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The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Editor’s LetterShop with Women’s Weekly womensweekly.com.au/shop Introducing our online store, where you’ll find timeless looks by local designers, curated by our fashion team. Maggie Beer’s a long-time friend of The Weekly, so it was wonderful – especially as a fellow Adelaidean – to meet her for the first time. Over coffee at her home in the Barossa Valley, Maggie spoke of her passion for transforming food and nutrition in Australia’s aged-care homes. The work she’s doing through the Maggie Beer Foundation and her new TV show, Maggie Beer’s Big Mission, makes a huge difference to Australia’s 200,000-plus aged-care residents. Turn to page 26 for more about Maggie’s work, plus her tips for healthy ageing. Another friend of The Weekly family is columnist Pat McDermott, who sadly signs off with her final…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Around the worldJapan: A barrier will be erected to block a popular view of Mount Fuji in a town where locals are fed up with disrespectful tourists. THE US Record en pointe In tulle tutus, 353 ballerinas gathered at New York’s Plaza Hotel where they broke the Guinness World Record for largest number of dancers ‘en pointe’ within a minute. The previous record was 306. GREECE Athens turns orange Strong winds carried desert dust from Africa across the Mediterranean Sea and turned the skies over Athens orange. The Sahara Desert releases millions of tonnes of mineral dust annually, some of which can reach Europe. Greece experienced a similar eerie haze in 2018. Mexico Kitties sitting pretty Nineteen cats that roam Mexico’s National Palace have been declared “living fixed assets”, meaning the treasury…1 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024“Mum’s illness has brought us closer”The Brown family aren’t a touchy-feely clan. Yet the pure love radiating on set today between father Graeme and his youngest son is evident as The Weekly joins the two vets for a day at Wylie’s Baths in Sydney’s Coogee, just a few beaches along from Bondi, the iconic location where Dr Chris Brown sprung to fame. The banter is constant, the smiles wide, the laughter booming. While there’s some friendly teasing going on, the duo is quick to reassure us that it’s all in fun. In fact, when the other is out of earshot, each will rush over separately to tell us the pride they have in their respective achievements – as well as the traits they most admire. “Everyone likes my dad more than me,” Chris says with…9 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Paradise LostAshlee Williams-Barnes grew up exploring rock pools and diving at beautiful Wreck Bay, where a crescent of blonde sand separates the dense bushland on the NSW South Coast from crystal waters that teem with fish, lobsters and abalone. For generations, members of the local First Nations community have gathered there to pass down traditional methods of diving and fishing, to drink clear water from the creeks and springs, and to feed themselves from the ocean. Those experiences were not just recreational, Ashlee says. They were sacred. “We’d go and collect pippies,” the Wadi Wadi, Dharawal and Wandi Wandian woman recalls. “I learned to dive when I was 10, you know, diving for abalone and lobsters. We lived on fish. We would go up and get baker’s bread and eat it…6 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024The co-education debateAs the boys of Newington College approached its sandstone entrance on the first day of school this year, they were greeted by an unusual sight. Roughly 25 adults with placards were milling about in the shadow of the school’s emblematic wyvern – a fork-tongued and tailed dragon that also once guarded Hogwarts’ Transfiguration Courtyard in the Harry Potter books. The parents and old boys were protesting the news that Newington would undergo a transfiguration of its own. According to the principal and the school council, the 161-year-old Sydney bastion of boys’ education would soon begin welcoming girls, with a plan that would see Newington entirely co-educational by 2033. Media arrived and protestor Dallas Morgan told them that the process which led to this decision was a “sham” based purely on…14 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Our Goal Is FreedomOn the morning of August 15, 2021, Fatima Yousufi was lacing up her runners, getting ready for soccer training, when one of her teammates came banging on her door. “She was yelling, ‘Have you heard what’s happened? The Taliban has arrived’,” Fatima recalls. The 18-year-old instantly knew what she had to do. She dug a hole in the front yard of her family’s Kabul home and buried her soccer uniform, trophies and any trace of her involvement with the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team. “We had to hide our identity, hide anything that was related to the club or had our names on it. We were advised to burn our uniforms, but I couldn’t bring myself to burn them, so I buried them. I felt that if I burned them,…8 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Thanks for the memoriesAfter many wonderful years as a sub-editor, feature writer and columnist for The Australian Women’s Weekly (also known as the world’s best women’s magazine) it is time for me to say goodbye to writing Family Matters. I am going to miss AWW and every reader. I loved your letters, so many of which gave me wonderful ideas for future columns. The sigh of relief you hear belongs to the MOTH (The Man of the House), whose name is really Dennis and who is possibly the most patient man in the world. I loved writing Family Matters but, as you’d expect, deadlines and the pressure to make every column better than the last have kept me awake long past my bedtime for many years. I am beyond grateful to our five…4 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024“I’ve spent 30 years in the jungle and I’d do 30 more”Mu Mu arrived semi-conscious at the antenatal clinic, if you could call the humble bamboo dwelling a clinic. She was seven months pregnant and riddled with malaria. We started her on intravenous quinine and began the 20-kilometre-long journey to our hospital, carrying her on a bamboo stretcher. Her husband and two young children came with us. He, rather than a nurse, tended to her needs, as is often the way here. When she regained consciousness after 72 hours, Mu Mu was able to eat a small meal. It felt like we had won. But the joy was short-lived. She became short of breath and her condition deteriorated. Mu Mu died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. There was nothing I could do. As I watched her husband – each hand clasping…5 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Uncovering probiotic beautyThere is an abundance of intriguing claims circulating about skin. It’s three times heavier than the brain, the size of a single bedsheet, and each square inch has six metres of blood vessels ... but zoom in beyond what the natural eye can see and the skincare science starts to sound almost alien. Millions – even billions if you’re particularly popular – of tiny bacteria live, work and play on your complexion. Just 10 years ago, scientists thought it was 200 but we now know the skin is second only to the gut in terms of sheer bacteria density. They’ve even been able to isolate particular strains. The vast majority of us, for example, have demodex folliculorum resting in our pores. These tiny microbes feed on the natural oils and…5 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Border controlAboundary is a limit that we set between another person and ourselves. It can be helpful to think of it as an invisible fence that surrounds and protects us. A boundary helps us to understand where we end and others begin, and it helps us to know what is ours (our beliefs, needs, emotions, thoughts, physical and emotional spaces) and what is someone else’s. Setting boundaries is a skill that many of us learn as we enter adulthood, an acknowledgement that every individual is responsible for themselves. Our ability to set boundaries successfully is established through learned behaviour, usually as a child. If in childhood we were denied privacy by overprotective parents or – on the flipside – felt constantly unmonitored and able to do whatever we wanted, we may…5 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Happy planetReduce WASTE Kitchen hand We all want to minimise food waste but it’s hard to come up with creative ways to use leftover bits. The Saveful app (saveful.com) finds recipes based on what you have at hand, offers hacks to make ingredients more flavourful as well as tracking your food waste impact (and savings made as a result of not binning produce). BUILT TO LAST Each year, Australians put close to 50,000 tonnes of wooden furniture on the kerbside. And part of that reason is our love of “fast furniture” – often poorly made and constructed pieces not set to go the distance. That’s where Melbourne-based furniture company YARD (yardfurniture.com.au) looks to make a difference. With timber locally sourced in Victoria that is 100 per cent recycled, each piece is…1 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Fast prep slow cookLamb & chickpea pi lau SERVES 4 PREP TIME + COOK TIME 8 HOURS 30 MINUTES 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1kg boned lamb shoulder, cut into 2cm pieces 1 large onion (200g), sliced thinly 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground allspice ½ teaspoon chilli powder 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock 2 cups (400g) basmati rice 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed ⅔cup (110g) sultanas ½ cup (70g) slivered almonds, toasted lime pickle and fresh coriander sprigs, to serve 1 Heat half the oil in a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker on sear (high) setting. Cook lamb, in batches, turning, until browned; remove from cooker and set aside. 2 Heat remaining oil in cooker. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes…8 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Double-Up DinnerTandoori chicken tray bake SERVES 4 + LEFTOVERS FOR MEAL 2 PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES ¼ cup (75g) tandoori paste ½ cup (140g) natural yoghurt 8 (1.5g) chicken thigh fillets 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed 1 large (250g) red onion, cut into wedges 1 small (1kg) cauliflower, cut into wedges, leaves attached 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 100g cherry truss tomatoes 60g trimmed kale leaves steamed rice, for serving 1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). 2 Combine the tandoori paste, yoghurt and the chicken in a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. 3 Arrange the chickpeas and the onion on a large baking paper-lined oven tray (to avoid overcrowding the tray, use medium trays if you don’t have a large enough oven tray).…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Cooking For OneButtery mushroom and Sage risoni with crispy prosciutto SERVES 1 PREP + COOK TIME 15 MINUTES 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock ½ cup (110g) risoni 50g butter 2 slices prosciutto, torn into large pieces 6 whole sage leaves plus 2 teaspoons thinly sliced sage leaves, extra 150g fresh mixed mushrooms, sliced if large ⅓ cup (25g) grated parmesan, plus extra to serve 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 Place chicken stock and 1 cup (250ml) water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add risoni and cook until al dente. 2 Place 10g of the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat; once melted add prosciutto. Cook, turning occasionally, for 3 minutes or until crispy. Transfer to a plate. Add another 10g butter to pan, add whole…1 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Tales From The FrontlineIt’san unremarkable Victorian terrace in an inner suburb of Melbourne. Only the closed curtains on a summer morning suggest that anything is amiss. Behind them, the open living space is in disarray. Household items are scattered on the floor: Cooking pots, cleaning products, a baby’s rattle. But there has been method in their placement. Below the sink, three rows of tinned food mark the start of a trail that runs to the front door: Literal stumbling blocks for an intruder who wanted to take the shortest route to the kitchen bench. A woman – small, dark-haired and visibly agitated – enters from the back garden in her dressing-gown, carrying a pot plant. She deposits it in the hallway outside the nursery, then fetches a stool from the kitchen. She climbs…9 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Home hintsOver easy To poach an egg quickly in the microwave, pour ½ cup water into a microwave-safe mug, crack in an egg, cover with a microwave-safe plate and cook on High for 40 seconds. Check and continue cooking in 10-second bursts until eggwhite is set. Gently drain and serve. Once you’ve used up a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, retain the jar with the remaining flavoured oil and use to store home-made roasted capsicum. Hit the spot For maximum effect, keep a stain stick or spray in the area where you undress and treat stains immediately before putting clothes in the laundry basket for washing later. Into the fold Revolutionise your messy tea towel drawer! Fold each one in half lengthwise, then crosswise, then into thirds and stack vertically and neatly…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Spotlight on Kaua‘iChristened the “Garden Island”, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i’s northernmost island, is one of Mother Nature’s cleverly orchestrated creations. Flanked with forested crevices, jagged peaks and shores touched by chiffon-like waves, Kaua‘i is the definition of aloha – being in the presence of and sharing the essence of life. Engage … in island culture Learn about Kaua‘i’s incredible past by attending a local lū‘au – a traditional Hawaiian feast often featuring hula; the more authentic the better. Considered a paganistic ritual, hula was banned by missionaries in Hawai‘i during the early 1800s. Harsh laws, hefty fines and the threat of imprisonment forced dancers underground until some 40 years later when restrictions were lifted so they could again perform. Thankfully, joyful lū‘au are now performed all over Kaua‘i. It’s a must-see experience; the ancient…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Grande dames and twisted tales“I’ve never heard an audience hiss at a character’s behaviour before,” says Kate Fitzpatrick. Since she began touring nationally with Gaslight, a contemporary twist on the classic 1940s psychological thriller, “I’ve heard people calling out to Bella; someone swore at one of the characters; there were three nights in Brisbane where we had young girls screaming at the curtain call. I wondered if they were Swifties who hadn’t been able to get to Sydney. I don’t think I’ve ever been screamed at before.” “And we love it,” adds Geraldine Hakewill, who plays Bella. “When I was 15, if I’d seen a character go on a journey like Bella’s, it would have been so exciting.” Add to that a heightened awareness, in recent years, of the lethal danger of coercive control,…3 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Have You Been Gaslit By Your Doctor?Fi Macrae always wanted to own a cafe. “I had it in my head that, by 30, I would have my own little cake shop where people could come and feel good and hang out and eat cake,” she says. For her, hospitality was about bringing people together. While working as a baker, she volunteered teaching kids how to cook from the garden and affectionately recalls what an energetic, “turbo” young thing she was. “It was my entire world,” she says. “It wasn’t until my early twenties that I started getting pretty painful periods and painful sex. I just thought, ‘Oh, now I get what everyone else has been talking about’.” By 2017, her periods were becoming unbearable and she sometimes had to cancel shifts at her physically demanding job.…13 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024If she could talk to the animalsDying will be an awfully big adventure for pioneering primatologist Dr Jane Goodall, who celebrated her 90th birthday in April. “I’m absolutely sure, myself, that death isn’t the end, but heaven knows what happens afterwards,” she says, making a distinction between her own belief and science. “There’s either nothing, or there’s something. Can you think of a greater adventure than finding out what that is?” Not that the woman who forever changed our understanding of chimps is slowing down or getting morbid. On the contrary, Jane is currently circling the globe on a non-stop speaking jaunt that would exhaust most ordinary mortals half her age. In 2024 alone her inspiring Reasons for Hope tour will visit more than 25 countries, touching down in Australia during May and June. On average…8 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024The Billionaire SwindlersOn the first anniversary of Gina Lollobrigida’s death last year, a memorial mass was held in the village of Subiaco, 50 kilometres east of Rome, where the celebrated actress and beauty was born and now lies buried. Among the congregation were Gina’s son, Milko, her ex-husband, Javier, a cluster of old friends from the film and art worlds, and – sitting conspicuously alone at the back of the church – a stubbly-chopped man in a threadbare sweater, who left before the end. “I couldn’t stay,” said Andrea Piazzolla, Gina’s 36-year-old former personal assistant. “They were never there for her, and now they come to church and sit in the front row to mourn her. I don’t want to be in that situation. I prefer to experience my pain somewhere else.”…10 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Melanie Lynskey “I thank my lucky stars”When looking for a word to describe Melanie Lynskey’s latest project, “harrowing” comes to mind. The prolific Kiwi actress is no stranger to creating impactful and thought-provoking characters. But in playing real-life author Heather Morris in the small-screen adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, she found herself smack bang in the centre of a heartbreaking story of love and survival. The novel – which recounts the incredible true love story of Lale Sokolov and Gita Furman, two Slovakian Jews who found each other while imprisoned in Auschwitz – was a bestseller around the world. But “it somehow had missed me”, Melanie tells The Weekly over a Zoom call from her home in LA. “When I was asked to do the limited series, I was talking to a friend about it…7 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Seventeenth century supermodelsIn 1660, in the ribald court of King Charles II, two publicly hated women got together to reclaim their reputations. The first, the duch*ess of York, Anne Hyde, had been effectively cancelled by the highborn gentry for a litany of alleged social crimes. The second, the alluring Barbara Villiers, was the King’s acknowledged mistress and was, accordingly, despised. It was an era in which a woman could be ruined by “even the suggestion of inappropriate behaviour”, according to historical author Lauren Chater, whereas wealthy men possessed “an entitlement where they expected they would be able to do the things they wanted to do”. The lusty king was unmatched in this field, to the point that his licentiousness earned him the nickname The Merry Monarch. As his sister-inlaw, Anne understood the…7 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Shop With Weekly Women’sLuxurious local knits We love these cosy separates sourced and made in Tasmania by a husband and wife team. They’re made from quality merino wool, topped off by a pair of classic leather boots. Smitten Merino Dress, $420, and cardigan, $270. Millwoods boots $499, at womensweekly.com.au/shop The Weekly now has an online shop – and the virtual doors are open! Pairing with some of our favourite Aussie designers, our store has fashion for every woman, with a nod to sustainability, inclusivity and – most of all – timeless styles. Add these pieces (and many others) to a cart at womensweekly. com.au/shop Layered linens Sustainably made, with an added bonus that these pieces are size-inclusive and (when you apply some clever layering) will see you through every season for years to…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Turning the tables on dementiaLitbegins Litbegins subtly. A loved one becomes more forgetful, finding it harder to remember things they once had no trouble recalling. They misplace everyday items, like car keys or mobile phones, and become confused doing routine tasks like supermarket shopping, managing money, or preparing dinner. Sometimes people become withdrawn and moods veer from happy to unexpectedly angry and frustrated. Gradually, these changes become more debilitating and entrenched. For the person experiencing these symptoms, and for the family who love them, the effects are devastating. Dementia describes a range of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for about 70 per cent of cases. In 2024, Dementia Australia and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare say more than 421,000…7 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Spotlight on… ColostrumFor the time-poor among us, making a smoothie for breakfast ensures we get out the door on time and fill up on the nutrients needed to start the day right. Beyond the standard mix of milk and banana, it seems there is no end to what you can whiz up in your morning concoction. From chia seeds and bee pollen to greens powders and collagen, a myriad of additions have hit the mainstream in recent years. And now there’s another supplement vying for a spot in your blender: Colostrum. Cow’s milk revamped: Often referred to as ‘first milk’, colostrum is produced by humans and some animals within the first days of giving birth. It’s a vital source of nourishment and immunity for newborns, equipped with essential nutrients and antibodies. Beyond…3 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Oranges & lemonsMadeleines MAKES 12 PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES (+ STANDING TIME) 125g butter, melted, cooled 2 eggs ⅓cup (75g) caster sugar 2 teaspoons fi nely grated lemon rind 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste ⅔ cup (100g) plain fl our ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup (160g) icing sugar 2 teaspoon soft butter 1 -2 tablespoon lemon juice 1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Brush a 12-hole (1½ tablespoons/30ml capacity) madeleine pan with a little of the melted butter. 2 Beat eggs, sugar, rind and vanilla in a small bowl with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes or until thick and creamy. 3 Meanwhile, sift the flour and baking powder twice onto baking paper. Sift the flour mixture a third time over the egg mixture; fold into the…7 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Sides for every meal1. Tomato & herb salad SERVES 6 PREP TIME 10 MINUTES Cut 900g baby heirloom tomatoes in half; place in a large bowl with ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint and 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill. To a screw-top jar add 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons white vinegar; shake well. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to combine. 2. Asparagus, peas, zucchini & mint SERVES 6 PREP + COOK TIME 10 MINUTES Place 1 cup frozen baby peas in a large saucepan of boiling water; boil for 3 minutes. Add 2 bunches (340g) trimmed, chopped asparagus; boil for 1 minute. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Place peas and asparagus in…1 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024In The KitchenStock the freezer Stock is simple to prepare and will boost the flavour of any dish. The bonus is that making a pot a week reduces food waste – add any less than fresh vegetables in your crisper to a stock. Chicken stock MAKES 3 LITRES Place 2kg chicken bones, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 chopped medium onions, 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 chopped medium carrots, 8 peeled cloves garlic, 6 stalks fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns and 5 litres water in a stock pot or large saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6 hours, skimming the surface occasionally. Strain the stock through a muslin-lined sieve into a heatproof bowl; discard solids. Season to taste. Cool. Cover; refrigerate until cold and freeze into useable…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Quick BitesHow to cook lentils Quick and easy to prepare, McKenzie’s French Style Lentils have a rich, deep flavour and hold their shape well after cooking. They require no soaking and are a great addition to salads, or to make soups, patties and casseroles heartier. Lentils are high in folate, iron and vitamin B1 which is great for heart health. · 1 cup McKenzie’s French Style Lentils · 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil · 2 tablespoons lemon juice Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil; add lentils, cook for 20 minutes or until tender, drain. Stir oil and lemon juice through warm lentils, season well with salt and pepper. (Makes approx. 2½ cups cooked lentils.) Secret ingredient Lurpak® Garlic Butter is a refrigerator essential for any good cook. It…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024The Inner Sanctum with Wendy MooreBedrooms are a really fun place to decorate. They’re ideal to try out a new style or colour and test your comfort with it, before you debut it in your living spaces. Here are four amazing bedroom looks that are inspiring my decorating right now. From tones influenced by ochre and desert sands for Earthen Coastal, to the moody blues of Sophisticated Hamptons, Modern Cottage charm and Vintage Wanderlust, there’s something for every taste. 1. Earthen coastal A style embodying harmony and nature, combining texture, muted colour and organic materials. Be still, my beating heart! I’ll always have a soft spot for coastal style, and this stunning example in Byron Bay by Studio Haus Co shows how this classic style can feel modern and connected to the environment at the…3 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Money matters with EffieI am a big fan of tax time! Sure, it means knuckling down to complete a tax return, but the payoff can be a juicy tax refund. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) sets firm rules around what we can – and can’t – claim on tax. So, the golden rule is always to toe the tax man’s line. Fudging deductions or understating your income can result in serious penalties. Besides, who needs the stress of a “please explain” from the ATO? A better strategy is to consider these five steps that can boost your refund. Get cracking, though – June 30 is near! 1. Working from home? Claim the cost The pandemic may be (mostly) behind us, but around two in five workers are still spending at least part of…5 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024June 15, 1960 In this issue …Flowers had a special place in this edition. Not only did our cover story reveal the meaning of different blooms, but royal reporter Anne Matheson revealed they were on the minds of newlyweds Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones. After returning from their honeymoon that week, the couple planned a few updates for their marital home at Number 10 Kensington Palace. “Tony is a keen gardener,” wrote Anne. “He and Margaret have decided on paving-stones for the pocket-handkerchief garden with masses of bright flowers in tubs,” adding that they would buy them from the Chelsea Flower Show through the duch*ess of Kent. British actor George Sanders was in less of a love bubble, exclusively opening up on page 7 about life as a “professional cad”. Department-store stylist Mrs Joy Stewart gave…1 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024In briefHistoric MOMENT Portrait of a Queen Wearing deep green with a miniature portrait of her husband pinned to her dress, Queen Mary of Denmark proudly wore the Emerald Crown Jewels for the first time in the official gala portrait with King Frederick. With the couple wearing the Order of the Elephant on chains and taken at the palace in Copenhagen, the portrait was released to mark the succession in January as Their Majesties embark upon their reign. Women we love Prestigious position Professor Lidia Morawska has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which counts Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein among its alumni. Vote 1 for two Melbourne women Lucy Bradlow (left) and Bronwen Bock (right) are jointly running for federal parliament. They intend to job-share the…6 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024I’m Not Scared Of Ageing’ Maggie BeerMaggie Beer is in the kitchen of her Barossa Valley home, making coffee. She’s just approved a batch of hot cross buns with her team in the adjacent office – it is Maundy Thursday – and there is a bustle of activity outside as handymen work on the property and gardeners tend to the produce. When we finally sit, Maggie sets two pieces of cake on the table – she will later pack one for me to take for my mum. “I’m just going to have a little bit of yours because I’m not a sweet tooth,” she grins cheekily, then sighs; it’s been a busy morning already and it’s only 10am. In fact, it’s been an extremely busy year. Maggie has just flown back from Perth, where she’s been…11 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024The Resurrection Of Monica LewinskyWhen Bill Clinton turned 50 he was in a relationship with a 22-yearold White House intern called Monica Lewinsky. After two sexual encounters in the private study of the Oval Office – where she serviced his needs while he took phone calls from congressmen – he invited her for a third, calling her “kiddo”. She assumed he had forgotten her name. After the scandal broke in 1998, no one in the western world has since. Now Monica Lewinsky is 50, the age of the then president of the United States, she is also in a relationship with that 22-year-old intern. There are two Monica Lewinskys in 2024: The most shamed girl who ever lived, the “patient zero” as she put it, of the internet’s power to hold public hangings by…8 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024How Good Is Tony Armstrong!Awards ceremonies can undo anyone, and frequently reduce movie stars to stumbling messes. This year Emma Stone cried as she collected her Oscar, explaining that her dress had split open at the back. A trembling Kieran Culkin started waffling about his ear hair. These luminaries should have come to the Logies for a lesson in how it’s done. When the ABC’s Tony Armstrong beat a field of beloved veterans to win the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter, he loped up onto the stage in a brown three-piece suit, relaxed, humble and funny. Within seconds he had the audience in the palm of his hand as he told them to cheer for the other nominees and applaud his producer. He flagged that he expected a pay rise and the…12 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024She’s Got The PowerSharon Linolli isn’t bragging when she proclaims herself “queen of the lathe”. Rather, she’s reflecting on the fruits of an unexpected journey. “I was really scared of retiring,” she tells The Weekly. “I thought, ‘I’m just going to die. This is the end of my life.’ It sounds dramatic but that’s how I felt. I thought, ‘I’m not going to be able to contribute’.” Joining the Robertson She Shed in the NSW Southern Highlands seemed a smart way for the single retiree to pick up some handy skills. She has now built new kitchen drawers, decked her house out with her own exquisitely turned woodwork, and gained a bunch of the handiest, most supportive friends you could wish for. The 30-year-old men’s shed movement is well known. It was begun…9 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Every Life Tells A StoryOn a cool, cloudless morning, 72-year-old Linda Lidbury sat down in her living room to tell her story. Cradling a cup of tea, surrounded by a lifetime of memories, she spoke of growing up in the Australian outback, and of leaving the Red Centre behind to travel overseas before settling down. She laughed when reminiscing about her days as an aerobics instructor in the ’80s. One thing she didn’t speak of was the cancer that would soon take her life. “Mum was diagnosed with cancer in April 2020,” explains Linda’s daughter, Carla. “She was pretty much told there was nothing they could do for her because they didn’t know the primary source of the cancer, but the oncologist said that if she wanted to try chemotherapy, she could. “She said,…9 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Late to the partyThis didn’t turn out how I planned. In my dreams, it would be a glamorous event. I’d recline on my bed in vintage nightwear, hair all lovely and clean, laptop open, finally working through all the seasons of The Crown. I’d sip ginger tea and eat food prepared for me by my doting family. Of course, this would be à la carte. I’d have a choice about what I wanted, and they’d make it for me without complaint, then deliver it on a sturdy yet attractive tray. I’d feel slightly poorly, but not unwell as such. Just a small headache and perhaps a light cough, almost a clearing of the throat which would punctuate the silence of my well-deserved rest and relaxation. People around me cared. Felt sorry for me.…3 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024The big dieting dilemmaFrom cutting out carbs and avoiding sugar to subsisting on shakes and skipping meals, chances are you’ve tried countless diets over the years with varying success, often ending up heavier than when you started. While you can stick to it for a while, most of us eventually fall off the bandwagon, unable to maintain the strict rules and berating ourselves for a lack of willpower before finding ourselves in front of the fridge. That is until we’re lured in by the latest plan promising quick results, only to wind up in the same place soon after. Sound familiar? The merry-goround of weight loss is undoubtedly exhausting, with each failed attempt more demoralising than the last. This was the case for Lyndi Cohen. Growing up, she was told “You’d be so…8 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Health newsYOUR GoodHealth guide Did you know? 360,000 Australians have coeliac disease, but four out of five don’t know it, according to research estimates by Coeliac Australia. Left undiagnosed, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies, osteoporosis and infertility. Symptoms to look out for include bloating, diarrhoea, weight loss and stomach pain. See your GP if you think something is off. Happy BRAINWAVES Fetch to stress less We know dogs love our company, but time spent with them can benefit us too. According to a recent study published in Plos One, interacting with dogs may strengthen the brainwaves associated with relaxation. Researchers from Konkuk University in South Korea found when people engaged in activities such as walking, hugging, feeding and playing with a dog they had an increase in alpha brainwaves, which…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Cooking ClassSquid ragù SERVES 4-6 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES 1kg cleaned squid hoods (see step 1), with tentacles 1 medium (150g) onion 1 medium (120g) carrot 2 trimmed (200g) celery stalks 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup (250ml) dry white wine ¼ cup (70g) tomato paste 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons caster sugar 500g dried calamarata pasta 40g butter 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve 1 To clean the squid, use a slight twisting motion to remove head and entrails. Remove the quill and discard. Cut the tentacles from the head, just below the eyes (discard head). Using your fingers, push out the hard black ‘beak’ in the centre…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024From My Kitchen Yarrie BanguraGrowing up in Sierra Leone, I’d watch my mother and aunties make food and drinks in their colourful clothes and beautiful head wraps. They’d ask me to beat the chilli or test if there was enough salt in the sauce. I learned to cook from them through feel and taste, not measurements. One of our family favourites was Jollof Rice, a traditional West African dish. We’d cook it for special occasions: weddings, naming ceremonies, Eid. This was one of the recipes I took with me when I fled the war in Sierra Leone with my family as an eightyear-old, leaving almost everything else behind. Even today as the smell of spices fills my kitchen, I’m taken back to those special occasions. I remember my family eating the jollof together from…2 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Reading RoomSafe Haven by Shankari Chandran, Ultimo Press We begin with an emergency call: “Help us, please. We’re sinking. Our boat is sinking. We’re coming to Australia … There are holes, leaks everywhere … Please, there are children. So many children.” In the following chapter a man is staring down from the top of an escarpment on the beach below. “Last week the sand was littered with the swollen bodies of men, women and children,” we are told. He stood ankle deep in the warm ocean water. “At his feet, the arm of a face-down child moved with the ebb and flow of the tide, hitting his ankle in time with the rhythms of a distant, ancient moon.” Author Shankari Chandran immediately draws us into a familiar scene, the horror of…10 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024Home newsNo-smoke SHOW All fired up Love the idea of an outdoor fire over winter but bothered by all the smoke? Aurus Low Smoke Fire Pits are designed to use a secondary burn process which, according to manufacturers, will produce 50 per cent less smoke than normal fire pits. And they say there’s no smoke without fire … Q: How can I maximise my wardrobe space? For double-rail hanging spaces, you could remove the bottom rail and insert a chest of drawers instead. If your wardrobe has only one hanging rail, use a double hang closet rod. Simply hang the rod onto the existing rail to double your hanging space. If the shelves in your wardrobe are far apart, move the top shelves up to reduce wasted air space. Use lightweight…1 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024New train of thoughtRail travel is set for a renaissance and the engines driving it are powerful. Politicians want it, the environment needs it, investors are punting on hydrogen and clean trains to replace diesel locomotives, and there’s money to be made in opening up new rail routes and reviving existing ones. Just as crucial, travellers are yearning for slower, more meaningful experiences, preferably in something more comfortable than a car, bus or plane! “We’re seeing travellers seeking more immersive experiences which includes more stops and slower and longer itineraries,” says Rail Europe’s Chief Commercial Officer, Florence Pasquier. “They are venturing beyond the big cities and spending more time exploring and understanding the destination’s people, history, culture, landscape, culinary scene and other experiences on offer.” Rail travel, she tips, is set for a…7 min
The Australian Women's Weekly|June 2024In the starsGemini May 22 Jun 22 With Venus, Mercury and the sun glamorising your social sign, you’ll be this month’s hub for a lively buzz of connection and interaction in your local community, with friends and colleagues alike. Chatterbox Mercury in his most media-savvy transit lends a trendy edge to your personal and professional messaging, while the effervescent Gemini new moon on June 6 could spark delicious synchronicities and links with kindred spirits. Your only caution – the Mercury/Neptune clash on June 18 carries a recommendation to be very careful about disclosing sensitive or confidential information. Cancer Jun 23 Jul 23 Plans can sizzle then fizzle during this busy, multitasking month, so do your best to avoid cerebral overload. As mental Mercury sinks into your sentimental sign on June 17, and…5 min
