FOCO Radical Cultural Venue Brisbane 1968-69
In the 1960s, the restless first wave of "baby-boomers" were just learning to spread their adult wings; to be able to vote, and, importantly for some, to drink in Queensland pubs.
The FOCO Club in 1968 and 1969
During a late night sitting of Federal parliament on September 12, 1968, MHR Don Cameron, Liberal backbencher for Griffith, delivered a speech attacking the Foco club. Cameron’s claims provoked a media storm that immediately followed.
The following day’s Courier-Mail gave in depth coverage of the speech, under the raging headline "Drugs, women claim on Foco". The article reported Cameron saying that "Marihuana and Methedrine are procurable for the asking" at Foco.
He added that its "communist or almost-communist" leadership could "arrange a young woman for a whole night in a matter of seconds" for a standard asking price of $10. Cameron went on to proclaim that Foco was "Australia's most evil and repugnant nightspot" (Courier-Mail, September 13th., 1968).
The FOCO collective responded to the attack in their next newsletter.
The Last Joint Effort - a tribute to FOCO
FOCO newsletters 1968/9
