Born in 1968?

Ron Williams

This is a series of books by year about life in Australia starting from the beginning of World War II. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series, to coin a modern phrase, is designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten.

Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered. In 1968, Sydney had its teeth fluoridated, its sobriety tested for alcohol with breathalysers, and its first Kentucky Fried. And its first heart transplant. At the same time, the number of postal deliveries per day was reduced from two to one. There was still much opposition to conscription to the Vietnam War, and demos, often violent, were everywhere all the time. One operation in Vietnam saw 20 Australian 20-year-old youths, silly, rascally and lovable, killed in just a few days.

The new Prime Minister, John Gorton, announced that no more troops would be sent to Vietnam. The casino in Tasmania was approved, so visiting there became a gamble. We won a small pot of Gold at the Olympics, Lionel Rose became the first Aboriginal to become a World Boxing Champion, and poet Dorothea Mackellar (My Country) died at the age of 82.