‘They need a Blue Light disco’: How a Victorian institution is helping kids today

For many Victorians, the humble Blue Light disco was a seminal part of the high school experience.

It featured crowded dance floors, eager teenagers and DJs spinning the era’s hottest hits. At the time, the events were considered the height of the local social scene – the place to be and be seen.

But at its core was always more than just entertainment. The discos were created with a simple mission. In collaboration with Victoria Police, they were designed to be well-supervised, alcohol- and drug-free events that let officers and teens interact in a safe and casual setting.

This year, Blue Light Victoria is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The organisation has come a long way since its inaugural disco in Mooroolbark in 1976 – but is still managing to stay in touch with its roots on the dance floor.

For Liz Martin, memories of the disco transport her to the underground car park near the Ringwood Square Target. She was a long-time Blue Light volunteer there, and in Wodonga, in northern Victoria, during the mid-80s.

After one disco in 1984, she offered a beer to the group of DJs who were busy packing up the sound equipment. The first taker was Robert, now Martin’s husband of 39 years.

“As he says, I picked him up with a six-pack at an underage disco,” Martin laughs.

The Ringwood events were known for their big turnouts. At one point, she and other volunteers were facilitating a monthly disco for more than 3500 local teens.

And memories from those years are plentiful. During one disco she took song requests for Graeme “Shirley” Strachan of Skyhooks fame while he DJed at a pool party.

On another occasion, Martin managed to diffuse a pre-planned fight before it broke out on the dance floor. Although the crowd was typically well behaved, there was always “the odd troublemaker”, she says.

Liz and Robert Martin now live in Mooroolbark, close to Ringwood, and their son works as a police officer. She still sees the value in an initiative like the disco.

“I think the kids of today, they need something like a Blue Light disco to release their energy … have a good time and not be on their phones,” Martin says.

Blue Light Victoria has evolved significantly since its dance-floor beginnings. While some discos are still held – particularly in suburban and regional parts of the state – the focus has shifted towards the organisation’s classroom and mentoring programs.

Chief executive Elissa Scott says the needs of the organisation have morphed in recent decades – much like the needs of teenagers.