"They couldn't keep it, sell it, burn it, give it to the police or fire brigade, bury it or drop in Lake Burley Griffin," an article in the front page of The Canberra Times on December 21, 1978 read.

As the container deteriorated, concerns grew among members of the Health and Research Employees Association.

If a single drop of water came through the rusted vessel the sodium would cause a deadly explosion, likely destroying the university.

Yet a committee set up by the ANU said the university was not under immediate threat, stating the container was airtight with a "blanket" of nitrogen over the sodium.

But a quest began to find someone to take care of the explosive metal found few interested parties.

"Even the country's largest chemical company did not have the equipment necessary to deal with the sodium - it would have had to be sent to England for disposal."

With many options exhausted the school believed the Department of Defence would have to take charge of the sodium.

See more at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/12385662