark was in Year 8 at HHS, Mrs Mitchell was in Grade 2 at Healesville Primary and Mr Morison was just being born.

At Healesville High School, we had 57 students in Year 12. This was down from the 120 that started Year 7 in 1985. Way back in the 80s, if you could get an apprenticeship at 15, you left. Mr Russell Clements was the ever-friendly Year 12 co-ordinator and his legacy lives on as the grandfather of five students currently at HHS. Mr Ion Whykes was the all-powerful principal and Mr Brown, his deputy. Whilst Mr Whykes was certainly scary, he had a lot of love for the school and - as most of you know - he still has strong connections to this day.

“Countdown” was still the music show of choice, albeit in the new “Revolution” format. I still have my “Countdown” school diary from 1990 and it is filled with information about popular culture at the time. In the back of the diary, I recorded the number one song for every week of the year, unaware that thirty years later, you would be able to get on the internet and find the information at the touch of a button.

Still, according to my records, Love Shack was number one in January and 1965’s Unchained Melody was a hit at the end of the year thanks to its inclusion in the clay lover’s film, Ghost. Whilst old bands were making it big, we had some new kids on the block, with chart toppers including MC Hammer with U Can’t Touch This, Young MC with Bust a Move and Groove is in the Heart by Deee Lite. 

The VFL officially changed its name to the AFL in 1990 and Collingwood finally won a premiership after a 32-year drought. Back when I was young, you could always tease Collingwood fans about the Colliwobbles. After 1958, Collingwood appeared in nine grand finals without winning a single premiership. As you either barracked for Collingwood or hated them, it gave fans of the other Victorian clubs a great deal of schadenfreude (ugly joy) to talk about the narrow losses, impossible comebacks and almighty drubbings. Well, thanks to the Bombers, Collingwood turned that around in 1990 and took a lot of fun out the game.

But after the ups and downs, I should end on a high note. In 1990, Victoria had its first female premier. Sadly, she had a tough time thanks to budget problems but at least Joan Kirner blazed a trail for women in the state of Victoria. 

Whilst we haven’t had one since, at least the door is open for a female to take the lead once Daniel Andrews leaves the job. As 2020 has reminded us that you never know what might happen, I’d like to think that the next female premier is not too far away.  

Scott Fisher