10 August 2013

Looking for Canberra firsts

| JimiBostock
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Hi riot act folks, I am doing a project around ‘firsts’ in Canberra and so wanted to reach out for a bit of crowdsourcing.

I am looking for anything that was a first in Canberra. Big, small, weird, etc.

Examples might be Canberra’s first takeaway, race track, etc. etc.

And also people … like I have found Canberra’s first postmaster but would love to hear any others.

Will also be looking for photos of the people or places.

You can respond in the comments or email me at hello at jimibostock.com

Thanks folks … look forward to hearing what you know about … and all the funny comments that will surely follow 🙂

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cranky said :

I would contend that the man I consider the ‘inventor’ of Fig Jam told me how he used it to describe another Canberra resident about 1978.

That would predate the above by a long walk.

I remember seeing a local bodybuilder (who I’d known for a few years) at the nude beach at Kambah Pool in 1979 who had just had the word FIGJAM tattooed on his upper arm. I asked what it meant and he told me. Years before hip hop (and the Net).

Minz said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

Canberra had the first “Abomination to Aviation” this year with the Skywhale.

Sorry, the Soviets beat us to that by about 40 years: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia—Air/Beriev-Bartini-VVA/0788490/L/

It’s the freakin’ Millenium Falcon!

I would contend that the man I consider the ‘inventor’ of Fig Jam told me how he used it to describe another Canberra resident about 1978.

That would predate the above by a long walk.

p1 said :

dungfungus said :

cranky said :

As described recently in another thread, I am convinced that the expression ‘Fig Jam’ is a Canberra invented, Canberra centric expression.

You mean F@#k I’m Good, Just Ask Me?
Canberra is the only place in the world I have ever heard this expression. There are a lot of people in Canberra that muse it. Very Canberresque.

Well, Canberra, and a Hip hop band from Brisbane.

Well it was in the 1990s that I first heard the Fig Jam acronym/s in Canberra so that pre-dates your hip hop dudes.

dungfungus said :

cranky said :

As described recently in another thread, I am convinced that the expression ‘Fig Jam’ is a Canberra invented, Canberra centric expression.

You mean F@#k I’m Good, Just Ask Me?
Canberra is the only place in the world I have ever heard this expression. There are a lot of people in Canberra that muse it. Very Canberresque.

Well, Canberra, and a Hip hop band from Brisbane.

first doug anthony allstars performances.

Canberra was the only place in Australia which had Serge Gainbourgh and Jane Birkin’s orgasmic song Je Taime – Moi Non Plus as a number one record in 1971. It was released in 1969 and promptly banned. In mid 1971 the Federation of Australian Radio Broadcasters downgraded the ban so it could be played on radio after 9PM. 2CA (then Canberra’s only commercial station) was the only station in Australia which played it. Demand for the song was so great that Homecrafts record bar in Civic had to do special orders for the 7″ singles (with picture covers!) and it topped 2CA’s chart.

the first one that springs to mind is Gus’ Cafe being the first outside cafe in Canberra… starting the whole cafe culture in the city.

The concept of saying ‘quack’ after farting originated at UC in the mid 1990’s.

Girt_Hindrance8:22 pm 11 Aug 13

Worlds first tall amphibious couch-trike?
http://m.instructables.com/id/Tall-Amphibious-Couchbike/

Found a link describing what was apparently Canberra’s first muder:
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/books/capital-punishment-police-duty-20130627-2p074.html

RedDogInCan said :

Capital Television was the first television station which started broadcasting on VHF channel 7 in 1962. Interestingly, the first broadcast was a 13 minute public service announcement on the proper use of fireworks.

How Canberran…

If I recall correctly, the first home delivery pizza business was Jacko’s back in about 1986.

Capital Television was the first television station which started broadcasting on VHF channel 7 in 1962. Interestingly, the first broadcast was a 13 minute public service announcement on the proper use of fireworks.

Dingoman25 said :

dungfungus said :

Canberra had the world’s first tent embassy.

Genghis Khan may have been the first to erect a tent embassy.

Is he the opening batsman for Pakistan or what?

wildturkeycanoe said :

Canberra had the first “Abomination to Aviation” this year with the Skywhale.

Sorry, the Soviets beat us to that by about 40 years: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia—Air/Beriev-Bartini-VVA/0788490/L/

First place in the world where a government-run pissoir measured and reported on the volume of wee-wee?

dungfungus said :

Canberra had the world’s first tent embassy.

Genghis Khan may have been the first to erect a tent embassy.

cranky said :

As described recently in another thread, I am convinced that the expression ‘Fig Jam’ is a Canberra invented, Canberra centric expression.

You mean F@#k I’m Good, Just Ask Me?
Canberra is the only place in the world I have ever heard this expression. There are a lot of people in Canberra that muse it. Very Canberresque.

Surely Canberra were the first to drag their feet on a major roads project, finish it, then stand back and realise they f**ked it up epically – and started over again…. right?

Canberra had the world’s first tent embassy. It morphed into a portable office which has now become a permanent fixture.

Has there ever been a real estate agent that doesn’t cheat of their wife? Surely that’d be a first for Canberra?

The old Starlight Drive-in sign was Canberra’s first neon sign.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-in_theatres_in_Australia#Australian_Capital_Territory

Also the last one in Australia to still be in it’s original position, although I believe it’s been removed now, probably due to ongoing vandalism.

As described recently in another thread, I am convinced that the expression ‘Fig Jam’ is a Canberra invented, Canberra centric expression.

wildturkeycanoe5:58 pm 10 Aug 13

Canberra had the first “Abomination to Aviation” this year with the Skywhale.

It is claimed that Canberra held the world’s first hovercraft race. See: http://www.neoterichovercraft.com/news/news/news010.htm

To the OP, Trove is your friend for things like this.

I reckon it’d be interesting to hear what ‘firsts’ Canberra has had in the past 10 years or so.

Canberra’s first traffic ticket for going through a red light was 23 October, 1965

Canberra’s first traffic lights were at Northbourne Avenue & London Circuit and Northbourne Avenue & Cooyong Street, and went into operation on 23rd October 1965. The TAMS web site used to have this on there, but they’ve since taken it down.

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