THE year 1985 started darkly, literally.
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Local workers of the North Queensland Electricity Board (NORQEB) joined a state wide strike and when a power pole fell in Mount Isa, workers refused to repair it, plunging the city into blackness. The strike spread to the Mount Isa Trades and Labor Council affecting the operations of Mount Isa Mines and Mount Isa City Council. With 1500 people laid off and the threat of a repeat of 1964s massive strike, the situation was tense in town for three weeks until a meeting of a 1000 Trades and Labor Council members agreed to go back to work. The rest of Queensland followed suit once Mount Isas dispute was over.
It was no joke on April 1, 1985 when Franz Borns 10-year reign as Mount Isa Mayor came to an end. He was defeated by Alderman Tony McGrady of the United Progressive Party with Alderman Mavis Duncan becoming his deputy.
On August 22 the Leichhardt Bowls Club defied the stuffy authority of the Royal Queensland Bowls Association and admitted women as full time members. For club president Eric Polkingthorne the decision was simple. We thought that by giving women full membership we may encourage members to help hold our club interest, he said.
The following month Mount Isas Mighty Miners won their eighth Foley Shield defeating the Burdekin Roosters 26-2 in Townsville. A proposal to show highlights on television was knocked back because league sponsor and cigarette makers Winfield wanted to include their name on pre-match advertising.
The excitement in early 1986 was over Mount Isas hosting of only the second North Queensland Games. Mayor McGrady was worried accommodation would be a problem appealing for the community to billet 8000 athletes and their families. In February major sponsor, airline TAA, pulled out but brewer Castlemaine Perkins and engineering firm Simon Carves filled the breach.
On March 23 the Games opened unofficially with a biathlon at Lake Moondarra and there was an opening ceremony four days later at Kruttschnitt Park where 10,000 people saw fireworks, a lighting display, Aboriginal dancing and a formal opening by Dawn Fraser. At the end of the games the flag was handed over to Cairns for 1988 with star Australian athlete Maree Chapman carrying the torch into the arena.
On May 30 state minister for health Brian Austin opened the $6.5 million extension to the Mount Isa Base Hospital.
1986 was the year Crocodile Dundee was released and there was a week of filming at the then Federal Hotel, McKinlay (now Walkabout Creek Hotel) and Fountain Springs.
On November 1 Joh-Bjelke Petersen won his seventh and final term of office as premier. (Campbell Newman in 2012 is the only non Labor premier to win office at an election since then) Mount Isa elected a Liberal Party member; Peter Beard winning the seat from Labors Bill Price.
The Premier was in the news again in early 1987 as the Joh for Canberra campaign picked up steam. The federal seat of Kennedy (held by Bob Katter snr) was mooted as a possible move but the Premier denied it. It was too much for then federal Nationals leader Ian Sinclair who blamed Joh for the Coalitions falling opinion polls. Bob Hawke won in the last double dissolution election until 2016.
On March 3, 1987 the North West Star moved from being an afternoon party to being a morning paper and celebrated with a 21st birthday party at the Civic Centre. Michael Joel, son of founder Asher Joel trumpeted the new home delivery service which would allow readers to catch up with the news over breakfast or take the paper to work.
The North West was home to more filmmaking in 1987 when former Mount Isa Mines employee and now screenwriter David Parker set his film Rikki and Pete in Mount Isa.
1988 was the Bicentennial Year and it started with a live national new years eve show where comedian Jonathan Coleman reported from deep inside a Mount Isa underground mine.
Aboriginal groups proclaimed January 26 a day of mourning but many others spent the day at the Civic Centre with barbied snags, thong throwing and ice-cream competitions. Former MIRL presdient Alex Biondi was given the Australia Day Citizens Award.
In Cloncurry, John Flynn Place was formally dedicated and opened on April 27, 1988 by Rev. Fred McKay and the Duke and Duchess of York. The CSR-Hinkler Bicentennial Air Race made an overnight stop in Cloncurry on the same day.
On September 11, 1988 a monument to the Kalkadoon and Mitakoodi people was unveiled on the Barkly Hwy by state community services minister Bob Katter jr.
In 1989 Powers Beer was launched in the North West with a challenge match between the Brisbane Broncos and Brothers Invitational XIII at the Irish Club Oval. A crowd of 4500 watched the Broncos beat the locals 48-10.
In March 1989 a suggestion by Cloncurrys Don McDonald to merge the Cloncurry and Mount Isa shows was rejected by the Mount Isa Show Society. The Society was also unhappy with the Mount Isa business community decision to trade normally on the Friday show day for the second year in a row.
There was sad news on June 27 when former local Trades and Labor Council president Alex Pavusa died. He was just 54 years old.
There was better news for the labour movement in the December 3, 1989 Queensland election. The Nationals were swept out of government for the first time since 1957. The state wide swing was reflected in Mount Isa where Tony McGrady was elected with 58 percent of the vote.
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