Welcome back to another Flashback Friday, and wander through the Leader pages from 1983.
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The year when technological developments seemed to be happening almost daily, from the development of the compact disc player to the frequent space missions launched by NASA and the Soviet Space program.
Our photographers have selected a range of news pages to take you for a newsy cruise through local events and headlines that made the news: from glamorous 'Face of the 80s' girls to a mighty mushroom discovered on the Weabonga Road by a Parry Shire Council workman.
Among the events making news that year, was the launch of local radio station 88.9FM which began broadcasting on July 16 from a small studio with a microphone, turntable, mixer, six slider panel and cassette recorder, from an old laundry room on Marius Street in Tamworth's CBD.
How many remember a short-lived zoo in Tamworth which closed in 1983, two years after opening, placed into receivership. The zoo operators had obtained bear, big cats, monkeys and other exotic animals, many of which authorities transferred to Notre Dame, a private estate and zoo at Mulgoa, in Sydney's West.
Tamworth and District Family History Group was established with a membership of 16. Today this has grown to 160.
The 1983 Country Music Awards winners included the APRA Song of the Year, Used to be a Gold Son by Allan Caswell and Keith Potger; Album of the Year was 'Too late for regrets' by Arthur Blanch, Male Vocalist of the Year was Johnny Chester and Female Vocalist of the Year Jewel Blanch, Slim Dusty won the Hertitage Award with Banjo's man, Vocal Group of the Year was Bullamakanka with Home among the gum trees, and the Roll of Renown winner was the McKean Sisters.
In politics, March 1983 will be remembered for the Labor Party sweeping to power in a landslide election, to install Bob Hawke as Australia's Prime Minister. That same year the PM launched defamation action against the Northern Daily Leader.
It was claimed a week prior to the 1983 federal election, the Leader had printed a letter to the editor, written under a non-de-plume, "King Solomon" which was reported as a "somewhat disjointed and irrational piece of writing" and made a number of disparaging statements concerning Prime Minister Hawke.
Prime Minister Hawke sued the Northern Daily Leader claiming damages in relation to publication of the letter. The Bulletin later reported the case was settled out of court on terms not to be disclosed.
Later that year, on December 12, Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating, floated the Australian dollar, despite widespread concerns.
The year is also remembered for the end of what was described as Australia's worst drought in the 20th century in the autumn of 1983. The 1982-83 drought caused losses in excess of $3 billion, and first brought into public prominence the link between El Nio and Australian drought.
In the February, horrific bushfires tore through parts of Victoria and South Australia.
What are known as the Ash Wednesday Bushfires left 47 people dead in Victoria, along with 150,000 hectares burnt, 1620 houses and more than 1500 other buildings destroyed and 32,400 livestock lost.
In South Australia, 28 people died, including three Country Fire Service volunteer firefighters, while more than 1500 people were injured, 383 homes and 200 other buildings were destroyed and 160 000 hectares were burnt.
Finally, Australia won the America's Cup in September of 1983.
