The front page report said the government was hoping to shut down bookshops in state capital cities which cater "almost exclusively for the sale of pornographic magazines and other indecent publications".

The Commonwealth asked state governments to help the crackdown on locally produced publications "dealing with sex or crime" - following on from its prohibition of such material from overseas.

The censorship board warned that any publications "likely to have a bad influence on the younger generation" would be banned outright.

It's unknown how much of a concern this issue was here in young Canberra, though we suspect the prohibitionists could never have imagined the reputation Fyshwick would one day hold.

Meanwhile, the bigger news on the front page was Australia being put to the sword in a cricket Test match in England. Don Bradman had been dismissed "cheaply" for 51 in the Aussies' first innings attempt to chase down England's 6/658. The match ended in a draw with 1496 runs scored over four days.

See: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/662195