Renovating their property on Meade Street, Mr Hannah said he was removing the old linoleum floor coverings when he came across a treasure trove of modern history, including a copy of The Glen Innes Examiner from September 10, 1948.

Also uncovering pages from The Sydney Morning Herald’s Saturday, September 11, 1948 edition, as well as the accompanying colour Sunday supplement, experienced renovator Mr McClenaghan said the practice of using newspaper under linoleum flooring was popular for builders at the time, when lino flooring was brittle and underlay carpeting was not yet available.

Mr and Mrs Hannah, who said they are fascinated by historical trinkets, said they were surprised to find such similarities between the local news then and today.

Bearing the definite signs of the early post-war period, the front page headline read “Wild scenes in Berlin when Russians fire on anti-reds”.

Showing surprising longevity, the unexpected time capsule has survived three fires, according to Mr Hannah, with the most recent almost completely destroying the interior of the house.

Nonetheless, the papers, and one delicate centre page from an early exercise book with verses copied from the Bible, have survived, offering the local renovators some valuable reading material for their morning tea break.