In today's Mercury we feature a souvenir liftout on the Moon landing of 1969. What a time. Excitement, global pride, trepidation ... but in the background was the bitter division over the Vietnman War, and the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the then USSR.
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In the Mercury office we decided to go back through a few back issues from 1969 to get a sense of what it was like in Maitland 50 years ago. Buckle up for a step back in time.
On Friday, June 27 the Mercury's front page lead story was on Prince Charles talking about his future wife. It was going to be an "awfully difficult" decision to make whether she should be a Royal or titled lady.
"You've got to remember that when you marry, in my position, you are going to marry somebody who perhaps one day is going to be queen and you've got to choose somebody very carefully," he said
In the same edition more than 100 Maitland Abattoir workers were returning to work after going on strike following the sacking of an employee by Maitland Council.
In sport the Pumpkin Pickers were emerging as the team to beat after a 50-12 win against Cessnock, and Ken Rosewall "retained his heartbreaking title of best player never to win Wimbledon" when he crashed to a third round loss to American Bob Lutz.
Westinghouse was advertising the new Savoy electric range of oven for $129 with free installation.
A flick through a couple of other issues revealed Pullins were offering a six-piece bedroom suite for $140. In the To Let column, a "very spacious self-contained two bedroom flat in most convenient position" was available for $12 a week, and the Chelsey Theatre was offering a "never to be repeated" third week of screening of The Sound of Music.
US destroyer the Frank E Evans collided with the Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne, with all 270 members of the US crew confirmed dead.
Maitland police were investigating thefts from three High Street shops and the Maitland baths kiosk.
Transport Minister Milton Morris was heading to England and Europe to study transport developments, and Maitland District Agronomist Alan Beck reported that the district's potato crops had collapsed.
Highway Motors were pleased to have the first showing in Maitland of the new Capri GT - "the car that will reshape your life".
Man was about to walk on the Moon, but it was business as usual in Maitland.
