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Karl's Origin bet sees NRL star run nude across Bondi Beach

<p>Nothing kicks off the weekend quite like your morning coffee, a cheeky croissant, and a surprise unblurred penis on national television. That’s exactly what <em>Today</em> show fans copped around 6am this morning when Channel 9’s breakfast crew decided, apparently, that broadcast standards were merely a suggestion.</p> <p>Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo were front and centre for the chaos, as sports reporter Danika Mason crossed live from Bondi Beach. Mason was joined by retired NRL star Aaron Woods – who, thanks to a State of Origin bet gone sideways, had only his dignity to keep him warm (spoiler: it didn’t).</p> <p>Woods had promised to streak if NSW lost Game 2. Queensland, being Queensland, delivered the goods in Perth on Wednesday night, so Woods kept his word, stripped down, and bolted starkers into the surf. The <em>Today </em>team howled with laughter as he made his break for the briny deep – so far, so PG.</p> <p>But then Woods did what no one expected. In what can only be described as a truly bold move, he turned to face the camera. Editors had roughly zero seconds to react. Viewers had roughly zero seconds to look away. And the <em>Today</em> show had roughly zero seconds before the complaints line started ringing off the hook.</p> <p>“No! Don’t show it!” shrieked Abo, as newsreader Jayne Azzopardi presumably contemplated her next career move. Meanwhile, Woods grinned like a man who knew exactly what he'd done.</p> <p>Danika Mason, ever the professional, summed up the moment with the sort of innuendo that will no doubt earn her a spot at next year’s Logies: “The smallest sporting event I’ve seen.”</p> <p>The man of the hour eventually reappeared on screen – mercifully clothed – declaring, “I’m feeling good, it was good fun. It was a long run, it was like ‘when is this water going to get closer?’” A sentiment shared by viewers who were wondering when their corneas might recover.</p> <p>It turns out Woods' bare-all sprint wasn’t just eyebrow-raising, but technically illegal. NSW Premier Chris Minns had warned him beforehand, but Woods seemed blissfully unaware that public nudity is frowned upon – even at Bondi. “But at the beach!” he protested, in what’s sure to become the rallying cry of accidental exhibitionists everywhere.</p> <p>Minns, showing off his dry wit, suggested Woods try his luck at one of Sydney’s many legal nude beaches next time. “It’s been illegal forever,” he deadpanned on radio. Woods could now be staring down a fine, though fans are hoping common sense (and perhaps a sense of humour) prevails.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Woods’ mate Beau Ryan said the footy star was “genuinely shocked” by the revelation. “You can’t be nude in public,” Ryan told him. Woods: “But at the beach!” Ryan: “Still public, mate.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLGNU0tToP9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLGNU0tToP9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>To add another layer to the inter-state banter, Minns himself has a State of Origin bet with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli – the loser must star in the other state’s advertising campaign. So at least if Woods ends up in court, he can rest easy knowing that somewhere out there, a Premier might soon be forced to smile awkwardly in a “beautiful one day, perfect the next” ad.</p> <p>In the meantime, <em>Today</em> producers are probably googling “delay button for live TV” and breakfast viewers are recovering from seeing a little more than they bargained for with their Weet-Bix.</p> <p><em>Images: Today show</em></p>

Bubsie rides again: A century-old journey retraced across Australia

<p>A century ago, a humble 5-horsepower car named "Bubsie" made history by becoming the first motor vehicle to circumnavigate the Australian continent. Now, a century later, its spirit roars back to life as a devoted team of enthusiasts prepares to retrace its entire 17,500km journey – in a painstakingly restored replica of the original 1923 Citroën 5CV.</p> <p>The year was 1925. With little more than swags, spare tyres and unwavering faith, 22-year-old Seventh-day Adventist missionary Nevill Westwood and his friend Greg Davies set off from Perth in a tiny yellow car. They had a simple mission: deliver literature to the remote outback. What they accomplished was far more profound: a trailblazing voyage across Australia, at a time when roads were scarce and courage was the only constant.</p> <p>Through flooded riverbeds, makeshift tracks and across the sun-scorched Nullarbor, the young men pressed on. With knees jammed beneath the steering wheel, they bounced across the nation in what Westwood affectionately dubbed "Bubsie". The 5CV was small, simple and entirely unsuited for such a grand expedition – yet it carried them across six states, through monsoonal downpours and desolate plains, forging a path for motoring history.</p> <p>Now, exactly 100 years since that audacious journey, a new crew is preparing to retrace their route in a meticulously restored 1923 Citroën 5CV. The project, dubbed <a href="https://rightaroundaustralia.tij.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right Around Australia</a>, is led by the faith-based media group The Incredible Journey and has brought together passionate motoring enthusiasts from across the country.</p> <p>Warren May, a car restorer from Western Australia, joined the project in mid-2023 and quickly immersed himself in the mammoth task of rebuilding a vehicle worthy of the original Bubsie. After months of searching, the team found the perfect base: a rare 1923 Citroën 5CV owned by collector Paul Smyth.</p> <p>"It was 102 years old – and in rough shape," Mr May <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-18/bubsie-citroen-circumnavigation-1925-retraced-in-2025/105257744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the ABC</a>. “We had to fabricate a lot of new panels because it was just so old.” The motor, miraculously, was still in good shape. But the bodywork was another story.</p> <p>What followed was a year-long restoration odyssey, with over 1,000 hours of labour, rust cut away and replaced, and every nut and bolt sandblasted and repainted. With the help of friends Colin Gibbs and Graham Tyler, the team brought the little French car back to life – ready to relive one of Australia’s great adventures.</p> <p>The replica has been touring Australia since early 2025, and this June, it will officially begin retracing Bubsie’s route. Starting from Bickley, Western Australia – where Westwood once lived – the car will travel thousands of kilometres, mostly by trailer but driving short stretches through regional towns and historic locations.</p> <p>“It’s about commemorating the courage and determination of those early explorers,” said event organiser Kevin Amos. “Nevill and Greg didn’t have highways. Sometimes they had no roads at all. They literally bush-bashed their way across the country.”</p> <p>Indeed, from the Kimberley to Mount Isa, their journey was defined by improvisation and grit. When they came to the Fitzroy River in northern WA, locals rigged a pulley system to carry Bubsie across. In the Northern Territory, they slid through mud and monsoon rains. They stopped to help others – including a stranded trio near the Nullarbor, who were out of water and near death. Westwood gave them water, fixed their car, and saved their lives.</p> <p>For the modern team, this centennial journey isn’t just about honouring history – it’s about reliving a story of quiet faith and mateship.</p> <p>Dr Laura Cook, curator at the National Museum of Australia where the original Bubsie now rests, said Westwood’s photographs and letters provide a vivid, almost daily account of the 1925 expedition. “His story is more than just a motoring milestone,” she said. “It captures the spirit of a generation who dared to push boundaries. These weren’t professional drivers – they were people of vision and courage.”</p> <p>By December 1925, after six gruelling months, Westwood rolled back into Perth – completing the first full circumnavigation of Australia by car. His companion Greg had returned home early to resume nursing studies, but Westwood pressed on alone. When he returned from overseas the next year, he tracked Bubsie down (it had been sold) and bought it back.</p> <p>Today, Bubsie is more than a car. It’s a symbol of Australia’s pioneering spirit. And as its modern twin prepares to hit the road once more, that legacy rolls forward – not in horsepower, but in heart. So keep an eye out for Bubsie's twin as it rolls through your town, and history comes alive.</p> <p><em>Images: National Museum of Australia / Right Around Australia</em> </p>

Domestic Travel

Millions of Aussies set to receive cost-of-living pay bump

<p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thrown his government’s support behind a “fair” pay rise for Australia's lowest-paid workers, setting the stage for a potential showdown with employer groups ahead of the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review.</p> <p>In a submission to the Commission, the federal government recommended a real wage increase – meaning one above the rate of inflation – for around three million Australians earning either the minimum wage or under an industry award. The push is part of Labor’s broader strategy to ease cost-of-living pressures and boost household incomes.</p> <p>“This will help around three million workers across the country, including cleaners, retail workers and early childhood educators,” said Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth in a joint statement. “Boosting wages, cutting taxes for every taxpayer and creating more jobs are central parts of our efforts to help Australians with the cost of living.”</p> <p>While the government did not specify an exact figure, it made clear that any increase should outpace inflation, a stance likely to be met with resistance from employers. Business groups, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, are calling for a more modest 2.5% increase, warning that anything higher could hurt struggling businesses, especially with superannuation contributions set to rise from 11.5% to 12% on July 1.</p> <p>Last year, minimum wage earners received a 3.75% pay rise, lifting the national minimum wage to $24.10 per hour, or $915.90 per week. With headline inflation then at 3.6%, workers saw only a marginal real wage increase of 0.15%.</p> <p>However, the economic backdrop has shifted. In the year to March, overall wages grew by 3.4% while the consumer price index rose just 2.4%, indicating a real wage growth of 1% for many Australians. Inflation is now within the Reserve Bank’s target band of 2-3%, which the government says supports its call for a generous, yet “economically responsible” wage hike.</p> <p>“An increase in minimum and award wages is consistent with inflation sustainably remaining within the RBA's target band and will provide further relief to lower income workers who are still doing it tough,” Chalmers and Rishworth added.</p> <p>Since Labor took office in 2022, the minimum wage has surged by historically high margins: 5.2% in 2022 – the largest rise in 16 years – and 5.75% in 2023. In total, the minimum wage has increased by $143 per week under the Albanese government.</p> <p>Despite concerns from employers over weak economic growth and rising business costs, the government remains optimistic about a rebound in domestic demand. Its submission acknowledged global risks, including the potential impact of Donald Trump's trade policies, but forecast stronger growth in 2025 and 2026.</p> <p>Prime Minister Albanese reinforced Labor’s commitment to wage growth during a cabinet meeting this week, saying a further increase to the minimum wage would be one of his top priorities heading into the next federal election. “Labor will always stand for improving people's wages and conditions,” he declared.</p> <p>Still, the looming expiry of the government’s $75 quarterly electricity rebates at the end of 2025 poses a risk of reigniting inflationary pressures – something the Fair Work Commission will weigh carefully as it prepares to announce its decision in June.</p> <p>The outcome of the review will directly affect 180,000 workers on the national minimum wage and an additional 2.7 million on industry awards, making it a critical flashpoint in the battle over how best to balance worker welfare and economic sustainability.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

Royal reveal: Charles and Camilla's coronation portraits unveiled at last

<p>In a moment steeped in regal tradition, the official coronation portraits of King Charles III and Queen Camilla were recently revealed to the public at London’s National Gallery – two years after the historic coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.</p> <p>Marking a legacy that spans over 400 years, the portraits capture the monarchs in striking fashion, echoing a time-honoured custom that has long defined how sovereigns are remembered. The King, adorned in his robe of state and standing beside the gleaming Imperial State Crown, gazes solemnly from the canvas, his figure framed by the grandeur of the Throne Room at St James’s Palace.</p> <p>Unveiled personally by Their Majesties, the portraits will remain on display for a month before finding a permanent home within the halls of Buckingham Palace, according to an official statement.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Take a closer look at the Coronation State Portraits of King Charles III and Queen Camilla...</p> <p>Commissioned to mark Their Majesties' Coronation in 2023, the portraits were unveiled by The King and Queen at the National Gallery earlier today. Click to find out more.</p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1919724405887783082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>The unveiling comes during a challenging chapter in King Charles’ life. Now 76, the King has continued fulfilling royal duties while receiving treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, diagnosed in early 2024. Despite his health challenges, he sat for his portrait with characteristic grace and determination.</p> <p>The King selected renowned artist Peter Kuhfeld to create his portrait. “I have tried to produce a painting that is both human and regal,” Kuhfeld shared, “continuing the tradition of royal portraiture.” The result is a masterwork that balances solemn dignity with personal vulnerability – an image for the ages.</p> <p>Queen Camilla, resplendent in her ivory silk coronation gown, chose Paul Benney to paint her likeness. Standing beside a different crown, her portrait exudes strength and poise. Benney described his aim as showing “the humanity and empathy of such an extraordinary person taking on an extraordinary role”.</p> <p>This double unveiling rekindles a royal tradition dating back to the portrait of King James I in 1620 – a symbol of sovereign authority and cultural continuity. While historically used to assert power, today’s portraits serve as a testament to endurance, service and the deep personal commitment of the modern monarchy.</p> <p><em>Images: X (formerly Twitter), Royal Family</em></p>

Art

Archibald Packing Room Prize winner announced

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>More than 50 years ago, when I was a junior curatorial assistant at the Art Gallery of NSW, I had the daunting experience of hanging the annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes.</p> <p>At the time the professional staff held the exhibitions in such disregard, they complained about the news media’s interest in this mediocrity while ignoring more worthy events.</p> <p>Attitudes changed in the 1980s with the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-18/former-director-of-sydney-agnsw-edmund-capons-dies/10911456">late director Edmund Capon</a>, who recognised popularity was an asset – not a disadvantage.</p> <p>Capon raised the prize money with sponsorships and started charging the public to see the winners. His strategy proved so successful that the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman exhibitions are now a significant source of revenue for the gallery.</p> <p>This year, the highly experienced Beatrice Gralton, Senior Curator of Contemporary Australian Art, has curated the exhibitions with support from a crew of more than 40 colleagues.</p> <h2>Packing Room Prize goes to Abdul Abdullah</h2> <p>In the 1970s, the media was refused access to the exhibitions until just before the winner was announced. Now it is actively courted with a public viewing of the works that survive the rigorous culling process.</p> <p>This takes place a week before the final judging, when the Packing Room Prize is announced. The changing status of this prize is also evidenced by changing personnel. Those who did the physical work of packing and loading artworks in the past were not expected to know much about art – and often gave the prize to paintings that would otherwise not be hung.</p> <p>In 2025, the specialist installation crew that handles the portraits in the packing room are most likely to be professional artists themselves – a reminder that most artists need another gig to stay afloat.</p> <p>This year’s Packing Room Prize winner is Abdul Abdullah’s portrait of fellow artist Jason Phu, <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/media-office/packing-room-25/6ed&utm_source=email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=no%20mountain%20high%20enough">No mountain high enough</a>. There is a glorious irony in this, as Abdullah has long been a critic of the self-important art establishment.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665336/original/file-20250502-62-uqdqhg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Winner Packing Room Prize 2025, Abdul Abdullah ‘No mountain high enough’, oil on linen, 162.4 x 136.7cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>His work is a riff on the heroic paintings of 19th century landscapes, except for the flock of twittering birds that surround the head of the solitary rider, a bit like a halo.</p> <p>His subject, fellow artist Phu, has to be seen as a serious contender for the main prize, which will be announced on May 9. Phu’s <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2025/30814/">portrait</a> of actor Hugo Weaving – older hugo from the future fighting hugo from right now in a swamp and all the frogs and insects and fish and flowers now look on – has both the humour and energy that has long characterised his work.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=908&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=908&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665338/original/file-20250502-56-1483xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=908&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Jason Phu ‘older hugo from the future fighting hugo from right now in a swamp and all the frogs and insects and fish and flowers now look on’, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 183.2 x 152.5cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>But there are many serious contenders for this year’s prize. Kurdish refugee Mostafa Azimitabar first exhibited in the Archibald in 2022, with a <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2022/30409/">self-portrait painted in coffee, with a toothbrush</a>. Art became his refuge during the many years he spent incarcerated as an asylum seeker.</p> <p>He still uses a toothbrush, but has used paint for his wonderfully fierce painting of a taut Grace Tame, appropriately named <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2025/30774/">The definition of hope</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=871&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=871&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=871&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1095&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1095&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665340/original/file-20250502-56-m193k.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1095&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Mostafa Azimitabar ‘The definition of hope’, oil on linen, 198.5 x 137.3cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Then there’s Kaylene Whiskey’s delightful self-portrait <a href="https://www.Artgallery.Nsw.Gov.Au/prizes/archibald/2025/30823/">From comic to canvas</a>, which manages to include images of her heroines, Dolly Parton and Tina Turner.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665341/original/file-20250502-62-7g3s6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=525&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Kaylene Whiskey ‘From comic to canvas’, synthetic polymer paint and book pages on plywood, 79.8 x 114.3cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter. Sitter, Kaylene Whiskey.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Not all works are so strident, however. Lucila Zentner’s <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2025/30826/">Wendy in the gallery</a>, is a subdued portrait of fellow artist Wendy Sharpe, placing her in the context of her art, almost as a decoration.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=726&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=726&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=726&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=912&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=912&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665342/original/file-20250502-56-7qpjls.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=912&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Lucila Zentner ‘Wendy in the gallery’, oil on canvas, 60.3 x 50.5cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>A suite of diverse storytelling</h2> <p>As is spelt out in <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/art/prizes/archibald/enter/">J.F. Archibald’s will</a>, the judges of the Archibald Prize must be the trustees of the gallery, and no one else may interfere in their decision.</p> <p>However, for decades after <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/from-the-archives-1944-the-archibald-prize-court-hearing-begins-20191016-p531b6.html">a spectacular court case</a> resulting from the 1943 Archibald, the trustees were so nervous of litigation that the final judging was administered by the NSW electoral office. In a court case in 1944, plaintiffs claimed the trustees’ 1943 decision was a breach of trust as the winning painting wasn’t a portrait. And one trustee claimed he had accidentally voted for the winner, thinking he was voting against it.</p> <p>Today, all decisions are made in-house. Court cases have been fought over whether entries were paintings (or not), painted from life (or not), selected by the trustees (or not). In 1990 <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/1988/17795/">Sidney Nolan</a> had to withdraw his entry after it was pointed out he could not be described as a “resident in Australasia for 12 months preceding the date of entry”.</p> <p>But once the entry conditions are met, the curator has a free hand. This year, Gralton has hung all three exhibitions on the premise they are “about stories and storytelling”.</p> <p>There is the joyous extravagance of Meagan Pelham’s <a href="https://www.Artgallery.Nsw.Gov.Au/prizes/archibald/2025/30813/">Magic Nikki and Charlie fancy pants party … Djaaaaaaaay</a>, the stark analysis of Chris O'Doherty’s <a href="https://www.Artgallery.Nsw.Gov.Au/prizes/archibald/2025/30810/">Self-portrait with nose tube</a>, and the wildly painterly approach of Loribelle Spirovski’s <a href="https://www.Artgallery.Nsw.Gov.Au/prizes/archibald/2025/30819/">Finger painting of William Barton</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1015&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1015&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665343/original/file-20250502-56-4t1b71.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1015&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Archibald Prize 2025 finalist, Loribelle Spirovski ‘Finger painting of William Barton’, oil on canvas, 182.6 x 137cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>In the Sulman prize exhibition – awarded for best subject painting, genre painting or mural project – the once academic modernist Mitch Cairns has gone full conceptual with his stark <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/sulman/2025/30883/">Narrow cast (studio mural)</a>. It looks like something straight out of the 1970s Art & Language movement.</p> <p>But my money is on Thom Roberts’ <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/sulman/2025/30901/">Mrs Picture Book and the three bears</a>, a painting as a book, in three canvases.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=685&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=685&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=685&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=861&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=861&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665344/original/file-20250502-68-t8tgtv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=861&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Sulman Prize 2025 finalist, Thom Roberts ‘Mrs Picture Book and the three bears’, triptych: synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 120 x 106.5 x 13cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The Wynne prize is for both Australian landscapes and sculptures. This year there are many three-dimensional works, ranging from the elaborate <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/wynne/2025/30829/">Billy Bain</a> to the almost agonised restraint of <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/wynne/2025/30872/">Heather B. Swann</a>.</p> <p>Lucy Culliton’s <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/wynne/2025/30842/">Cliff Hole, Bottom Bullock</a>, hangs alongside Betty Muffler’s <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/wynne/2025/30858/">Ngangkaṟi Ngura – healing Country</a> – both paintings of Country.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665345/original/file-20250502-56-ofrah4.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Wynne Prize 2025 finalist, Betty Muffler ‘Ngangkaṟi Ngura – healing Country’, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 197.3 x 243.5cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Then there is Mehwish Iqbal’s beautiful, delicate <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/wynne/2025/30849/">Zameen muqaddas (sacred earth)</a>, a pen and ink contrast of fine botanical drawing and delicate wash, all on handmade paper.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/665346/original/file-20250502-56-dh2f7q.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Wynne Prize 2025 finalist, Mehwish Iqbal ‘Zameen muqaddas (sacred earth)’, watercolour and ink on handmade paper, 18 parts: 30 x 30cm each; 152 x 120cm overall © the artist, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>While artist Elizabeth Pulie has already judged the Sulman prize, the judging for the Archibald and Wynne will be finalised early morning on May 9. This year’s result is anyone’s guess.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/253747/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joanna-mendelssohn-8133">Joanna Mendelssohn</a>, Honorary Senior Fellow, School of Culture and Communication. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/archibald-packing-room-prize-goes-to-abdul-abdullah-for-jason-phu-portrait-among-broader-set-of-bold-and-deeply-personal-works-253747">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Art

Jackie O blown away by breathtaking Archibald portrait

<p>Radio icon Jackie 'O' Henderson has received a dazzling honour that places her in the pantheon of celebrated Australian figures: a stunningly lifelike portrait of the KIIS FM star has been named a finalist in the prestigious 2025 Archibald Prize.</p> <p>Painted by the immensely gifted artist <a href="https://kellymareeartist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly Maree</a>, the portrait captures Henderson, 50, in a dreamlike pose, adorned in a delicate blue tulle gown rich with embellishments. The piece has already been hailed as a masterstroke of emotional depth and technical brilliance.</p> <p>Upon learning of the news, Henderson expressed her profound gratitude, calling the experience "one of the great highlights of my life." Sharing the artwork on social media, she wrote, "To say I’m honoured doesn’t even come close… I’m still in awe."</p> <p>In a heartfelt message, Henderson recalled how the collaboration came to be. She was in New York when Maree reached out – an encounter she described as “serendipitous”. The artist, who painted actor Josh Heuston for last year’s competition, felt an immediate artistic connection with the broadcasting star. “Turns out we were drawn to each other,” Henderson said.</p> <p>Maree, equally moved by the recognition, shared her creative vision behind the piece. “I wanted the portrait to feel whimsical, as if she were outside beneath the moonlight,” she explained. “I positioned her leaning forward and looking towards the viewer as if caught in a moment of thought.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJGTXwDvAIO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJGTXwDvAIO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jackie O (@jackieo_official)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The portrait’s lifelike rendering and poetic composition have quickly earned praise from art lovers and critics alike, with many tipping it as a strong contender for this year’s top prize.</p> <p>The Archibald Prize, Australia’s most esteemed portraiture award, carries a $100,000 prize and will announce its winner on May 9. Whether or not Maree’s portrait takes the top honour, it has already achieved something deeply meaningful – immortalising Jackie 'O' in a work of art as iconic as her career.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Art

What every parent should read before becoming the bank of mum and dad

<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In late 2023, economists Jarden estimated </span><a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/the-bank-of-mum-and-dad-is-good-for-70-000-new-analysis-concludes-20231129-p5enpp"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">15 per cent of mortgage borrowers received some form of financial support</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> from their parents. A separate poll by comparison site Finder around the same time </span><a style="color: #467886;" href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/first-home-buyers-reveal-huge-amount-aussie-parents-gifted-them-201221909.html"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">put the figure at 11 per cent</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">. Fast forward to February this year, with a UBS survey </span><a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-06/cost-of-living-sting-lessened-by-bank-of-mum-and-dad/104882754"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">suggesting almost half of first home buyers receive parental assistance</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">. Clearly, the Bank of Mum and Dad is a rapidly growing source of funds for younger people seeking to purchase property. However, some older Australians are now paying a hefty price for having done so without adequate planning and protections.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">On the hook</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Amid the excitement of homebuying, many parents overlook the fact they could be left on the hook to cover any shortfall. The worst-case scenario here is losing your own home, as well as your child losing theirs, if you went guarantor on their loan and they defaulted and you didn’t have a backup plan. If you loaned them money which they subsequently can’t repay, the principal amount goes unrepaid and you also miss out on the interest/compound growth that money could have earned if invested elsewhere. You may even be asked to fork out more in future if your child needs help to keep the property or to subsequently buy a replacement property. Unlike for a real bank, there is no public bailout for the Bank of Mum and Dad.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Financial shortfall</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">A common problem that I and other financial advisors are now seeing is parents inadvertently giving their children more than they can actually afford. Take people who acted as Bank of Mum and Dad before the pandemic hit. They budgeted how much they would need for retirement and then gave their adult kids money towards buying a home of their own. Then COVID-19 arrived. Countless jobs were lost and businesses shuttered. Many would-be retirees were forced to stay in the workforce for longer than planned. Next came the inflation crisis, with mortgages and living costs soaring. Retirement budgets blew-out as more money was suddenly needed for everyday expenses, particularly energy, insurance and food. Meanwhile ballooning house prices over the pandemic years saw first homebuyers needing even larger deposits. That all translated to significant financial shortfalls for the Bank of Mum and Dad.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Elder abuse</span></strong></p> <p><a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/family-domestic-and-sexual-violence/population-groups/older-people#abuse"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Government figures from 2023</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> estimate one in six older Australians suffer elder abuse in some form, with 2.1 per cent experiencing financial abuse – undue control, pressure or restricted access to their own money and financial decisions. Half (53 per cent) of elder abuse perpetrators are family members, with adult children the most common offenders.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Given the amount of money involved in property purchases, and the stresses associated with housing affordability, the potential for the Bank of Mum and Dad to suffer elder abuse is alarmingly high.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Relationship breakdowns</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Money is perhaps the greatest source of tension in relationships. Usually that is between partners, yet these can multiply for the Bank of Mum and Dad and its stakeholders. Some examples include:</span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">You and your partner disagree on what or how much assistance to provide.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Your other children feel disadvantaged if they don’t receive the same financial assistance.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Having provided the finances, you then interfere in how your child manages the property or their general finances, causing resentment to build.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">A marriage breakdown (yours or your child’s) affects the repayment of a loan or the nature of a mortgage guarantee.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Protect yourself</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">While supporting children is the foremost concern of the Bank of Mum and Dad, it is important to protect yourself too. A written agreement outlining the nature of the support, conditions and contingencies is crucial to keep every aligned. Independent advice from your financial adviser, lawyer, mortgage broker and accountant ensures you fully understand what you are on the hook for, how much you can afford to contribute, and whether there are less-risky options.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Finally, be sure that the decision to support your child’s property ambitions is your own and that you aren’t coerced into it. If you’re concerned that you may be experiencing elder abuse, call the free </span><a style="color: #467886;" href="https://www.health.gov.au/contacts/elder-abuse-phone-line"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">elder abuse line on 1800 353 374</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #242424;">Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, <em>Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99).</em> Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children<em>. </em>Find out more at </span></strong><a style="color: #467886;" title="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/"><strong><span style="line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</span></strong></a></p> <p><strong><em><span style="line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #242424;">Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754.</span></em></strong></p> <p><em><span style="line-height: 18.4px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #242424;">Image: Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Money & Banking

Pope Francis' cause of death and burial wishes revealed

<p>The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis died from a stroke followed by heart failure, according to an official statement released by the Vatican press office. The 88-year-old pontiff passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, with underlying health conditions also contributing to his death.</p> <p>In a statement signed by Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Health and Hygiene Directorate of the Vatican City State, the Vatican revealed that Francis had suffered a previous episode of acute respiratory failure, along with arterial hypertension and type II diabetes.</p> <p>Pope Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, where he delivered a brief Easter blessing to thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square. Unable to finish reading his address, the ailing pope sat as an aide delivered the rest of the speech, which called for peace in war-torn regions such as Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.</p> <p>Following his death, the Vatican also made public the burial wishes outlined in the pope’s will. Francis requested a simple burial in the ground at Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore – marked only with the Latin inscription <em>Franciscus</em>. This will be the first time in over a century that a pope will be buried outside the Vatican.</p> <p>According to the will, an anonymous benefactor has agreed to cover the costs of his burial.</p> <p>With the pontiff’s passing, the Catholic Church now enters a traditional period of mourning known as the Novendiales, lasting nine days. During this time, Pope Francis will lie in state as preparations for his funeral are made.</p> <p>The conclave – the sacred process to elect a new pope – is expected to begin no sooner than 15 days and no later than 20 days following his death.</p> <p>Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope. His death marks the end of a papacy defined by humility, progressive stances and a deep focus on global humanitarian issues.</p> <p><em>Images: Wikimedia Commons</em></p>

Caring

"It's not our way": Young Indigenous woman speaks out against Acknowledgment of Country

<p>A young Indigenous woman has sparked controversy by criticising the Acknowledgement of Country, claiming the practice is 'made up' and not representative of Indigenous Australian culture.</p> <p>Kiescha Haines Jamieson was asked on social media whether the formal observation is an 'actual traditional practice' or a 'modern white saviour thing'.</p> <p>'It is a made up protocol by Reconciliation Australia,' she claimed. 'It's not culture. It's not our way.'</p> <p>The Acknowledgement of Country is a relatively recent practice, emerging in the 1990s during what the Keating Government called 'the Reconciliation Decade'. It was formalised as part of efforts to improve Indigenous-state relations, with former Labor senator and Yawuru man Pat Dodson playing a key role in its establishment.</p> <p>'The work of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation encouraged strangers to recognise country, then, as people got stronger, the welcome developed,' Dodson explained.</p> <p>The practice is distinct from a Welcome to Country, which is a ceremony performed by a traditional owner to formally welcome visitors to their land. Acknowledgement of Country, by contrast, is often delivered by non-Indigenous people or organisations to recognise traditional owners.</p> <p>Ms Jamieson argued that the practice has now been 'institutionalised to make people think that it is our culture'. Her comments resonated with some social media users, who agreed that the protocol was 'made up'.</p> <p>'Finally someone with the guts to tell the truth,' one user wrote. However, others pushed back, arguing that acknowledging country has deep cultural significance for some Indigenous groups.</p> <p>'It's a traditional thing for our mob, but not as grand as it's shown on TV,' one commenter noted. 'It's not really a welcome, it's more like a way to notify the spirits and ancestors that mob are travelling.'</p> <p>Another person added: 'You don't speak for all mobs and you don't speak for mine.'</p> <p>Yawarllaayi/Gomeroi elder Barbara Flick Nicol has previously stated that welcoming and acknowledging visitors has existed for thousands of years in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.</p> <p>'It's always been something that we did as a people, understanding and observing the fact that when you are in somebody else's country, that you acknowledge them,' she told NITV in 2020.</p> <p>Ms Flick Nicol said that formal acknowledgments began appearing in New South Wales after the landmark Mabo decision in 1992, with councils raising Aboriginal flags and formally recognising traditional owners at meetings and conferences.</p> <p>Former federal politician and Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney, who was involved in the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, defended the practice, saying it evolved organically. 'It wasn't strategised or planned. Once it got out to civic life it was something that people saw as an important way to tell the truth of the Australian story,' she said.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

Grief as European royal passes away at just 46

<p>Archduchess Estelle de Saint-Romain of Austria has passed away at the age of 46. A statement published in Le Figaro's Carnet du Jour confirmed that Estelle Lapra de Saint-Romain, wife of Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, died on March 4, 2025. Her family laid her to rest at the Monastère de Cimiez in Nice, France, a week later.</p> <p>"Her husband, Archduke Carl Christian, their children, her parents, and her in-laws are deeply saddened to announce that Archduchess Estelle of Austria, née Lapra de Saint Romain, was called to God on Tuesday, March 4, 2025," the statement read in translation. The cause of death was not disclosed, though reports indicate she had previously been diagnosed with cancer.</p> <p>Born in 1979, Estelle married Carl Christian in 2007. He is the great-grandson of Emperor Charles I of Austria, the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Together, they had five children: Zita, 17, Anezka, 15, Anna, 12, Paola, 10, and Pier-Georgia, 4.</p> <p>The funeral service, attended by several European royals, took place at the historic Monastère de Cimiez. Among those in attendance were Belgium's Princess Astrid, Luxembourg's Princess Marie-Astrid, the Duke of Castro, and Ferdinand of Habsburg. Brother Antonio Basso led the ceremony, remembering Estelle for her "loving wisdom" and recalling how she and her family regularly attended Mass at the monastery.</p> <p>Despite the dissolution of the Austrian monarchy in 1918, the Habsburg family remains prominent in European society. Estelle and Carl Christian’s wedding in 2007 attracted significant attention, with crowds gathering to witness the event. Three hundred distinguished guests attended, including Princess Astrid, Liechtenstein’s Prince Gundakar, and Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon.</p> <p>Carl Christian, the eldest son of Archduke Rodolphe de Habsbourg-Lorraine and Archduchess Marie-Hélène, née Baroness de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck, is part of an extensive noble lineage. His cousin, Archduke Karl von Habsburg, is the current head of the Austrian Imperial House.</p> <p>Archduchess Estelle’s passing marks a great loss for the Habsburg family and the European aristocracy, as she is remembered for her grace, devotion, and dedication to her family and faith.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Prince Robert of Luxembourg announces youngest son's death

<p>Prince Robert of Luxembourg has announced the heartbreaking loss of his youngest son, Frederik, at the age of 22. </p> <p>Frederik is Prince Robert's youngest son with wife Princess Julie of Nassau.</p> <p>According to a statement shared on the <a href="https://polgfoundation.org/frederik/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLG Foundation's</a> website, Frederik died on March 1 in Paris, France, from POLG Mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure.</p> <p>"It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son, The POLG Foundation Founder and Creative Director, Frederik," the statement, written by Robert began. </p> <p>Frederik, was born in Aix-en-Provence, France, on March 18, 2002, with POLG Mitochondrial disease, but was only diagnosed at the age of 14. </p> <p>He and his father later co-founded the POLG Foundation, with Frederik serving as Creative Director while Robert served as Chair.</p> <p>"Last Friday, February 28th, on 'Rare Disease Day', our beloved son called us in to his room to speak to him for one last time," the statement continued.</p> <p>"Frederik found the strength and the courage to say goodbye to each of us in turn." </p> <p>That included his brother, 27-year-old Prince Alexandre, his sister, 29-year-old Princess Charlotte and her 27-year-old husband, Mansour Shakarchi.</p> <p>Frederik also said his final goodbyes to his father's sister, Princess Charlotte, her husband Marc Victor Cunningham, and their three children: Charly, Louis, and Donall.</p> <p>"He had already spoken all that was in his heart to his extraordinary mother, who had not left his side in 15 years," Robert continued. </p> <p>"After gifting each of us with our farewells – some kind, some wise, some instructive – in true Frederik fashion, he left us collectively with a final long-standing family joke.</p> <p>"Even in his last moments, his humour, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh….to cheer us all up." </p> <p>Prior to his other goodbye messages, Robert said, Frederik asked him: "Papa, are you proud of me?"</p> <p>"He had barely been able to speak for several days, so the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was profound," Robert wrote.</p> <p>"The answer was very easy, and he had heard it oh so many times, but at this time, he needed reassurance that he had contributed all that he possibly could in his short and beautiful existence and that he could now finally move on."</p> <p>"Frederik knows that he is my Superhero, as he is to all of our family, and to so very many good friends," Robert continued, noting how his son "was born with a special capacity for positivity, joy, and determination."</p> <p>"When he was little, I would always say that if there is one child of ours that I would never need to worry about, it was him," he continued. </p> <p>"He has social skills like no other, an amazing sense of humour, an emotional intelligence and compassion that were off the charts, a sense of justice, fairness and decency that knows no bounds. He was disciplined and organised beyond belief. " </p> <p>"Frederik is particularly headstrong (at times, I might have used the word stubborn). This serves him well. I cite him as being here in the present because I know that, though physically absent, he is still here, inspiring us and pushing us forward. His mission is not complete, and we all have much work left to do." </p> <p>Robert then thanked their family for their "messages of support and love", before asking those reading the tribute to volunteer with or donate to the POLG Foundation in Frederik's memory. </p> <p>"With our Superhero's help we hope to turn our deep grief into positive results and therewith follow his unwavering example," he wrote.</p> <p>"His ultimate message is one of hope, compassion, and resilience! We are all so very proud of you, Frederik. I am so very proud of you! We love you!"</p> <p><em>Images: The POLG Foundation</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Gene Hackman's cause of death revealed

<p>The cause of death of legendary actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, has finally been confirmed, more than a week after they were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/sad-new-details-emerge-in-gene-hackman-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered in their Santa Fe home</a>.</p> <p>The couple was found deceased in their residence on February 26, prompting an investigation by authorities. </p> <p>Dr Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Examiner for New Mexico, disclosed at a press conference that Hackman succumbed to cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease being a significant contributing factor. His wife, Betsy Arakawa, died around seven days earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease contracted through exposure to rodents and their excrement. Authorities found evidence of rodent intrusion in the couple’s home, believed to be the source of Arakawa’s infection.</p> <p>Based on her movements and email communications, Dr Jarrell determined that Arakawa likely passed away on February 11, while Hackman is believed to have died on February 18. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that Hackman was likely at home with his deceased wife for seven days before his own death.</p> <p>Dr Jarrell noted that Hackman was in "very poor health", and it was unclear how he managed in his final days without his wife's assistance. Given his advanced Alzheimer’s, Jarrell suggested that it was possible he was unaware that his wife had passed away.</p> <p>“There was no food in his stomach, which means he had not eaten recently, but he had no evidence of dehydration,” she stated.</p> <p>Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe and often fatal respiratory disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, it begins with flu-like symptoms and rapidly progresses to serious lung and heart complications. The best prevention is avoiding contact with rodents and properly managing rodent-prone areas.</p> <p>Dr Jarrell’s findings confirmed that Hackman had severe heart disease, with evidence of multiple prior heart attacks and chronic high blood pressure. A full-body post-mortem examination showed no signs of trauma. He tested negative for COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory illnesses, as well as hantavirus and carbon monoxide poisoning.</p> <p>Similarly, Arakawa’s autopsy revealed no external or internal trauma. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of hantavirus, ruling it as the cause of her death. Other tests for respiratory viruses and toxins returned negative results.</p> <p>Dr Jarrell said that there were “no other significant natural disease findings” in either case, and that all medications found in the home were taken as prescribed and did not contribute to their deaths.</p> <p>The tragic passing of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa marks the end of an era for Hollywood, with fans mourning the loss of the two-time Academy Award-winning actor. Hackman, known for his roles in <em>The French Connection</em>, <em>Unforgiven </em>and <em>The Royal Tenenbaums</em>, retired from acting in 2004. The couple had been residing in Santa Fe for many years, enjoying a quiet life away from the public eye.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

NSW Health worker charged over anti-semitic remarks

<p>A NSW Health worker who went viral over his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/nsw-health-workers-stood-down-over-anti-semitic-remarks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-semitic remarks</a> during a video call at Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital in Sydney's west has been charged. </p> <p>Ahmed Rashid Nadir, 27, and female co-worker Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, were recorded in a video call with Israeli influencer Max Veifer, where they said they would refuse to treat Israeli patients and allegedly threatened to kill them. </p> <p>The video has since gone viral and both nurses were stood down from their positions. </p> <p>After being stood down from the hospital, Nadir issued an apology through his lawyer, and told reporters the incident was a misunderstanding and a mistake. </p> <p>Nadir was arrested on Tuesday evening, and charged with threatening to menace, harass, or offend, as well as possessing a prohibited drug.</p> <p>He has been granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.</p> <p>Lebdeh, was charged last Tuesday, and faces charges of threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend, according to NSW Police.</p> <p>She is also scheduled to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on March 19. </p> <p>At the time of her arrest, Nadir was taken to hospital for assessment after paramedics were called to his home. He has reportedly been receiving ongoing medical treatment since then. </p> <p>The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency previously confirmed the pair’s credentials were no longer valid and they “cannot practise in Australia”.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

icare safeguards NSW workers with new Lung Health Mobile Clinic

<p>icare has launched a new, state-of-the-art Lung Health Mobile Clinic, which has embarked on its inaugural road trip to deliver lung health checks to individuals across NSW.</p> <p>The new mobile clinic continues the legacy of a bus that has served the community for nearly 16 years, travelling more than 700,000km (almost to the moon and back), screening more than 53,000 people, and visiting over 300 destinations across NSW.</p> <p>Each year, the program provides lung health checks to more than 5,000 people, ensuring early detection and treatment of dust diseases like asbestosis, silicosis, and mesothelioma.</p> <p>Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis MP, said the new Mobile Clinic underscores the NSW Government’s commitment to removing barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to the critical support and care they need to safeguard their health.</p> <p>“Along with enforcement of the recent ban on engineered stone, the new Mobile Clinic demonstrates our commitment to improve outcomes for workers exposed to hazardous dust across NSW.”</p> <p>icare’s new Mobile Clinic is equipped with advanced technology and features including:</p> <p>• Digital chest X-ray technology, providing precise and reliable first instance imaging.</p> <p>• Enhanced spirometry (lung function) testing equipment to evaluate breathing capacity and respiratory performance.</p> <p>• Digital monitoring systems to streamline diagnostics and care.</p> <p>• A backup power supply to ensure uninterrupted operation in remote locations.</p> <p>• Greater accessibility and comfort, with larger clinical space designed to support both staff and clients.</p> <p>• An external design, created to help engage and welcome workers, and an interior mural by Mumbulla Creative - an Indigenous agency whose artwork reflects connection to Country, icare’s values and the people of NSW.</p> <p>icare urges anyone with past or present occupational exposure to hazardous dust - such as through mining, tunnelling, construction, or manufacturing - to prioritise their lung health.</p> <p>“A lung health check could save your life,” said icare Group Executive of General Insurance and Care, Britt Coombe. “Early detection is critical to effective treatment, and we’re here to make sure every worker, no matter where they live, has access to world-class care.”</p> <p>Lung health checks are painless, and take less than 30 minutes. The process includes:</p> <p>1. <strong>Chest X-ray</strong> to detect abnormalities or damage.</p> <p>2. <strong>Lung function testing</strong> to assess respiratory performance.</p> <p>3. <strong>Consultation</strong> with a specialist doctor, who interprets results and provides tailored advice.</p> <p>4. <strong>Referral</strong> for CT scan, as required to get a better image of the chest and lungs.</p> <p>Individuals are encouraged to contact icare directly, and the Dust Diseases Care team can help facilitate and fund lung health checks through local services, at icare’s Sydney CBD Kent Street clinic, icare’s lung bus, or organise transport should that be a barrier to screening in more remote locations.</p> <p>icare’s lung screening program adheres to the national guidance for doctors assessing workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust set by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, ensuring the highest standards of care for detecting and managing respiratory diseases.</p> <p>A clinical governance committee continually reviews emerging evidence on best-practice and makes recommendations to ensure icare delivers screening aligned with national standards.</p> <p>icare’s new Mobile Clinic underscores its commitment to removing barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to the critical support and care they need to safeguard their health.</p> <p>For more information on lung health checks or to arrange a screening, visit the <a href="https://www.icare.nsw.gov.au/employers/employer-obligations/lung-screening-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lung Screening Service website</a> or call 1800 550 027.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p>

Caring

Unbelievable moment man finds his aunt's artwork in op shop

<p>A man has broken down in tears as he found a painting done by his aunt in his favourite op shop. </p> <p>Influencer Christian Hull was sifting through an antique shop in Brisbane when something caught his eye from behind a cushion. </p> <p>"I walk into this stall and there on the ground is a beautiful brightly coloured art work from the 1980's that reminds me so much of my aunt," he said of his artist aunt, Helen McCosker, who is based in Sydney and has no connection to the Queensland city.</p> <p>"It was her style of drawing and just screamed at me," Hull shared on his social media accounts.</p> <p>"I thought to myself how strange that this drawing instantly reminded me of her. I wanted it... I knew it wasn't one of hers because the likely hood of that was 0%. No way a drawing she did in Sydney in the 80's would be in my favourite shop in Brisbane staring at me."</p> <p>His find was confirmed when he spotted his aunt's signature in the bottom corner of the artwork, as he said, "There in the corner I saw it and SCREAMED! It was her classic HMK in a circle."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGKO1XCTd-h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGKO1XCTd-h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Christian Hull (@christianhull)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I was stunned, here was a work she had done before I was born. I needed to have it."</p> <p>The content creator was in tears at the find, and quickly snapped up the artwork which was priced at $200, before he promptly called his aunt to tell her of the news, as he found out the story behind the painting. </p> <p>"I was hoping it was a secret lover and that I had uncovered a scandalous family secret but sadly not the case," he shared.</p> <p>Hull relayed that the artwork was of a man named Andrew and was done in a life drawing class she used to go to, with it still being in it's original frame.</p> <p>"We both were shocked at the randomness of the discover... It's so crazy that I saw this thought of her and then realised it was one of her works!" he said of the "surreal" moment.</p> <p>Fans were equally amazed by the find, as one person commented, "That's crazyyyyy. But what an amazing find! Funny how things come full circle, it was meant to be hanging in your home."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Art

"Why are you attacking my dad?": I'm A Celeb finalist reveals behind-the-scenes heartbreak

<p>The emotional on-air reunion between <em>I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here</em> contestant Matty J and his wife, Laura Byrne, along with their two children, Marlie-Mae and Lola Ellis, was a heartwarming moment <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/abrupt-viewers-stunned-by-i-m-a-celeb-winner-s-reveal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during Sunday’s finale</a>. However, behind the scenes, Byrne has opened up about the significant challenges she faced while participating in the momentous event.</p> <p>In the lead-up to the finale, Byrne undertook an exhausting journey from Sydney to South Africa with their two young daughters. Speaking on the <em>Life Uncut</em> podcast, she detailed the arduous travel experience, which involved “three separate flights” and 24 hours of transit. “That in itself was really hard," she said. "It was like 24 hours by the time we got door to door. Midnight transfer with two children who were absolutely f***ing ropable.” </p> <p>The long journey was only the beginning of the difficulties though. Upon arrival, Byrne and the children had to share a single room with inadequate sleeping arrangements, all while preparing for a demanding day on set.</p> <p>Byrne also revealed that the experience of managing two young children on a chaotic production set was overwhelming. “I felt like I was the emotional buffer between the children and production … I felt like I’d just been flogged for days. It was hard. It was really hard for me,” she said.</p> <p>During the finale, Matty J and his fellow top three contestants – <em>Big Brother</em> star Reggie Bird and retired NRL player Sam Thaiday – were reunited with their families before participating in the final challenge. While this was an exciting moment for viewers, it was an emotionally challenging experience for the family.</p> <p>Matty J recalled the moment he had to part ways with his children soon after reuniting. “When we had our reunion, it was maybe half an hour I think where we had time together and then they’ve got to pull us apart,” he said. “The kids don’t get it, the kids don’t understand. They’re like, ‘I’ve just met my dad, and then I’ve got to go.’ And then we did that trial where we had to have s**t poured on our heads, and Lola’s in tears being like, ‘Why are you attacking my dad?’”</p> <p>Byrne explained that their children were repeatedly reunited with their father, only to be separated again. This happened three times – during the initial reunion, the final trial and then the announcement of the winner. The constant cycle of emotional reunions and abrupt separations took a toll, particularly on their youngest daughter, Lola.</p> <p>After the winner was announced, Byrne and the children expected Matty J to return home with them, but he was kept on set for several more hours. “They kept Matt on set until 6 o’clock and we went home earlier. And it was so hard on Lola particularly,” Byrne revealed. “And then I had to deal with her big emotions around ‘Why is my daddy not coming home?’ And it felt like this unfair false start.”</p> <p>She admitted that the combination of exhaustion, sleep deprivation and trying to manage the emotional needs of their children made the experience incredibly difficult. Byrne also shared that she had been against Matty J’s participation in the reality show right from the outset. “I wasn’t a supporter of it in the first place,” she admitted, reinforcing that the experience had only confirmed her concerns.</p> <p>Even Matty J himself struggled with the demands of the show. He confessed that he broke down early in his time at camp, an emotional moment that wasn’t shown on TV. “I just burst out crying, and I was like, ‘I f**king cannot do this,’” he recalled, explaining that a moment of solitude while washing dishes left him questioning his decision. “What have I f**king done? This is a nightmare.”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">It appears that, for the Byrne-Johnson family, what seemed like a joyful televised reunion was, in reality, a deeply exhausting and emotional ordeal.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Network 10</em></p>

Driver reveals "surprising" way he got out of $410 seatbelt fine

<p>An Aussie driver who copped a $410 fine and three demerit points after their passenger made a common seatbelt move has revealed how they argued his way out of the ticket. </p> <p>Numerous motorists have been fined in recent weeks over the little-known road rule, where the driver could be penalised if a passenger reclines their seat too far back. </p> <p>Aussie lawyer Hayder Shkara argued that the rule is "step too far" as well-rested passengers can help curb the growing rate of fatalities by taking over from fatigued drivers on long car trips.</p> <p>Shkara shared the story of how one of his followers had successfully overturned the seatbelt fine and demerit points on social media. </p> <p>"He applied for a review with the police, and he actually got approved," Shkara said.</p> <p>"In his review he focused on the fact that car manufacturers were allowed to import these vehicles with the ability to recline in the first place, and that if there was an actual issue with the vehicle in terms of its design, it should have been stopped at the importation basis.</p> <p>"[He] said to the police that they were practicing safe driving protocols by changing drivers and making sure that one driver was rested and at police actually withdrew the fine. He didn't have to pay anything, and he didn't get any demerit points."</p> <p>Shkara told<em> Yahoo</em> that "normally applications for review in traffic offences are extremely difficult to be successful in and there is a low margin of success." </p> <p>"What is the purpose of seat belts? It is for driver and passenger safety. But we all know that fatigue is a big problem for drivers, so if drivers are switching in and out, I believe that the safer thing to do is for one driver to have proper rest so they can continue to drive safely."</p> <p>He said he would also encourage others who receive a fine for the same offence to try and appeal their case, as the "review doesn't require you to pay any legal fees and it is worth a shot."</p> <p><em>Image: NSW Centre for Road Safety/ TikTok</em></p>

Legal

NSW Health workers stood down over anti-semitic remarks

<p>Two NSW Health workers have been stood down from Bankstown Hospital amid allegations of the pair making anti-semitic remarks online. </p> <p>Footage has emerged of the duo talking to Jewish influencer Max Veifer during a livestream, and making anti-semitic remarks after learning that Veifer was from Israel. </p> <p>One of the nurses, a woman, allegedly said that if patients from Israel came to the hospital, she would not treat them. </p> <p>"I won't treat them, I'll kill them," she said.</p> <p>The other nurse, a man, claimed that he had killed Israeli patients. </p> <p>NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said two nurses had been "stood down immediately".</p> <p>"Obviously, the investigative process now takes place, I do not want to leave a sliver of light to allow any of them to be able to think they will ever work for NSW Health again."</p> <p>"Everyone is entitled to access NSW health and hospital services without fearing for their life, and without having that hate-filled attitude come through some of our health workers," he said.</p> <p>"This video is disgusting. It is shocking. It is appalling."</p> <p>Park also confirmed that the pair have been identified, with investigations currently underway. </p> <p>The NSW Health Minister also issued an apology to the Jewish community. </p> <p>"To the Jewish community today, I say not only am I sorry, but I can assure you this - the care that you get in our hospitals will continue to be first class, we will investigate this uphill and down dale," Park said.</p> <p>"We won't just be looking at this incident per se, and going through previous cases to make sure that that hospital has been working in a way that reflects those values around safety and care."</p> <p>NSW Police confirmed it was investigating the video, with Strike Force Pearl, the police task force targeting anti-semitic violence and vandalism, taking carriage of the investigation. </p> <p>"NSW Health believe they have identified the individuals involved and are currently assisting detectives with their investigation," they said. </p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

Legal

Dave Hughes reveals I’m A Celeb weight loss

<p>Dave Hughes spent 25 days in the jungle for this year's season of<em> I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! </em>and despite being eliminated, his three-and-a-half weeks of camp life had a staggering effect on his body.</p> <p>“I lost eight kilos and I’m stronger now than when I went in there,” he told <em>news.com.au</em>.</p> <p>He explained that when he first joined the show he struggled to do laborious tasks like carrying a crate of firewood back to camp without assistance.</p> <p>“I’d be holding one side of the crate while my fingers almost snapped off, with another burly bloke like (former NRL player) Sam Thaiday on the other side,” he said.</p> <p>“But by the end of the month, I’m carrying the whole crate on my own. My fingers are loving the task. I’m just living my best life.”</p> <p>He also made progress in the "jungle gym" a workout station contestants could use to keep fit. </p> <p>“There was a bench press there and on the first day, the heaviest weights, I could do 20 (reps). On the day I got kicked out, I did 52," he said. </p> <p>“Sam (Thaiday) says I now look like a pregnant greyhound … I think that’s a compliment, so I’m happy," he said. </p> <p><em>Image: I'm A Celeb/ news.com.au</em></p>

Body

Hollywood legend's cause of death revealed

<p>Renowned filmmaker David Lynch, best known for directing <em>Dune</em>, <em>Blue Velvet</em>, <em>Mulholland Drive </em>and the unforgettable <em>Twin Peaks</em> series passed away on January 16 at the age of 78. Now, his cause of death has been officially confirmed.</p> <p>According to TMZ, which obtained Lynch’s death certificate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the legendary director died from cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dehydration was also listed as a significant contributing factor.</p> <p>Lynch’s family shared the news of his passing on social media last month: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the family’s statement on Facebook read. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole.’”</p> <p>In the days leading up to his death, Lynch had been affected by the deadly wildfires near Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles. However, his longtime producer, Sabrina Sutherland, confirmed that he had safely evacuated his home at the time.</p> <p>Lynch had been battling health issues for years, having been diagnosed with emphysema in 2020. In a November 2024 interview with <em>People</em>, the filmmaker admitted that he relied on supplemental oxygen for daily activities. He also reflected on his decades-long smoking habit, which began at the age of eight and ended in 2022.</p> <p>“What you sow is what you reap,” Lynch said at the time. “You’re literally playing with fire. It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”</p> <p>His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood stars, including actor Kyle MacLachlan, who worked with Lynch on <em>Dune, Blue Velvet </em>and <em>Twin Peaks</em>.</p> <p>“Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big-budget movie,” MacLachlan wrote on Instagram. “While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own.”</p> <p>Naomi Watts, who starred in <em>Mulholland Drive</em>, also paid tribute, sharing her heartbreak over Lynch’s passing: “My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave… The world will not be the same without him,” she wrote on Instagram. She praised his “exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe.”</p> <p>While Lynch will be dearly missed, his legacy as an innovative and visionary filmmaker will continue to influence the world of cinema for years to come.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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NSW Health workers stood down over anti-semitic remarks

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