Canberra Times in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Nation-Wide Legal Bar To Child Marriage Urged

In Sydney the Rev Alan Walker called for a clause in the Federal Divorce Bill to block child marriages citing high divorce rates among very young couples. He urged uniform age limits across states, noting NSW allows girls to marry at 12 and boys at 14, while some states have raised ages to 16 and 18. He warned the trend toward early marriages and preferred marriages in early twenties. Roy Emerson defeated Luis Ayala to reach the Count of Godo final in Barcelona, 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-3.