Massive rains in the region had caused deadly flooding from Canberra to the South Coast this week in 1974. A body was pulled from the Shoalhaven River near Nowra and a couple had to be rescued from their campsite near Nerriga, between Braidwood and Batemans Bay.
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Several hundred holidaymakers were trapped in Nowra, forced to spend the nights in their cars due to accommodation in the region being booked out.
Queanbeyan was dealing with flooding near the river, which had reached a 10-year record height of 5.5 metres. For Canberra that had an unsavoury fallout, with raw sewage making its way into Lake Burley Griffin.
ACT Health Services warned people to keep out of the lake after the spillage of sewage into the Queanbeyan River, which flows into the Molonglo River and the lake.
Meanwhile, the Canberra Times' front page also brought readers news of special interest-rate deals for middle-income earners. The federal cabinet had approved a scheme to make loans available at interest rates of about 10.5 per cent. At the time, some lenders were charging 12 per cent.
Worse was to come for borrowers. Rates would move up to 18 per cent by 1981.
