Records 1982

On 3 July the Parap open air market began in Darwin.

In August the first 356 housing lots with a starting price of $17,000 were released in the newly established town of Palmerston.

Filling up at a Territory pump cost an average of 40 cents per litre for petrol.

Territorians were concerned about airfare price increases, increasing arrivals of refugees, and taxes.

In the NT Football League grand final the Wanderers scored a one point victory over St Marys.

The sale of fireworks was restricted to 1 July of each year.

More beer was consumed in the NT per person than anywhere else in the world. Figures from the NT Liquor Commission showed nearly 25 million litres of beer was consumed in 1981. Germany took out second place.

Pancontinental Mining was given approval for the development of the $600 million uranium mining venture at Jabiluka.

The traditional owners of the area around the Jabiluka mine site were given the deeds to their land, the result of the second stage of the East Alligator land claim.

The township of Jabiru was officially opened.

The first high school at Tennant Creek opened.

The Larrakeyah Naval Patrol base was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

On 6 October 1982, Peta Lynne Mann received the Royal Humane Society's Gold Medal for bravery from the Queen for saving a 23-year-old man from a crocodile attack in 1981, when she was 12 years old.

In October, Lindy Chamberlain was jailed for the murder of her baby Azaria, following her disappearance at Ayers Rock on 17 August 1980.

East Arm Hospital, one of the last leprosy hospitals in Australia, closed after 27 years.

The funding for the brucellosis and tuberculosis (BTB) eradication campaign was more than doubled and a 1992 target set to have the NT completely eradicated from BTB. In 1982 tuberculosis in NT cattle had been reduced to 0.18 per cent.

The first Red Cross Katherine River Canoe Marathon started.

The inaugural Tennant Creek yachting regatta was held at the new Mary Ann Dam, and the Tennant Creek Yacht Squadron formed.

Casuarina Coastal Reserve was officially declared a Conservation Area under the Crown Land Act.

The NT Government launched the Darwin Foreshore Protection Plan, which only allowed new development proposals for Darwin's beaches for community recreation projects.

Society and popular culture

Pinball machines were being researched to determine their addictiveness and were thought to be responsible for an outbreak of gang warfare in Darwin.

'We of the Never-Never' premiered at Parap Cinema. One of the principal characters in Aeneas Gunn's classic novel, 'Bet Bet' attended the screening.

Territorians were listening to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and Men at Work released the single 'Down Under', which topped the charts for six weeks.

Territorians were watching 'Fawlty Towers', 'Dr Who' and 'Countdown', and listening to Dad and Dave on 8DN radio.

The 'Australian Women's Weekly cost 70 cents and Princess Diana featured on the cover ten times.

Prince William was born in June.