Significant Events in the History of the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) Inc.

Special Moments

The ACF moved from the Deep South in 1987, to the Top End in 1988 and Darwin was the scene for the Bicentennial National Show. All Show personnel (including judges and stewards) were arrayed in their best "colonial" garb in honour of the occasion and the guest judge was Alison Ashford from the United Kingdom. The Supreme Exhibit was Katya Count Sviatoslav (Russian blue); Best Kitten in show was Comyn Gooditwoshoes (black Exotic Shorthair); and Best Desexed Exhibit was Cleveland Rajahmah (blue Oriental).


Various changes to policy were implemented. Supplementary Register (SR) cats were declared eligible for competition against full register (so long as a certificate was endorsed showing the cat as SR Exotic Shorthairs were recognised in all Persian colours; longhairs from Exotic breeding were allowed to be registered as longhair, so long as registration indicated full background; Exotics were to be judged by All–breeds or Longhair judges only. From this flowed the first suggestion to type–group, as is now common practice all over Australia.


At this meeting, delegates determined to pursue an association with FIFe, rather than to pursue a course of defending ACF affiliation. (As a result, the executive later opted to resign from FIFe, rather than suffer the ignominy of suspension. As its President had recently died and Mrs Oliver was acting President of FIFe, it seemed futile to hope for a change of heart.) Liaison with CCCA was endorsed by the meeting, in order to gain a truly–unified cat fancy in Australia. Two observers were to attend the next CCCA meeting.