For Blair, casting his eyes abroad and
exploring other continents was a big part
of how he strived to elevate Catanach’s
Jewellers and bring the world's finest
ideas to Melbourne. His extensive
overseas expeditions through the 60s,
particularly in Europe, influenced the
design and craftsmanship at Catanach's
Jewellers and enriched Catanach's
collections.

In a harrowing moment of 1970,
Melbourne's ambitious architectural
strides were overshadowed by tragedy.
On October 15, two years into its
construction, a massive span of the West
Gate Bridge tragically collapsed, falling
50 metres to the ground and water,
claiming the lives of 35 workers and
leaving 18 others seriously injured. The
catastrophic event remains Australia's
worst industrial accident.

It’s hard to imagine life without them
now, but it wasn’t until 1971 that Australia
officially made a monumental move in
road safety by mandating the use of
seatbelts for drivers and passengers. In
fact, in the months prior, the state of
Victoria became the first jurisdiction in
the world to enforce seatbelt laws in
December 1970. The introduction of this
legislation led to a significant decrease in
road fatalities and marked an era of
heightened safety awareness.

In the early hours of Christmas Day 1974,
Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin — the
worst natural disaster Australia had seen
at the time. The cyclone caused
catastrophic destruction, killing 71
people and injuring 145, decimating more
than 80% of the city, and leaving
thousands without homes. Following a
mass exodus from Darwin in the days
and weeks to follow, the Whitlam
government formed the Darwin
Reconstruction Commission in February
1975. This body worked to support a
remarkable recovery, rebuilding the city
in three years.

Visual entertainment was transformed
for Australia on March 1, 1975 with the
advent of colour television! Known as C-
Day, vibrant colour was introduced on
screen for audiences to enjoy their
favourite programs and films. The first
ever colour broadcast for the country
was Aunty Jack Introduces Colour — a
special one-off episode of The Aunty
Jack Show. Interestingly, colour TV was
already available overseas many years
prior; however, Australia held off for a
few reasons. One was to manage the
economic impact of an entire population
going out to purchase a colour-
compatible television. Another was
waiting to see which system would come
out on top globally before committing to
one. Nevertheless, we got our colour in
the end!

The Catanach’s Jewellers ‘Catanach’s
Corner’ Royal Arcade shop was
auctioned on June 27, 1985, with the
property selling for 1.3 million dollars.
This event marked the end of an era for
Catanach's in the CBD and paved the
way for its relocation to High Street
Armadale. In this way, it symbolised both
an ending and a new beginning. In 1986,
Catanach’s opened the doors of 1212
High Street, Armadale — the very
location where the store remains today.
Amidst these huge changes, the family
mourned the loss of Bill Catanach at the
end of 1986, whose legacy lives on in
Catanach's Jewellers name.

Racing history was made in 1990, with
Kingston Rule winning the Melbourne
Cup with a record-setting time of
3:16.30. This remarkable achievement
remains unsurpassed, marking Kingston
Rule's performance as the fastest ever in
Melbourne Cup history. Trained by the
iconic Bart Cummings and ridden by
jockey Darren Beadman, Kingston Rule's
extraordinary performance secured his
legendary status in the world of horse
racing.