The big recovery in Australian grain production is welcome news for all within the industry, but it has puzzled historians within the sector who have struggled to come up with a similar phenomenon of big rises in tonnages in recent memory.
This is with good reason, as industry veterans believe there has not been such a strong rebound after a poor year since 1983, when Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' was echoing from every radio across the nation and Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh and Greg Chappell had just announced their retirement from international cricket.
Industry stalwart Ron Storey said the years that sprung to mind were 1982-83, a terrrible drought year for much of the nation and the much wetter 1983-84, when he had just started work with the Australian Wheat Board.
"We saw a thumping drought followed by a really wet year, which mirrors what we've seen in NSW in particular this year," Mr Storey said.
ABARES data shows Australia had wheat production of 8.8 million tonnes in 82-3, rising to 22m in 83-4.
This year the gains will be slightly smaller in percentage terms, but larger in volume, with production set to soar from 15.2m tonnes last year to what most analysts are now saying will be a harvest in excess of 30m tonnes.
However, farmers with long memories will hope this is where the similarities with 83-4 end.
"It was a great year in terms of production but the problem was that it was a very wet harvest and there was a lot of downgrading," Mr Storey said.
He said farmer protest at the flat pricing structure which saw just one sprouted grain per sample downgrade the load to feed quality led to the implementation of the first falling numbers machines so grain only lightly sprouted could still be used as a milling wheat.
It also saw of the GP (general purpose) segregation, which is still around, at a discount to other milling wheats, but a premium to feed wheat.
While Australian cropping generally follows a boom and bust pattern most of the severe droughts have not had such a big year immediately after.