The Australian Women's Weekly October 2015

WHEN A WOMAN has her own magazine and TV network, she doesn’t really need to go looking for people to interview her. So securing Oprah Winfrey for an interview – any interview – has proved to be harder than Hillary Clinton or Crown Princess Mary combined. This month, we finally cracked it as she prepares to return to Australia in December. And as it turns out, while there were a few minor hurdles such as a time zone difference, talking to one of the best loved women on the planet was remarkably painless. As I’ve said before, it is common for celebrities big and small to make all sorts of demands on magazines. Often it is for copy or picture approval, demands for sponsor mentions and payment. Then there are…

Guests from Perth to Brisbane were treated to a gastronomic adventure, enjoying delicious sweets and savoury treats served with complementary Dilmah teas. Special guest Merrill J. Fernando, the Founder of Dilmah, spoke of his lifetime devotion to tea and the work of his MJF Charitable Foundation in his native Sri Lanka. His commitment and passion is reflected in the exceptional quality of Dilmah teas showcased on the High Tea tour. For High Tea recipes, visit realhightea.com.au and dilmah.com.au to see Dilmah’s entire range of delicious teas. Proudly sponsored by “Dilmah is founded on a passionate commitment to quality and authenticity in tea.”…

The day Luke Batty died stays with me I’m a local photographer and, on the day, I had a phone call that a young cricket player had been hit by a ball and that the ambulance had been called. As I arrived, I saw ambulances and police start taping off the crime scene and I realised this was a much bigger story, but still wasn’t sure what I was witnessing. I took photos of the air ambulance, police and parents turning up, still completely in the dark. It took about 45 minutes for some of the story to come out. I received phone calls from the daily papers asking me for photos. I directed them to the boss of our local paper, who supplied images to them. Later, we received…

HIGH TEA Was it the succession of freshly baked scones in capital cities all over the country? Could it have been the tea? Or the flowers? Or the specially crafted cocktails? No, the winning ingredient on The Australian Women’s Weekly High Tea Tour last month was the speech at each event from an ovarian cancer survivor – women whose courage was inspiring. Now in its second year, the High Tea Tour brought together readers and celebrities, and raised much-needed funds for ovarian cancer research.…

JUDGES’ CHOICE WINNER Genevieve Clay-Smith, 27 Co-founder, Bus Stop Films As a student, Genevieve Clay-Smith spent 18 months as a trainee film-maker creating a documentary for Down Syndrome NSW. Through this traineeship she met Gerard O’Dwyer, a man with Down Syndrome who wanted to be an actor. They went on to make a film together, Be My Brother, which won the short film festival, Tropfest, in 2009. It was enough to convince Genevieve to start the not-for-profit Bus Stop Films, an outfit which stages weekly workshops teaching special-needs students the art of film-making. Having already made six short films and won 40 international awards, Genevieve wants to partner with a large organisation to expand the program. “There is no other organisation in the world helping people with an intellectual disability…

ELLEN HOLMES Ellen is a full-time carer for her mother and brother. She will use this scholarship to set up networking programs for young carers at children’s hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne. NIPUNI WIJEWICKREMA Nipuni runs GG’s Flowers, a florist which provides a workplace for people with special needs. Visit ggsflowers. com.au . EMMA COLENBRANDER Emma is co-founder of Pollinate Energy, which helps India’s poor by providing them with access to clean energy products. Visit pollinateenergy.org. MELISSA ABU-GAZALEH Melissa is the founder of the Top Blokes Foundation, which reaches 1100 young men each year to foster social inclusion. Visit topblokes.org.au. SHARELL O’BRIEN To help counter domestic violence, Townsville-based solicitor Sharell has set up an educational website to assist community support workers. Visit asknola.com.au. GENEVIEVE RADNAN…