Born in 1986

If you were born in 1986, Paul Hogan strode out of the bush and onto the world's cinema screens and *Crocodile Dundee* became one of the most successful Australian films ever made, grossing hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide and cementing an image of Australia — the larrikin, the bush, the knife, "that's not a knife" — that was simultaneously accurate and a cartoon. Australians were charmed and slightly embarrassed by it in equal measure. INXS released *Listen Like Thieves* and were on their way to *Kick*.

The America's Cup win of 1983 had led to a defence: the boats were in Fremantle for the 1986-87 series (the racing happening in early 1987) and the whole country was watching. Bob Hawke was at peak popularity. The economy was improving — lower unemployment, the float of the dollar producing results — though the word "recession" was beginning to be used by economists who seemed to enjoy saying it.

AIDS awareness was becoming an issue, the Grim Reaper advertisement still a year away but the conversations starting. The backyard, the barbie, the footy, the beach — the constants held. Kylie Minogue left *Neighbours* and the world was about to find out why.

The country was tanned, prosperous, and producing music and film and sport that the world was actually watching.