Strange Objects collected in Messenger's scrapbook. Steven Messenger has several psychotic episodes and eventually kills Charlie Sunrise and a lizard in Strange Objects. The book was partly a response to Australia's Bicentenary, which occurred in 1988. This event caused a revival of interest in Australian history, particularly in the "discovery" of the land. The bicentenary celebrated the landing of the "First Fleet" in 1788, and the beginning of permanent European settlement in Australia. James Cook charted the east coast of Australia in 1770, however there were a number of sightings and landings prior to this. In "Strange Objects", Gary Crew takes the
Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute science laboratories. The original wing was destroyed by fire and has since been replaced. The school celebrated its bicentenary in 1992 and is now 225 years old. The school is commonly recognized as the oldest public high school in Ontario and the second oldest in the country. The team colours are blue and white. The team name for all sports is "Blues" and the mascot is a blue bear. The school competes in various sports including, but not limited to: rowing, cross-country, track and field, football, rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, mountain biking, curling, tennis, badminton, baseball, golf, swimming, and