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
Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield Western Deanery (officially, a geographical region in South-West Sydney that comprises 16 Sydney Archdiocese parishes) with the WYD Cross and Icon for the day of 2 July 2007. The WYD Cross and Icon was hosted Patrician Brothers College, Fairfield for three hours that day for public veneration, which was attended by 5,000 people. The Patrician Brothers were established by Bishop Daniel Delany in 1808 in the Name of St Patrick and in 2008, the Patrician Brothers celebrate their 200th anniversary. The following Patrician linked schools joined in and celebrated the Patrician Bicentenary: The college has had two major bicentenary celebrations: