The Australian Women's Weekly September 2018

There’s nothing quite like poring over old photo albums, watching yourself and those around you growing, changing and experimenting with the fads of the time. Here at The Weekly we’ve been busy doing just that, immersing ourselves in more than eight decades of news, stories, people and pictures as we mined our archives in preparation for the magazine’s 85th birthday. We uncovered so much gold among the old editions that we couldn’t limit it to just one feature, which is why we will be celebrating our history over four special issues. This month we heroise the women of The Weekly, those who inspired, entertained and blazed a trail (see page 56). One such woman is a former editor of this very magazine, Esme Fenston. Rising to the top job in…

LETTER of the MONTH I’ve just finished reading The Silent Epidemic of Elder Abuse in the August issue. As an 86-year-old woman living in one of the suburbs mentioned, I’m shocked to learn of the under-reported crime ripping through our community. The ageing process is scary. With every passing year we become less able, less independent and seemingly less valuable to the society we helped create. To think this vulnerability is exploited by the people appointed to look after us is unimaginable. We are all worthy of dignity and respect. P. Aroney, via email. MARY HITS THE MARK I loved reading your article on the Danish royal family (Why Mary is the jewel in Denmark’s crown, AWW, August). I also thought the front and back cover…

THE PRINCESS DIARIES PRINCESS EUGENIE OF YORK and sister Beatrice (above) have given a rare interview about royal life. As Eugenie prepares to wed fiancé Jack Brooksbank in October and Beatrice enters her thirties, the sisters have offered a glimpse into their bond, aspirations, and love.“It’s very nerve-wracking because you want it to be perfect,” Eugenie told UK Vogue of her wedding.“But then you realise that you’re going to be with the person you love forever and nothing else really matters.” AGELESS STYLE The incomparable Faye Dunaway (above) has proved style is ageless with a stunning new Gucci campaign. The film icon, 77, told The Telegraph working with Gucci had taught her to be more adventurous again. Women’s rights campaigners in Afghanistan hope a public policy change will end the…

POWER COUPLE Hot off the wild success of Big Little Lies, Nicole Kidman has purchased the screen rights to author Liane Moriarty’s newest novel, Nine Perfect Strangers. CATWALK MOTHER Model mother Mara Martin caused waves walking a catwalk while breastfeeding her daughter Aria, who accessorised her look with noise-cancelling headphones. FLOWER POWER Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins is campaigning for awareness of endometriosis as the first National Action Plan for the disease is launched.…

“IN 1960 MY MOTHER NORMA BRABANT joined The Smith Family’s VIEW Clubs of Australia – it changed her life forever and mine as well,” says Jan Roberts (above, right with Norma). “I remember as a 10 year old when Mum came home and told my father that she not only joined this new club for women but had also become the club’s treasurer!” Norma, now 91, is still an active member of VIEW (Voice, Interests and Education of Women), which supports the work of children’s education charity The Smith Family. She is incredibly proud that her daughter, Jan, has been elected as the National President, leading 15,000 women in 320 clubs across Australia. VIEW members provide 50,000 volunteer hours each year to read to children in schools, help at The…

IT ALL STARTED ON AUSTRALIA DAY. A group of expats, sharing pies and pavlova in a New York flat, decided we wanted to do something for the refugees that our government had just wiped its hands of and sent to America. They were coming as part of a deal hatched between Malcolm Turnbull and Barack Obama – an agreement that Donald Trump fumed about, but agreed reluctantly to honour. These were refugees who had arrived by boat, so would never be settled in Australia. Many had been incarcerated on Manus Island and Nauru for years. We had heard that they were arriving in the States with nothing but a debt – no job, no support system, just an expectation that they would repay the government the cost of their transport…