1974

By the end of the first week of January, I think most of us really had no idea what was happening outside those gates of Leeuwin. Cyclone Tracy is an event that we all know but what really went on? So here are some facts that you might recall.

AS IT HAPPENED
January 1 - Federal Government takes over financial responsibility for tertiary education from the states; fees abolished.

January 27 - Brisbane suffers its worst flood in the Century following Cyclone Wanda 7000 homes inundated and 12 people drown.

February 3 - Prison riot at Bathurst Gaol with 12 prisoners wounded by gunshots and most of the goal destroyed by fire.

February 5 - Patricia Hearst, 19- year-old daughter of publisher Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army and later joins the army to hold up a bank.

February 13 - The USSR exiles author Alexander Solzhenitsyn following the publication of The Gulag Archipelago.

March 4 - Edward Heath resigns as British Prime Minister and Labour party leader Harold Wilson forms a new government.

March 10 - Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda surrenders on an island in the Philippines, unaware of that Japan surrendered at the end of WWII 29 years earlier.

March 20 - A gunman fails in a bid to kidnap Princess Anne in London.

March 28 - Nicolae Ceaucescu is elected president of Romania.

March 30 - Labour looses office in Western Australia and Sir Charles Court becomes Premier.

July 11 - Sir John Kerr the new Governor General.

July 20 - Turkey invades Cyprus.

August 9 - Richard Milhous Nixon announced last night that he will resign as the 37th President of the United States and becomes the first US President to resign.

September 12 - Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie deposed in a military coup.

September 14 - TV and Radio licence fees are abolished.

October 4 - Plastic Money is introduced with the first Bankcard in the Eastern States.

October 29 - Mohammed Ali regains his world heavyweight title in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire.

November 8 - Countdown was a pop music program created by Michael Shrimpton, Rob Weekes and Ian Meldrum and aired on this day.

November 12 - British aristocrat Lord Lucan goes missing after the murder of his children's nanny.

November 21 - Twenty-one people die in IRA bomb blasts in two Birmingham pubs.

December 10 - Marks and Morrow 46th Pass Out Parade.

December 15 - The first FM Radio broadcasts in Sydney on 2MBS-FM.

December 25 - Cyclone Tracy flattens Darwin, leaving 68 dead and 43,000 homeless.

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SPORT:
The Winners: Top of page
DEATHS:
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QUOTES:

Traditionally, most of our imports come from overseas. Kep Endersby, Politician.
You can be a rooster one day and a feather duster the next. Frank McManus, Politician.
The media are overwhelming our physical environment, are becoming the environment. Phillip Adams, Journalist.

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STATISTICS:
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TOP MOVIES:
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AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION:
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COST OF LIVING:
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EVENTS:
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GRAMMY AWARDS:
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MUSIC SINGLES:
  1. THE WAY WE WERE - BARBRA STREISAND
  2. SEASONS IN THE SUN - TERRY JACKS
  3. LOVE'S THEME - LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA
  4. COME AND GET YOUR LOVE - REDBONE
  5. DANCING MACHINE - JACKSON 5
  6. THE LOCO MOTION - GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
  7. TSOP - MFSB
  8. THE STREAK - RAY STEVENS
  9. BENNIE AND THE JETS - ELTON JOHN
  10. ONE HELL OF A WOMAN - MAC DAVIS
  11. UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME - ARETHA FRANKLIN
  12. JUNGLE BOOGIE - KOOL AND THE GANG
  13. MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - MARIA MULDAUR
  14. YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW - STYLISTICS
  15. SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON
  16. SPIDERS AND SNAKES - JIM STAFFORD
  17. ROCK ON - DAVID ESSEX
  18. SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDER - JOHN DENVER
  19. SIDESHOW - BLUE MAGIC
  20. HOOKED ON A FEELING - BLUE SWEDE
  21. BILLY DON'T BE A HERO - BO DONALDSON AND THE HEYWOODS
  22. BAND ON THE RUN - PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS
  23. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - CHARLIE RICH
  24. TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE
  25. ANNIE'S SONG - JOHN DENVER

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  26. LET ME BE THERE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
  27. SUNDOWN - GORDON LIGHTFOOT
  28. YOU'RE HAVING MY BABY - PAUL ANKA
  29. ROCK ME GENTLY - ANDY KIM
  30. BOOGIE DOWN - EDDIE KENDRICKS
  31. YOU'RE SIXTEEN - RINGO STARR
  32. IF YOU LOVE ME (LET ME KNOW) - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
  33. DARK LADY - CHER
  34. BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED - GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS
  35. FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK
  36. JUST DONT WANT TO BE LONELY - MAIN INGREDIENT
  37. NOTHING FROM NOTHING - BILLY PRESTON
  38. ROCK YOUR BABY - GEORGE MCCRAE
  39. TOP OF THE WORLD - THE CARPENTERS
  40. THE JOKER - STEVE MILLER BAND
  41. I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION - GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS
  42. THE SHOW MUST GO ON - THREE DOG NIGHT
  43. ROCK THE BOAT - HUES CORPORATION
  44. SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
  45. LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER
  46. THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED - PAPER LACE
  47. THEN CAME YOU - DIONNE WARWICK AND THE SPINNERS
  48. THE ENTERTAINER - MARVIN HAMLISCH
  49. WATERLOO - ABBA
  50. THE AIR THAT I BREATHE - HOLLIES

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  51. RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER - STEELY DAN
  52. MOCKINGBIRD - CARLY SIMON
  53. HELP ME - JONI MITCHELL
  54. YOU WON'T SEE ME - ANNE MURRAY
  55. NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - BARRY WHITE
  56. TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD - RUFUS
  57. YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD - HELEN REDDY
  58. ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN - RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
  59. HOLLYWOOD SWINGING - KOOL AND THE GANG
  60. BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT - WILLIAM DEVAUGHN
  61. HANG ON IN THERE BABY - JOHNNY BRISTOL
  62. ERES TU (TOUCH THE WIND) - MOCEDADES
  63. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS - BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE
  64. RADAR LOVE - GOLDEN EARRING
  65. PLEASE COME TO BOSTON - DAVE LOGGINS
  66. KEEP ON SMILIN' - WET WILLIE
  67. LOOKIN' FOR LOVE - BOBBY WOMACK
  68. PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER - O'JAYS
  69. ON AND ON - GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS
  70. OH VERY YOUNG - CAT STEVENS
  71. LEAVE ME ALONE - HELEN REDDY
  72. GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN
  73. I'VE BEEN SEARCHIN' SO LONG - CHICAGO
  74. OH MY - RINGO STARR
  75. FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY - O'JAYS

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  76. I SHOT THE SHERRIFF - ERIC CLAPTON
  77. JET - PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS
  78. DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME - ELTON JOHN
  79. TUBULAR BELLS - MIKE OLDFIELD
  80. LOVE SONG - ANNE MURRAY
  81. I'M LEAVING IT ALL UP TO YOU - DONNY AND MARIE OSMOND
  82. HELLO, IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN
  83. I LOVE - TOM T. HALL
  84. CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN - THE GUESS WHO
  85. I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU - JIM CROCE
  86. THE LORD'S PRAYER - SISTER JANET MEAD
  87. TRYING TO HOLD ON - LAMONT DOZIER
  88. DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - STEVIE WONDER
  89. A VERY SPECIAL LOVE SONG - CHARLIE RICH
  90. MY GIRL BILL - JIM STAFFORD
  91. MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - DIANA ROSS AND MARVIN GAYE
  92. HELEN WHEELS - PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS
  93. WILDWOOD WEED - JIM STAFFORD
  94. BEACH BABY - FIRST CLASS
  95. ME AND BABY BROTHER - WAR
  96. ROCKIN' ROLL BABY - STYLISTICS
  97. I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
  98. CALL ON ME - CHICAGO
  99. WILD THING - FANCY
  100. MIGHTY PT. 1 - SPINNERS
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