The Australian Women's Weekly March 2024

PG 110 Elaine George and her daughter, Taylor, star in our fashion shoot. You might look at this issue and wonder: Why do we have a man on the cover of The Australian Women’s Weekly? Robert Irwin is no ordinary young man. He first came to fame as a baby in the arms of his dad, the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, and has grown up in the public eye. The Weekly has had a long-standing relationship with the Irwins, including Robert’s mother Terri and sister Bindi, celebrating their milestones. But now it’s Robert’s turn to shine. The bowl-haired boy has grown into an extraordinary wildlife conservationist and is embarking on a new chapter. In an exclusive interview with Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk, he tells tales of growing up at…

“I care about decency and humanity and kindness. Kindness today is an act of rebellion.” Australian-born Queen Well done on your articles on Queen Mary of Denmark (The Making of an Aussie Queen, AWW, February), which included some beautiful photos of her wedding in 2004. I still have the wedding, as well as interviews and other TV specials, on video tape. I have enjoyed seeing her grow from a Tasmanian-born commoner to Crown Princess and now Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark. I wish her and King Frederik X all the best and hope they continue to reign together for a very long time. L. Morrissey, Strathdale, Vic. Heroes of the Kindertransport Being the child of a postwar immigrant, heroic stories like The forgotten Kindertransport (AWW, February) always draw me…

Kylie’s GRAMMY She won in a heartbeat Aussie pop icon Kylie Minogue has won her second Grammy (the first was 20 years ago for Come Into My World). This year’s award was for her global pop dance hit Padam Padam, named onomatopoeically to sound like a heartbeat. The secret to her current renaissance? “I like change,” she said.“Not changing is more weird to me than evolving with the times ... I’m thankful I’ve had so many opportunities over the years to keep going.” For more Grammys news turn to page 19. Women we love Serving kindness Ash Barty has launched a foundation to help “young girls and boys through sport and education ... It’s a passion I’ve had for a long time,” the tennis champ said. Voice for freedom Founder…

Venice: An enormous papier-mâché rat took to the Grand Canal to celebrate Venice’s historic Carnival Regatta. GHANA Out of Africa This ceremonial courtier’s cap is one of 32 items winging their way back to Ghana, 150 years after they were stolen by the British from the court of the Asante king. They’re returning as “long-term loans”. ITALY Nonna on the run Emma Maria Mazzenga, a retired Italian chemistry professor, is the world’s fastest 91-year-old woman, having broken the world record for her age category at an event in Padua. “The emotion of a race keeps me alive,” she told Vogue Italia. USA This is planet Earth A visitor’s centre in Lexington, Kentucky, wants all tourists to feel welcome, including those from other planets. They used an infrared laser to send…

When she was young, Tiarna Herczeg loved to draw and paint. She was also fussy about what she wore, and wanted “creative control”. But with nobody in her life working as an artist, Tiarna didn’t believe it was a viable career. “Even the art teachers at school were …teachers,” she says. So she pursued a double degree in law and arts and got a job in child protection. “It was very, very intense,” she says. She finally left the law behind to study at the National Art School. Tiarna’s vibrant work evokes the land of the Kuku Yalanji Country, which runs along the tropical east coast of Far North Queensland. “I draw inspiration from the land. It’s almost like I have this out-of-body experience when I’m painting,” she says. Tiarna…

Rod and Monica have been married for more than 60 years. So long, Rod jokes, he’s lost count. After their wedding, the Sydney couple set off on a workingadventure around Australia before settling in Darwin, where they spent their weekends fishing, waterskiing and dancing. In the late 1960s they decided it was time to return home to Sydney with their two children. They bought a block of land in North Curl Curl and built their two-storey dream home. Half a century later, they’re still there. It’s where they raised their children and celebrated milestones, but as they aged Rod and Monica found their house near the sea increasingly difficult to navigate. Simple household tasks became “a real chore”, Rod says. “As you get old you just don’t move as well.…