Making news in Canberra on this day in 1968 was a story of a little girl who became an accidental fire starter, who was lucky to have escaped unharmed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Two-year-old Catherine had been left in the car by her mother while at the Hughes shopping centre, when she found a box of matches in her mother's bag and started the fire.
Her mother rushed from a nearby shop when she saw smoke coming from the car and dragged Catherine to safety. The fire caused serious damage to the inside of the car. Thankfully, Catherine was alright and both her and her mother were treated for shock by a doctor.
Also making front page news today were reports that accommodation in Canberra had almost reached saturation point for the upcoming Queen's birthday long weekend.
All that remained available were a limited number of rooms in the more expensive hotels and motels, reported the Tourist Bureau.
In 1968, Commonwealth Day was to be celebrated in conjunction with the Queen's birthday and thousands of visitors were expected to pass through Canberra on their way to the snowfields for the official opening of the ski season.
Meanwhile, in London, Randolph Churchill, son of the late Sir Winston Churchill had died at age 57. Randolph was a journalist and had been unwell for some time according to a friend of the family.
