On the front page of The Canberra Times, it was reported that over the next decade measures would be put into place to allow Australia to convert to the metric system.

The decision was agreed to by the federal cabinet and announced on the night of January 19, 1970 by Prime Minister John Gorton.

"Mr Gorton gave no estimate of the cost of changeover, but it could run up to $100 million over a 10-year period," the article read.

How appropriate.

The article continued: "The change from feet, pounds, gallons, miles and Fahrenheit, to metres, kilograms, litres, kilometres and centigrade will mean big changes in the everyday life of most Australians.

"But it will be easy for the 10 per cent of the population which migrated to Australia from metric countries."

In 1970, it was reported 90 per cent of the world's population were already using the metric system.

Meanwhile, the CSIRO was revolutionising the humble block of butter.

"Housewives may soon be buying polyunsaturated butter that spreads easily after refrigeration," the article read.

This new form of butter had an additional benefit beyond easy spreading.

The Heart Foundation recommended those with higher risks of heart disease to increase the proportion of polyunsaturated fat to lower cholesterol.

However the CSIRO emphasised while early stage experiments into polyunsaturated fats were promising long-term trials were necessary to evaluate the health benefits.

See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/14540320