Transcribed by Chris Creagh.
Front cover by Gerald Carr depicts a group of anthropomorphic Australian animals including 2 kangaroos, an emu, possum, koala, galah, echidna and a thing that looks like an alien chicken robot that is projecting onto the main kangaroo’s chest “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEAPERS!”
Inside the on the first page is the mascot for the con, a wombat on top of a piece of Melbourne architecture. (Perhaps some Melbournite can tell us which architecture in particular.)
Page 2 contains general information including
Guest of Honour: Gene Wolfe
Fan Guest of Honour: Ted White, editor, fan writer and fanzine publisher.
Page 3 is a promotion for Minotaur Books which has a very nice sketch of the robot Maria from Metropolis prominently positioned.
Page 4 has an ad for WorldCon in St. Louis in 88. The critter featured in the ad is a dragon with a bullwhip, coat and hat, a la Indiana Jones.
Page 5 has a column on Programming and another on Auctions. The program boasts 5 streams with items grouped, place wise, according to interest, such as; print, media, fandom, hard science, education, academic discussion, films, gaming, and creative anachronism. Peripheral events were also being planned including a commemoration of the Battle of Bosworth Field on its 500th anniversary and a trip to an Australian rules football match. The usual banquet is promised and a masquerade with other important program items namely the Hugo Awards and Guest of Honour speeches.
Three auctions are planned: the art auction, the traditional Fan Fund auction and a general auction. All of the money from the Fan Fund auction goes to the Fan Funds and none is retained by the convention. They were hoping the final general auction would turn out to be a collectors auction.
Page 6 spruiks Boston in 1989 for Worldcon in the lower half of the page and Fantours of Australia / New Zealand on the top half of the page. The idea behind the fan tour is that you get to see places with a group of fans lead by a long-time fan with considerable knowledge of Australia and Fandom!
Page 7 Convention Facilities and Accommodation / Art Show. The convention has commandeered the function rooms and facilities of 3 hotels, the Southern Cross, Victoria and Sheraton.
Page 8 provides information about the Hugo Awards forms mail-out, travel to the con, the schedule for future progress reports. Interestingly the information about the business meetings gives a schedule of 2hrs a morning for the Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. “Should business be completed earlier, subsequent meetings will be unnecessary” and we thought our business meetings were long!
Page 9 “Britain is Heaven in 87” pre-supporting memberships $2 Australian. The drawing that goes with the info has a room party of Victorian looking ladies and gents sipping tea. A winning, facial hair sporting, cricket team represents the committee. There are flying saucers over Stone Henge. The disco is populated by Elizabethan dancers, the bar by cravat wearing gents and there are rotund, Bowler hatted Londoners (with snail eyes). In the middle of all this mayhem are the guests in handkerchief hats, trousers rolled up paddling in the moat of the castle. Dinner for the evening appears to be fish and chips.
Page 10 and 11 is all about the Masquerade. A distinction is drawn between a “Masquerade costume” which should “draw on a sense of theater” and a “Hall costume” whose strength lies in being met at a party/lift. “Masquerade costumes gathered together give the convention one evening’s dramatic show. Hall costumes scattered everywhere give the convention extra colour.” There were on the spot awards all during the convention for hall costumes. There is much more including almost a page of Rotsler’s Rules for Masquerades.
Page 12 and 13 is an ad for “Phoenix in 87”
Page 14 “Australia in the Bag” by Gene Wolfe
Page 15 and 16 “Sydney: the Un-touristy Stuff” by Terry Frost
Page 17 “Go West, Go West!” by David Luckett
Page 16 and 17 at the bottom are a series of 7 “Australian Facts” stamps compliments of Captain Boomerang.
Page 18 and 19 have the lists of new members.
Page 20 is an ad for “Locus: The Newspaper of the Science Fiction Field”
Page 21 to 27 is the “Constitution of the World Science Fiction Society, October 1984”.
Page 28 The last page. A list of the Aussiecon Committee and a cartoon of anthropomorphic Australian marsupials organizing room accommodation.