The National Show moved back to Adelaide. The assessment of Russian Whites (with view to recognition) took place over the weekend, and there were more than two dozen available for inspection. Rex breeds were the seminar topic, and visiting judge, Will Thompson, gave a more general talk (with slides) on CFA cats. The big winner at this show was Byron Arabesque, a blue British Shorthair.

The Hon. Lance Barnard A.O. took over the Presidency having been assured that all that would be required of him was his presence at ACF National weekends, apart from keeping in touch with the Secretary. How wrong that was to prove to be!


Later in 1986, the FIFe sent a communication to ACF outlining its intent to take disciplinary action against its Australian affiliate. This was on the basis that ACF had breached various FIFe protocols (many of them petty in the extreme, such as publishing genetic articles by a non–FIFe, Dutch breeder–geneticist). The complaints were initiated by Mrs Oliver. It counted for little that at the time of ACF affiliation there was written acknowledgement from the then General Secretary that Australia would not be expected to adapt all its rules to European conditions. The Executive made a valiant attempt (in three languages) to defend the ACF position, but this was in vain. It was later revealed that not all the FIFe board nor disciplinary commission were completely informed on this matter and many were as much in the dark as we were. The "sentence" was commuted to suspension (on the suggestion of Alva Uddin, later to become FIFe President) at the 1987 General Assembly. Australian representatives present were frustrated in their attempts to put our case, and Mrs Thomas (who had not been allowed to sit as ACF delegate to the 1986 FIFe General Assembly, despite the fact that she was present) was most despondent in her report to the 1987 ACF AGM.