Departures: ABC’s 80th birthday

Skirts got a whole lot shorter after the scandal of Jean Shrimpton’s mini-skirt at Derby Day in 1965, the nation mourned after the horror of the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996, and we tasted the sweetest victory of all when Australia II won the America’s Cup in 1983. These critical days in recent Australian history are amongst 80 days explored in the new ABC website 80 Days That Changed Our Lives.

The site examines 80 significant and table-turning days in history to coincide with the ABC’s 80th birthday. 80 Days That Changed Our Lives gives some of the best material from the ABC archives a new lease of life and provides us with an opportunity to share in the celebration.

Whether large or small, a single day or a drawn out process, moments of high drama or a gradual shift in attitude, the 80 events featured on this site were documented by the ABC because they made an impact at the time. Looking back at these moments, it’s easy to see how they changed the way Australians have lived and thought about the world and our place in it.

The days covered are extensive and diverse, including the introduction of daylight savings, the election of our first female Prime Minister, the advent of the breathalyser, the Petrov Affair, the publishing of Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch, Ash Wednesday, the introduction of rave culture, the Sydney Olympics and much more.

The site, which can be explored through via theme or timeline, includes personal reflections on the days from several ABC personalities. Hear what Kerry O’Brien has to say about being on the steps of Parliament House for the Whitlam dismissal, how the end of the 6 o’clock swill also ended Barrie Cassidy’s pocket money income, or how 9/11 was the most surreal day of broadcasting for then triple j breakfast host, Adam Spencer.

You can vote for the most memorable day on the site and share your images and stories of the days. Those who share their pictures or stories of their favourite day can enter into the competition to win a Digital SLR Camera for the most unique and reflective entry. The competition will run for six weeks from the launch of the site and winners will be announced on 24 May. Joe O’Brien of ABC News24, Fenella Kernebone of ABC Radio National and triple j, and 80 Days That Changed Our Lives website producer Catherine Freyne will select the winning entry.

Historian and ABC Producer Catherine Freyne (ABC Radio National, Hindsight) spent four months with the ABC archives, scouring for radio and television programs that capture these memorable events. She sought out the rare and iconic, including footage that hasn’t been seen since the original broadcast. Whilst the 80 days do not form a definitive list, the result is a brilliant collection of special memories – a look at how we are.

Visit 80 Days That Changed Our Lives here.