Canberra is known for its racy past and in 1984, it became legal to sell X-rated videos in the national capital.
From February 1 of that year, a new scheme allowed publishers to legally hire and sell these movies. It was considered a big win for the sex industry.
Canberra soon adopted the nickname "Pornberra" and adult film distributors flocked to the capital, eventually making it the base of Australia's adult industry.
The sale of filmed sex became one of the ACT's biggest money spinners.
On this day in 1984, the front page report by The Canberra Times said anyone could seek classification of a videotape by the Film Censorship Board Classifications.
"R and X classifications are for films that depict, expresses or otherwise deals with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting abhorrent phenomena in a manner that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult person or is unsuitable for viewing by a minor," it read.
By 1989, the adult video industry was the fifth biggest industry in the ACT, with an annual turnover of more than $30 million.
Visit https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/14179675
