Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times

Times Past: October 20, 1961

On this day in 1961, The Canberra Times reported on the forming of an important society to fight cancer. What we now know as the Cancer Council started as the Australian Cancer Society and the inaugural meeting of delegates met on October 19, 1961.

The formation of the Australian Cancer Society was the biggest development in Australia in the previous 25 years in the fight against cancer, the President Cr Kilpatrick said.

The front page of The Canberra Times on October 20, 1961.

Representatives from state bodies of anti cancer organisations formed a constitution for the Society. Initially, the organisation would be a guiding and coordinating body for the State Anti Cancer Councils. With the forming of an Australian Society, Australia had also become a member of the International Union Against Cancer which had 60 member nations.

From this, Australia was expected to learn more about what other nations were doing in their efforts to combat cancer.

The other big step planned was a national campaign in the prevention of cancer and the need for an early diagnosis. Cr Kilpatrick said that there were already curable cancers but people were still frightened to go to their doctors for their checkups.

The minister for health, Dr Cameron, told the society that fear was the greatest barrier against an early cure for cancer.

Visit: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/11498818

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.