The nineties started seeing a consolidation of regional football
clubs and competitions. While the Statewide League continued throughout the
decade, regional clubs and associations were finding it harder to find players
and sponsors as other sports and the TV product became more prominent.
Visiting interstate rep sides declined sharply during the
nineties as money became harder to find.
However the regional competitions, while losing clubs, still played regional
representative football. The NTFL, ODFA, Tasman, Huon, Old Scholars, STFL,
Peninsula, Darwin, NWFA, NWCFL, NEFU and Circular Head competitions all
participated. By the end of the decade at least three of these associations had
disappeared.
NINETIES TASMANIAN FOOTBALL LEGENDS
Some of the other significant events in Tasmanian history during
the decade are displayed below;
1990 - Sea Cat Tasmania, built in Hobart by InCat,
begins summer crossings of Bass Strait
1990 - King Island scheelite mine closes
1990 - World Rowing Championships held on Lake Barrington, near Sheffield
1991 - Savings Bank of Tasmania and Tasmanian Bank amalgamate as Trust Bank
1991 - Port Huon paper mill, Electrona silicon smelter, Renison tin mine and
Devonport Ovaltine factory close
1992 - Aborigines occupy Risdon Cove in protest over land claims
1992 - Royal Hobart Hospital nursing school closes, ending hospital-based
nursing training in Tasmania
1992 - Seven women ordained as Anglican priests at St David's Cathedral
1992 - State's unemployment rate reaches 12.2% as jobs decline in public and
private sectors; rallies of angry workers force temporary closure of House of
Assembly
1993 - Christine Milne (Tasmanian Greens) becomes first woman leader of a
Tasmanian political party
1993 - Spirit of Tasmania replaces Abel Tasman on Bass Strait ferry service
1993 - Tasmania's unemployment rate reaches 13.4%
1993 - State Government reduces total of municipalities from 46 to 29, number of
departments from 17 to 12
1994 - End to 80 years of dam building as state's last power station, Tribute,
opens near Tullah
1994 - HMAS Huon naval base decommissioned
1995 - All-day Saturday shop trading begins
1995 - Government announces legislation to transfer 3800ha of culturally
significant land to Aboriginal community, including Risdon Cove and Oyster Cove
1995 - States unemployment rate falls to 9.6% as number of Tasmanians in work
sets record
April 28 1996 - Gunman Martin Bryant kills 35 people and injures 20 more in
shooting rampage at Port Arthur historic site; Surpreme Court sentences him to
life imprisonment
1996 - Former federal Liberal minister Peter Nixon heads Commonwealth state
inquiry into Tasmanian economy
1997 - Tasmania becomes first state to formally apologise to Aboriginal
community for past actions connected with the 'stolen generation'.
1997 - Hobart Ports Corporation succeeds marine board
1997 - State Parliament repeals two century-old laws that together made all male
homosexual activity criminal
1997 - Royal Hobart Hospital announces part privatisation
1997 - Official opening of Hobart's Aquatic Centre
1997 - Nixon report recommendations include single chamber State Parliament with
27 members, government asset sales
1997 - About 800 gaming machines introduced into 55 Tasmanian hotels, clubs amid
predictions of major social problems
1998 - Federal Government sells Hobart and Launceston airports
1998 - Subsidiary Kendell Airlines takes over Ansett's Tasmanian services
1998 - Parliament reduced from 54 members to 40 - 25 Members of the House of
Assembly and 15 Members of the Legislative Council
1998 - Legislation passed to separate Hydro-Electric Commission into three
bodies - Aurora Energy, Transend Networks and Hydro Tasmania.
1998 - Bushfires destroy six houses in Hobart suburbs, burn out 3000ha
December 1998 - Storms and massive seas claim six lives in Sydney to Hobart
Yacht Race
1999 - Wild winds and heavy rain caused chaos across Tasmania, one casualty
being the Ferris Wheel at the Royal Hobart Regatta which blew over onto the Gee
Whizzer ride. 113km/h winds in Hobart, 158km/h winds on Mount Wellington.
1999 - Tasmanian cricketer David Boon announced his retirement from Sheffield
Shield cricket.
March 1999 - Tasmania is almost booked out for the millennium New Years Eve
party - a once-in-1000-year event for Tasmania's key resorts, hotels, motels and
restaurants
1999 - Albanian refugees from Kosovo housed at Brighton military camp, renamed
Tasmanian Peace Haven
1999 - Legislation passed to give Aboriginal community control of Wybalenna,
Flinders Island
1999 - Colonial State Bank of NSW takes over Trust Bank
1999 - Official opening of Port Arthur Visitor Centre
1999 - Queen Alexandra Hospital building leased to private operators
October 25 1999 - Labor part stalwart Eric Reece, hailed as Tasmania's greatest
premier, died in Hobart, aged 90
1999 - Proclamation of Tasmanian Sea Mounts Marine Reserve, Australia's first
deep-sea reserve
1999 - Tasmania voted the best temperate island in the world by the world's
largest travel magazine, Conde Nast Traveler
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