Fuel rationing started in Canberra on this day 40 years ago during the 1979 oil crisis, with fuel reserves not expected to last long and more than half of the ACT's petrol stations already out of petrol.
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Cars with odd-numbered plates could buy 20 litres of fuel from ordinary service stations that were allowed to open from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.
A large stock of diesel would allow buses to keep running for between six and eight weeks, the Times reported. Ordinary motorists were encouraged to moderate their speeds and consider car-pooling.
"Essential" users, including doctors, sewerage workers, and people with medical and family needs, would be permitted to fill up at designated service stations under police guard.
Heating oil stocks were also frozen before an assessment of the needs of sick and elderly people, buildings housing computers and school heating.
It came as Canberra prepared for a strike that would affect buses, break and milk deliveries, Commonwealth cars, schools and Ansett and TAA flights to Western Australia.
Readers were also warned The Canberra Times wouldn't be published the following day as printers joined the strike.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
