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The Cane Toad Times was a satirical humour magazine based in Brisbane, Queensland. It was first published in the late 1970s, then revived under the same name by a new team from 1983 to 1990. The two versions shared personnel and featured roughly the same counter-cultural philosophy, irreverent journalism, strident opinion and fondness for satire, cartoons and popular culture. The editors and contributors of The Cane Toad Times were motivated by opposition to political events and attitudes in Queensland under the Bjelke-Petersen Government (1968–1987). The first issue of The Cane Toad Times was published in May 1977 and thereafter more or less quarterly, with 22 issues divided between two collectives. The first collective (1977–1979) produced 7 issues, while the second collective (1983–1990) produced a total of 15 issues. First collective (1977–1979) The first edition appeared in May 1977 — the year of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, punk rock and the Sex Pistols’ "God Save The Queen’". The first cover featured a cane toad wearing the British royal crown. Originally a stapled quarterfold, the magazine assumed its eventual tabloid size by the fourth issue. "Cane Toad Times" was chosen as the name of the magazine because the founders wanted a mascot that represented Queensland ... part of the appeal of the toad was the element of repulsion it evoked, the feeling of fear and loathing that typified being young in the Bjelke-Petersen era. Key writers in the original collective included John Jiggens, David Richards, Gerard Lee, Mirtek Pasciezny, Bing Di Mucci, Craig Munro, Bill Thorpe, Sue McLeod, Janice Knopke and Landon Watts. They teamed up with a group of cartoonists who produced 4ZZZ-FM's "Radio Times": Matt Mawson, Terry Murphy, Damien Ledwich and Ross Hinckley. Later additions to the collective included Flark March, Tim Low, Robbie Wyatt and Lillian Rosser. Funds were raised by selling advertisements to local businesses in the counter-cultural scene and benefits featuring Brisbane bands including Razar, The Go-Betweens and The Riptides. The editions of the first collective, not numbered at the time, were: The Royal Cane Toad (May 1977) The Cane Toad goes to Mullumbimby (July 1977) Giant Mutant Cane Toad (Sept/Oct 1977) The Incredible Peanut (December 1977) The Phantoad cover (April 1978) From Behind the Peanut Curtain: Joh, Howard the Duck and Cane Toad (June 1978) Juvenile Delinquency (June 1979) The first collective folded after a look-alike news magazine, Time Off, with Matt Mawson doing layout, appeared in 1978. While the core work of the magazine was a sustained satirical attack on Bjelke-Petersen and his police enforcers, it also celebrated seemingly mundane but often surprisingly exotic aspects of Queensland popular culture: giant roadside attractions, local speedway heroes, banana worship. Second collective (1983–1990) In 1983, while working at the University of Queensland student newspaper Semper Floreat, Matt Mawson and Damien Ledwich teamed with Anne Jones to resurrect The Cane Toad Times. After getting the blessing of the few remaining members of the previous collective, the trio started to build a new group of contributors, many of whom were also involved in radio 4ZZZ and student politics, notably, Stephen Stockwell, Mark Bracken, Andrew Fraser, Ian Cook and David Pyle. A number of top-class illustrators also joined including Michael Barnett, Debbi Brown, Judy Dunn, Lisa Smith and Sasha Middleton. At this time The Cane Toad Times adopted the subtitle: "The Eccentric Voice". The fifteen issues of the second incarnation of The Cane Toad Times were: Queensland, September 1983 Religious Mysteries, Winter 1984 Sex Leisure and Technology, Spring 1985 Food and Corruption, Summer 1985 Death and Style, Winter 1986 Science Fiction and the Family, Spring 1986 Hot Summer, January 1987 Cars and Romance, Winter 1987 Fear and Clothing, Summer 1988 Birthday, Autumn 1988 Music and Money, Spring 1988 Art and Perversion, Summer 1988–1989 Superstition, Autumn 1989 Sydney Exposure, Summer 1989–1990 Green and Bear it, Winter 1990 The return of editor Robert Whyte to Brisbane in 1985 sometime between issues 5 and 6 brought a much-needed injection of enthusiasm and professionalism. By issue 9, the subtitle had changed to "Australia’s Humour Magazine" and distribution went Australia-wide. Continuing themes included the corruption of Queensland politics, Big Things, hat-wearing drivers and the other absurdities of life in 'The Sunshine State'. Simon Stocks argued in Queensland Review that in addition to exposing and criticising official corruption in Queensland, The Cane Toad Times had a softer side, representing "the affable Queensland" in short stories such as "Bobby Skurm" by Denis Peel set in the late 1950s about the first kid to skateboard down Camp Hill, and "Denying the faith" by Errol O'Neill about an exchange between a State School kid and two Catholic boys, and Sean Mee's "Des ne refuse rien" about going to the dump. Stocks suggested these stories were indicative of a sort of "ghettoisation" of the counter-culture who developed their own cultural views about what was valuable in the Queensland experience. In 1987 The Cane Toad Times found a hero in Tony Fitzgerald QC, who led the Fitzgerald Inquiry. Background of The Fitzgerald Inquiry The Fitzgerald Inquiry, led by Tony Fitzgerald QC, commenced in May 1987 and ended in July 1989. The Inquiry examined the "Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct" in which Queensland police, including the Police Commissioner, were engaged in illegal gambling and receiving sexual services from brothels in the Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. The Fitzgerald Collection – An Exhibition of artwork and memorabilia From 29 July 2009 – 9 August 2009 as part of the Griffith University – Tony Fitzgerald Lecture and Scholarship Program, "The Fitzgerald Collection" was exhibited at the Queensland College of Art (QCA) College Gallery, Tribune Street, South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland. The exhibition focussed on Mr Fitzgerald's personal collection of memorabilia and the influence that the Inquiry had upon Griffith University's staff and alumni. Exhibits relating to The Cane Toad Times included: Issues of The Cane Toad Times (collection of and comments by Professor Steve Stockwell [3]) "Corruption" the Game (collection of ToadShow Pty Ltd, comments by Ms Anne Jones) Tony Fitzgerald Fan Club T-shirts (collection of ToadShow Pty Ltd, comments by Ms Anne Jones) For the exhibition a giant working version of "Corruption" was displayed on the floor of the gallery. The display and pieces were designed by Professor Paul Cleveland, Director Queensland College of Art, and staff and students of QCA Liveworm studio. The Corruption Board Game, ‘the game that gets you rotten’, appeared in The Cane Toad Times, Spring 1988, issue 11. In an interview with Zenovia Pappas conducted for "The Fitzgerald Collection" Anne Jones outlin.... Discover the Bev Aisbett popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Bev Aisbett books.