Born in 1987

If you were born in 1987, the America's Cup defence in Fremantle was the sporting beginning to the year — *Australia II* couldn't quite do it again, and the Stars and Stripes took the Cup back to America. Then in October, Black Monday wiped billions off the Australian Stock Exchange along with markets around the world, and the boom years' confidence took a visible hit. The Bicentennial was coming — 1988, the 200th anniversary of European settlement, already being planned with enormous expense and some controversy about what exactly was being celebrated.

Bob Hawke won another election in July — Hawke was still beloved, still the man with the beer and the cricket bat and the genuine tears. INXS released *Kick* — "Need You Tonight," "Devil Inside," "Never Tear Us Apart" — the best Australian pop record of the era, possibly ever, and globally massive. Kylie Minogue's debut single "Locomotion" went to number one in Australia and she was off.

*Neighbours* was enormous in Britain and Australians found this slightly baffling and rather pleasing. The long summer, the backyard cricket, the beach at Lorne or Noosa or Cottesloe — the ordinary pleasures remained constant. The country was vibrant and successful and about to spend a year looking at itself very hard.