This is the second in a series of articles prepared by David Hogg summarising significant events in ACT orienteering history in the lead up to the 50th Anniversary of orienteering in the ACT. The first article, outlining significant events in the 1970s, can be found here.
A 50th Anniversary event will be conducted as part of the Midweek Series on Wednesday 19 May. This will include a short ‘Flashback’ event using part of the 1971 Black Mountain (black-and-white) map and 1971 style equipment, as well as a historical display.
The 1980s: International Involvement
Maurice Ongania winning the men’s elite class at the 1980 Pacific Championships 
Audun Fristad 
April 1980. ACTOA conducts the inaugural Pacific Orienteering Championships (individual at Mulloon Creek, relay at Margarets Creek). The event continued to be held biennially to 2008, becoming the Asia Pacific Orienteering Championships in 1984 and rotating around the Asia Pacific Region.
May – June 1980. Numbers at three successive local events exceed 400 participants – an all-time peak in local event participation.
December 1982. ACTOA assumes responsibility for Audun Fristad awards for encouragement of juniors. Audun had previously made these awards himself.
31 July 1983. ABC Television makes a short film on orienteering, ‘Running the Country’, at a local event at Bungendore Hill.
2 February 1984. Red Kangaroos become Red Roos to distinguish them from the Victorian club the same name.
1984 AGM (28 February). Scheme for token payment to mappers adopted on an optional basis. Rates as subsequently determined were $12 per day for fieldwork, $1.50 per hour for cartography.
25 March 1984. ACT orienteers conduct the ACT’s first rogaine, and later help to form the ACT Rogaining Association and to conduct the first ACT Rogaining Championships (3-4 November 1984).
1984. Waggaroos return their affiliation from ACTOA to OANSW.
June 1984. OK Awards scheme for junior participation introduced.
October 1984. Australian Championships held at Mount Clear (individual) and Honeysuckle Creek (relay) as part of an international training camp for the 1985 World Orienteering Championships in Bendigo (WOC85).
April 1985. Second WOC85 training camp, partly in Canberra, with a badge event featuring international participants at Mount Clear and the National Score Event at Honeysuckle Creek.
Early 1985. The ACT Secondary Schools Sports Association accepts orienteering as an official sport.
September – October 1985. ACT members join with orienteers from throughout Australia in staging WOC85 in Bendigo, and participating in Australia’s largest orienteering carnival (10 events in 16 days).
October 1985. ACTOA acquires a trailer for transporting equipment to events.
26 April 1986. Junior Orienteering Program on Saturday mornings introduced.
12 October 1986. ACTOA conducts unofficial Australian Schools Championships separately from any state schools championships (Titree Gully, Uriarra Forest).
March 1988. Colour coding of courses introduced, based on NSW system. The previous system of designating courses A to H was considered unsatisfactory in providing an accurate and consistent indication of technical difficulty of courses.
1988. Defence Academy Orienteering Club formed.
25-27 March 1989. Australian Three-days conducted at ‘Big Badja’, based in Cooma with the Family Relays on Mount Gladstone on 24 March. This was the first time that ACTOA had based a national event outside Canberra.
3-4 October 1989. ACTOA conducts the first official Australian Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships (individual at Ingledene Pines, relay at Mulligans Flat). Won by ACT team.
6 December 1989. Majura Macropods and Northside Navigators merge to become Bush Flyers.