Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 28.6 i Australian Country

As this issue goes to press, I'm reflecting on the amazing places we've visited and the wonderful people it's been our privilege to meet. Photographer Ken Brass and I were lucky enough to land in Darwin during what must have been one of the busiest weeks of the year. The Darwin Festival was on, the Telstra NATSIAA awards were announced, the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair had taken over the Convention Centre, the National Indigenous Music Awards were celebrated and the Street Air Fair had just added more sensational murals to the city's buildings. Plus, we fitted in a trip to Litchfield National Park and managed to meet Minoli de Silva and enjoy her contemporary take on Sri Lankan food at her lovely laneway restaurant, Ella by Minoli. Biggest thanks to…

David Collins points to the Argus apartment tower in Darwin's CBD. The building's facades stand out on the skyline as 10-storey canvases for two stunning murals by Melbourne-based artist George Rose. The vibrant works are large-scale renditions of George's favourite motifs — flora and fauna — which are, in this case, specific to the Larrakia country around the NT capital. “For the first few years, we used to have to beg building owners to let us put artworks on them,” David says. “Now they beg us to come.” David and his business partner, First Nations artist Jesse Bell, are the principals of Proper Creative and co-directors of the annual Darwin Street Art Festival (DSAF). With a strong background in street art and graffiti in the Northern Territory since 2017, they…

WASH CLOTH MEASUREMENTS Dimensions (approx)18cm × 18cm PATONS COTTON BLEND 8 PLY 50g balls Colourway 1 1 ball each: Main Colour (M – 38 Mauve), 1st Contrast (C1 – 51 Quartz Pink), 2nd Contrast (C2 – 25 Flamingo), 3rd Contrast (C3 – 7 Orange), 4th Contrast (C4 – 43 Poolside Blue) and 5th Contrast (C5 – 40 Pineapple) Colourway 2 1 ball each: Main Colour (M – 40 Pineapple), 1st Contrast (C1 – 38 Mauve), 2nd Contrast (C2 – 51 Quartz Pink), 3rd Contrast (C3 – 25 Flamingo), 4th Contrast (C4 – 7 Orange) and 5th Contrast (C5 – 43 Poolside Blue) Colourway 3 1 ball each: Main Colour (M – 43 Poolside Blue), 1st Contrast (C1 – 40 Pineapple), 2nd Contrast (C2 – 7 Orange), 3rd Contrast (C3 –…

WILD BY DESIGN Tim Pilgrim, Murdoch Books, $59.99 Tim Pilgrim is a garden designer who favours naturalistic gardens, inspired by landscape. He says he loves all plants, not just natives, so his gardens often blend in exotics as well as indigenous plants and grasses. This book balances inspiration with practical advice. Following beautifully illustrated pages of gorgeous gardens, there's advice on planting composition, propagating, maintenance and a very handy directory of 100 or so of Tim's favourite plants. STORM CHILD Michael Robotham, Hachette Australia, $22.99 This is the fourth book in Michael Robotham's series that features forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and his friend/ward Evie Cormac, a teenager who as a child was found hiding in a secret room in a house where a man had been tortured to death. She…

KEN BRASS PHOTOGRAPHER Ken has been on the road again for this issue. Beginning in Darwin, he documented the city's events and street art, a road trip to Litchfield National Park and Minoli de Silva's profile. He also travelled to Victoria, where he shot the Vodusek family in their olive grove at Yarrawonga, Megan Lawrence at home on her family's farm at Riddells Creek and Tania and Ronald Howard's gorgeous garden. ANASTASIA CASEY WRITER & EDITOR Anastasia's passion is to see the world and tell the tales of the people she meets along the way. She's worked in publishing for 10 years as an editor, writer and sub-editor and, until recently, was working for NewsUK in London. She is currently enjoying being home in Australia, exploring Sydney's many beautiful parks…

Trust your instincts and back yourself. Surround yourself with good people who support you. Give it a crack. What's the worst that could happen? (It probably won't.) Darwin chef Minoli De Silva recounts the life lessons she learnt during 2021 and 2022 when she was a contestant on series 13 and 14 of Network Ten's MasterChef Australia. “The experience is great training,” Minoli observes. “You learn to work with people you might not initially choose and it's a surprisingly collaborative environment. But, at the end of the day, it's a competition and there has to be a winner. So you learn to deal with disappointment as well.” Indeed it was during the inevitable “now what?” period after being elimated from the show that Minoli prepared lunch for a couple of…

Michael wins a year's subscription to Australian Country and a package of products from our sponsors, Paper Pocket. The judges — editor Kirsty McKenzie and photographer Ken Brass — combed through thousands of images from entrants throughout the year and selected Michael's work for his obvious connection to country and ability to render the landscape in its best light. Photography has been part of Michael's life since high school, when he joined the photography club and began exploring with a digital point-and-shoot camera. After moving to Brisbane, his interest deepened. He bought his first DSLR with money he'd saved during his gap year and went on to study film and new media at university, which gave him a new understanding of light, composition and storytelling. Today, photography is both a…

LUME OUTDOOR LIVING The Sunny sunlounge, $599, transforms your outdoor space into a luxurious retreat where every moment becomes an escape. Engineered for Australian conditions, it features a strong powder-coated aluminium frame and is available in white or charcoal. lumeoutdoorliving.com.au THOMAS COOK The women's Hampton boot, $349.95, is available in black, chestnut and golden tan and made using quality one-piece leather construction. It features a round toe, full leather lining, genuine welt, premium elastic for durability and shape retention, long-wearing replaceable rubber sole and 4.5cm block heel. thomascook.com.au SMITTEN MERINO Made from 100 per cent Merino Ponte (360gsm), this beautiful ankle-length dressing gown, $600, is warm and thick, yet easy to wear and care for. The tie belt and two pockets add both style and functionality. Handcrafted in Australia, this…

Megan Lawrence candidly confesses she barely knew how GST worked in 2019 when she and a friend started a small online business selling T-shirts. But necessity and Google are good teachers and Megan is a great learner. These days, she's the founder and CEO of a separate and fast-growing online store. Called Country Mile Clothing, her brand of durable, stylish work and casual wear, and a range of more than 50 products, are available in various sizes and colours. “When I'd go out with friends, I always noticed they were wearing the same five brands,” she says. “It didn't take long for my business brain to work out that there was a huge gap in the market offering country-appropriate clothing with a bit of a twist. I started Country Mile…

MEASUREMENTS Width (approx) 80cm Length (approx) 104cm HEIRLOOM COTTON 4 PLY 50g balls 8 balls: Parchment (6617) 2 balls: Pink Rose (6605) 1 ball each: Daffodil (6696), Glacier (6619) and Gilded Lily (6651) Use only the yarn specified. Other yarns are likely to produce different results. Quantities are approximate as they can vary between crocheters. Ensure all yarn of the same colour is from the same dye lot. HOOK AND EXTRAS 3mm crochet hook. wool needle for sewing seams. TENSION Motif to measure 12.5cm along each side, using 3mm hook. Correct tension is not essential, however stated measurements and yarn quantities are based on this tension. ABBREVIATIONS NOTE – Australian/UK crochet terminology used throughout. block = 3ch, 3tr in same sp as last sl st; ch = chain; rep =…

WATERMELON, MINT & FETA SALAD Serves 4 This salad sings of summer. It's a version of one I used to eat at the beach. Mum would bring along chopped watermelon and feta, some olives and fresh mint, and us kids would eat them all separately or together, depending on how we felt. Being by the water, we didn't have plates, so we just picked out what we wanted to eat. Watermelon is something so many of us enjoyed on a hot day when we were growing up — and now you can add a cold beer to make it the perfect day! ½ small watermelon 125g (1 cup) black pitted olives, cut in half 2 French shallots, finely sliced ½ teaspoon dried mint 300g Danish feta, cut into 3cm cubes…

LAST ISSUE GENERATED LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS. MERCI BEAUCOUP One afternoon, my French husband gave me a big envelope from Australia. Too big for the ATO, I was wandering from whom this huge envelope was. Once opened, it made my day. Thank you SOOOO much for accepting my subscription outside of Australia. With the passing away of my mum who regularly bought me one of my favourite magazines, I can now keep up with all your wonderful articles, fabulous pictures, and in touch with the beautiful spirit that your magazine offers us. Jacqueline Mattei, Bordeaux, France HATS OFF TO THE TREMBATHS Thank you for the wonderful Aug/Sept issue of Australian Country. It was a joy to read about so many country folk and the productive and fulfilling lives…