Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i The Australian Women's Weekly

PG 18 Celeste Barber is adding entrepreneur to her CV with a new make-up line. Celeste Barber is a breath of fresh air: She’s fun, she’s fabulous and she likes to keep things real. She became famous for keeping it real on social media, where her parodies of the unattainable beauty standards of celebrities and models earned her an impressive Instagram following of almost 10 million. And now the comedian and actress has turned self-funded beauty entrepreneur, launching her BOOIE Beauty range of products for women of all ages: “I want it to be good quality at a reasonable price. For my audience to be able to afford it and love it and wear it every single day,” she says in our cover story on page 18 , where she…

From the ridge high up in the hinterland, the hills roll gently down to the sea. In the clear light, the blue curve of Byron Bay beckons seductively in the distance. Farmhouses and grazing cattle spread out across the landscape. And off the bucolic country road, hidden in rainforest, is the home and studio of one of Australia’s most prominent artists. Here, in this forest of native trees, jacarandas and giant palm trees, among the songs of many birds is where the work is formed. Her work is elemental and so is this place. Right now, Lindy Lee AO is at the apotheosis of an artistic career. “It is the crescendo,” says her gallerist Joanna Strumpf, “of a very long piece of music.” No other single Australian artist has ever…

“Do you believe this is Kate Middleton?” It all started at a party back in January. A friend asked me casually over cheese and wine, “What’s the deal with Kate?” They were, of course, referring to Princess Catherine’s abdominal surgery. I told the truth: “I only know what Kensington Palace has said.” But then another friend chimed in and the speculating began. “Maybe she’s had a hysterectomy.” “Maybe she got a facelift.” It went on for a while … Flash forward to the end of February, and a few of my friends and I had accidentally fallen down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole. We would message daily about how suspicious it was that Catherine still hadn’t been seen publicly, joking that she must have left Prince William and fled…

When I was little, I used to get crippling stage fright and my voice would shake. Little Astrid did not believe in herself very much. I was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, the youngest of five kids. My family moved to Brisbane in the late ’90s. My mum is from Singapore, and she wanted us to learn violin and piano, so my four brothers and I all had lessons from a very young age. I didn’t have formal singing lessons – I would cry and ask if I could stop playing violin and switch to singing, but I think my parents appreciated the tangible nature of pressing a piano key or holding a violin more than voice. Cash was tight, so I always wondered how my parents afforded it. I…

1. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Body Oil, $172. 2. Dries Van Noten Raving Rose EDP, $460. 3. Dolce & Gabbana Q EDP, $270. 4. Coach Love EDP, $178. 5. Ellis Brooklyn Apple Love EDP, $183. 6. Dolce & Gabbana Devotion EDP, $270. 7. Serge Lutens La Fille De Berlin EDP, $228. "Perfume is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory." 1. Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Le Parfum, $241. 2. Moncler Sunrise Pour Femme EDP, $200. 3. Heartwood Touch Wood EDP, $210. 4. Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum Limited Edition, $285. 5. Glasshouse Fragrances A Tahaa A - air Devotion EDP, $139. 6. CK One Essence EDP, $98. "The beauty of fragrance is that it speaks to your heart." 1. Parfums de Marly Delina EDP, $498. 2. BDK 312 Saint-Honore,…

My most memorable disappointment hit during the pandemic, when I had to postpone the wedding I’d spent a year planning. I not only felt bitterly disappointed but also sad (because I really wanted to marry my now husband), anxious (about whether “lifting and shifting” all my meticulously laid plans would be possible), and envious (of other friends who’d got hitched without a hitch). Others have told me of their own memorable blows – those surreal stabs to the heart that you don’t just “get over” with a hot bath and a Bridgerton binge. The sinking feeling at a negative pregnancy test after a miscarriage; being made redundant from a job you love; or a buyer pulling out, causing you to lose your perfect home when you’d already decided where the…

Vacation VALUE Travel to slow down the clock If you need another excuse to book a holiday, look no further. Researchers from Edith Cowan University have found that travel could have positive health benefits, including slowing down the signs of ageing. They applied the theory of entropy, which is a measure of uncertainty or randomness, to tourism and found positive travel experiences can improve wellbeing. “Ageing, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” lead researcher Fangli Hu explains. Tourism typically exposes us to new surroundings and relaxing activities, which can help alleviate chronic stress, release tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints, and boost the immune system, all of which encourages the body to be more resilient. 31% is the…

Grilled pork chop with greek salad SERVES 1 PREP + COOK TIME 20 MINUTES 1 small clove garlic, crushed ¼ teaspoon dried Greek oregano 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon fi nely grated lemon rind 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 (200g) pork loin chop GREEK SALAD 6 multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, halved 1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced thickly ¼ red capsicum, chopped coarsely ½ small red onion, sliced thinly 1 tablespoon pitted kalamata olives 30g fetta, crumbled 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice parsley leaves, optional to serve 1 Combine garlic, oregano, oil, rind and juice on a plate, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add pork and toss to coat. 2 GREEK SALAD Arrange tomato, cucumber, capsicum, onion, olives and fetta on…

Read THIS! Botanical adventure This gorgeously illustrated book is a garden lover’s dream. Flip through the pages to find inspiration for planning, global green-fingered tips, tales of swashbuckling plant hunters and other botanical escapades from history, recipes using your plants and so much more. Horti Curious by Ann Treneman (Exisle Publishing), on sale November 1. Bathroom DIY Soap opera Stylist Fiona Gould from House of Rohl suggests four easy hacks to give your bathroom a lift. Paint: The walls, over the cabinetry or even over the tiles if your budget is quite tight. Install: Silver tapware is having a big comeback in high end design and is a quick and easy update Regrout: Having existing tiles regrouted and new sealant applied can add new life…

Feminist THRILLER Leave The Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz, Allen & Unwin This is a trifle of a book, layer upon layer upon layer. Together, the sponge cake, berries and cream make a delicious mouthful. When all the layers of this novel click into place, the result is equally satisfying. Leave the Girls Behind is a book about the collateral damage of men, the women and girls left in the wake. The story centres around one such woman, Ruth, whose childhood trauma has followed her into adulthood. Her past is the driving force behind her mission to prove a man who murdered a girl from her hometown was in fact a serial killer. The mission takes Ruth from New York, where she lives, to New Zealand, Norway and…

I’d like to tell you about Kenya’s heart. How it beats, its rhythm. How this welcoming East African country takes you by the hand and shows you its ways. Kenya doesn’t hold its cards close to its chest; it shares them. I’m watching baby elephants bound across a paddock at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a conservation organisation in Nairobi. They are focused only on huge milk bottles held by their keepers, the bond between calf and carer is clearly parental. Rescued from the wild by rangers, the orphaned elephants, some only months old, suckle the containers dry. Then it’s playtime, sploshing around in sludge. A four-month-old rhino joins the shenanigans as we hear why, and how, the animals were saved. I look over to my fellow travellers who are with me…

Sagittarius Nov 23 -Dec 21 The first day of December’s sun and new moon in Sagittarius are this year’s celestial birthday present, plus your annual reminder to turn end of year problems into adventures. Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius and retro Mars in a fellow fire sign both recommend a laidback approach to Christmas shopping, because cruise control is your key to surviving this season of merry madness. Glad tidings? With Mercury back on track around mid-month, communications clarify, jigsaw pieces fall into place, lost packages finally arrive, and you can happily proceed with making this a December to remember. Capricorn Dec 22 -Jan 20 This month’s quintet of retrograde planets calls for patience in steering a steady, practical course through end of year challenges. But if anyone knows how to…

I loved the quote from Joanna Lumley (The courage of her convictions, AWW, November) saying that as she’s grown older, she’s learned a little about courage. I will never forget my mother fighting cancer with quiet courage. One day I said to her, ‘Mum, you are so brave’, and she replied, ‘What choice do I have?’ But she made a choice to ask the nurses about the challenges they faced in their work, about their marriages and children, even their pets. Old age is a challenge, but we can face those challenges with strength of character. Woodvale, WA. Australian treasure It was interesting to read the story of Noni Hazlehurst’s life (I’m ready to drop the mask, AWW, November), both the good and the bad she has experienced. I am…

On April 3, 1977, Grant Rule watched agog as “all hell broke loose”. Having started in the mailroom at the ABC in Melbourne, he’d worked his way up the ranks. Now he’d received a call to join the Countdown team as a producer and director and his start date was the same day the 100th episode was being filmed live. “It was extraordinary,” he tells The Weekly of his entry onto the set of the legendary Australian show. “I want to describe it as a mini-Beatles movie. Kids were running amok, there were security chasing kids, there were bands arriving and it was all done in eight hours because they had to record it live. It just appeared to me to be this extraordinary, uncontrolled, evolving moment. It had this…

It’s been two years since The Weekly last visited with Dami Im and her family. And it’s safe to say that while some things have changed, others have remained very much the same. Let’s start first with the changes. Today we are meeting at Dami and husband Noah’s brand-new home, a light-filled duplex with views across to the Brisbane River and plenty of room for the family of three to enjoy and entertain in. It also has a garden, something that Dami particularly relishes – even breaking out her hedge clippers and lawnmower during a break in our photo shoot. Another change is baby Harrison, or Harry as he’s nicknamed. Harry was barely three months old when we were first introduced. Now he’s a two-and-a-bit-year-old toddler who is charging around…

There’s an image that often replays in Will Reeve’s mind. The youngest son of Superman star Christopher Reeve, whose only memories of his dad are of him in a wheelchair, gazed around their living room to see his entire family there. His father, celebrating his 52nd birthday. His mother, Dana, who had just taken her first acting job since the equestrian accident which left her husband paralysed, with no sensory or motor function below his shoulders. And his two older siblings, Matthew and Alexandra (their mother Gae Exton was Christopher’s first great love). “I was in seventh grade, and it was an otherwise unremarkable small birthday celebration,” Will tells The Weekly of his memory of that day on September 25, 2004. “There was a cake. We hung out. I tried…

In autumn last year, one of the world’s most renowned cancer pathologists, Professor Richard Scolyer, wrote a grim prognosis for a glioma, which is a lethal form of brain cancer: “Fourteen months – the outer limit of median survival of 12 to 14 months.” And then he added the date that he expected the patient might survive until: “July 2024”. Richard’s specialty is skin cancer, and in particular melanoma. His work pioneering immunotherapy has saved thousands of lives and changed the trajectory of the deadly disease. As co-medical director of the Melanoma Institute Australia, he saw roughly 2000 cancers a year, and he also diagnosed many cases of brain cancer, earlier in his career, while working at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. However, the case he was contemplating in the…

Nine years ago, onstage in a theatre in Melbourne’s Brunswick, I felt my heart climb into my throat. I was an actor playing a psychiatrist, and when it came time for my co-star’s monologue I couldn’t keep still. I was under attack, but from what? And how could a full house staring back at me have no idea? Over on a very different stage, three years later, marketing consultant Megan Barrow was about to undergo a similar reckoning. As an ambassador for R U OK?, a mental health charity focusing on suicide prevention, Megan stood in front of 80-odd corporate types covering familiar ground. “It was my second speech of the day, and I was feeling exhausted, but somewhat calm,” she recalls. “I was in the middle of telling my…

Rum caramel one-pan fruit cake SERVES 16 PREP & COOK TIME 4 HOURS (+COOLING TIME) Homemade caramel is the secret ingredient in this effortless, tropically-inspired cake with ginger flavours and a crunchy crown of nuts. 450g can pineapple rings in syrup 11/2 cups (330g) caster sugar ½ cup (125ml) extra smooth rum 1 orange, rind finely grated, juiced 1½ cups (240g) sultanas 1½ cups (225g) golden raisins 8 (160g) medjool dates, pitted, chopped finely 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 250g butter, chilled, chopped 4 eggs 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour ¾ cup (110g) plain flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon mixed spice ¼ teaspoon ground Mountain Pepper (optional, see overleaf ) TOPPING 50g butter ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar 1¼ cup (100g) flaked almonds,…

Long & short beans with very sharp vinaigrette SERVES 4-6 500g green beans 400g tin cannellini beans 250g tricolour cherry tomatoes, jauntily quartered ½ bunch parsley, leaves picked, stems reserved for dressing VERY SHARP VINAIGRETTE ¼ cup parsley stems 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, bruised ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon caster sugar ½ teaspoon salt flakes ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 banana shallots, finely sliced 1 To make the vinaigrette, trim the woody ends off the parsley stems, then finely slice (if your stems are all too woody, finely slice a ¼ cup’s worth of leaves instead). In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, garlic and oil together, then add the sugar, salt flakes and pepper.…

Return ENGAGEMENT Symbol of resilience In her first public royal engagement since finishing chemotherapy treatment, Catherine, Princess of Wales met with grieving families, first responders and others affected by a mass stabbing that took place in July at a dance class in Southport. Three children were killed. She donned Catherine Zoraida Gold Fern Drop Earrings – ferns are a symbol of resilience and new beginnings. Women we love League of her own Sydney Roosters’ Olivia Kernick won the 2024 Dally M Medal on rugby league’s night of nights. Shockingly, she failed to make the Jillaroos squad days after. Voice of a dame Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dame Judi Dench is among the celebs to lend her distinctive vocals to its new AI chatbot, which will allow users…

The annual Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are underway, and once again the finalists are nothing short of incredible. There were over 9000 entries from around the world, with 40 snapshots making the shortlist. Proceeds from votes go to the conservation charity Whitley Fund for Nature. Winners will be announced on December 10. ALEX FINE. ARTUR STANKIEWICZ. JOSE MIGUEL GALLEGO MOLINA. KATH AGGISS. SIMONE HEINRICH. TAPANI LINNANMAKI.…

When Di Morrissey published her first novel in 1991 at the age of 48, it was the culmination of years of dreaming and yearning. It began when she was growing up on the shores of Pittwater, NSW, in the late 1940s and ’50s. Seven-year-old Di had strayed into the overgrown garden of Dorothea Mackellar and announced boldly, when asked what she was doing, that she was hunting for fairies. An amused Dorothea invited Di in for a glass of milk. “She was quite imperious,” Di recalls of the writer best known for her sweeping poem that begins I love a sunburnt country. “When you say something as a kid, and someone takes you quite seriously and listens, you want to elaborate.” Di told Dorothea that she loved to read and…

Maria Sutera, 50 Maria was working as a primary school teacher when she realised that her parents, who are both in their nineties, needed extra care. It happened unexpectedly. Mum’s 90 and Dad’s 96. They’d been very independent but suddenly both became unwell and I needed to go and stay with them. While I was there, I noticed that they needed extra help. Luckily I was on sabbatical from my job as a primary school teacher, so I had time to figure out what to do. That’s how I became a carer. Up until a month ago, I was going there every day, Monday to Friday, and doing whatever was needed. Then I realised that wasn’t enough, so my partner, Juan, and I moved in with them. Juan is an…

Katie Page recently visited the Sydney Cricket Ground Museum and came across the story of the Gregory sisters, who founded Australia’s first female cricket team in 1886. The Harvey Norman CEO was taken by the story of the four sisters and the parallels to her own upbringing – raised by supportive parents who empowered their daughters. “The Gregory sisters’ father was a curator of the Sydney Cricket Ground, their uncle was an Australian captain and their brothers were players. Here are these four young women told by their parents that they could do anything, and so they started the first female cricket team! I just loved that. And it made me think about my upbringing.” Katie, the youngest of four girls, was raised by a father who instilled in his…

So many of them were so young. Young men, brothers, sons, lovers, friends; full of promise with whole lives ahead of them. “They were lawyers,” says Sister Clare Nolan. “They were doctors, accountants – they would have done so much.” Instead they were handed a death sentence, condemned and ostracised. “They just wasted away in front of your very eyes.” Sister Clare first heard about HIV/ AIDS in 1982 when immunologist Dr Ron Penny returned from a conference in Haiti. “As soon as he landed,” she says, “he came to the hospital and said, ‘There is this disease, it’s affecting the gay community and we must get ready for it’.” Three days later, “this beautiful man arrived with HIV/AIDS. Never have I seen such a sick man, and our journey…

Relax & UNWIND Welcome to Rottnest Island HOW TO GET THERE Ferries to the island leave from Perth city, North Fremantle, Fremantle and Hillarys Boat Harbour in Perth’s north. WHERE TO STAY Samphire Rottnest in the heart of Thomson Bay offers beachfront relaxation, modern luxury, and nature-inspired rooms each with their own balcony or verandah. WHAT TO DO Snorkel in the clear blue waters and see the vibrant marine gardens. Or hire a bike to explore the island by yourself, or with a guided tour. WHERE TO EAT Experience relaxed dining overlooking the water and meals prepared with fresh local produce at Isola, an Italian-style restaurant. SEE THE QUOKKAS These adorable animals are found all around the island. The best time to spot them is early morning and late…

When most of us think about exercise, our minds usually conjure up images of running as fast as we can or sweating it out in a gym class. But slower forms of movement – like walking and stretching – can be just as beneficial, especially when we’re overwhelmed. High-intensity exercise benefits our overall health, but it causes a steep increase in cortisol levels – the hormones responsible for stress. It’s undoubtedly good for us, and countless studies have proved that regular movement results in better sleep, lower blood pressure and improved mood, as well as helping to combat health conditions and diseases. But, when you’re already going a million miles an hour, adding in an early morning gym class could be doing more harm than good. Low-intensity exercise, on the…

Over the years, we’ve seen endless iterations of milk hit supermarket shelves. Full-cream dairy has been joined by skim, low-fat, high-protein and lactose-free varieties. Further complicating things, we’ve worked out how to milk everything from oats and almonds to potatoes and peas to sit alongside the classic substitute, soy. The vast number of options was largely driven by the health conscious after full-fat dairy fell out of favour around a decade ago, when it was wrongly associated with weight gain, heart disease, high cholesterol and chronic illnesses. “We used to believe saturated fats had negative health impacts regardless of the source, but with newer research it has become clear that saturated fats from dairy don’t have the same impacts as those from other animal products,” explains Dr Emma Beckett, Food…

Korean-style crunchy chicken wings SERVES 6 PREP & COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES (+ OVERNIGHT MARINATING TIME) 2kg chicken wings ⅔ cup (100g) cornflour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted 2 green onions, sliced thinly, including green top lemon wedges, optional, for serving DIPPING SAUCE 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 3cm piece ginger, peeled, grated finely 1 ½tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chilli paste) 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce ¼ cup (90g) honey 1 Place chicken wings in a large bowl. Combine cornflour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Scatter flour mix over chicken, using your hands, toss chicken several times to coat in cornflour mixture.…

Sausage, greens & gravy bake SERVES 4 PREP TIME 10 MINUTES COOK TIME 45 MINUTES 6 eschalots (150g) 800g white baby potatoes 4 sprigs thyme 2 tablespoons plain flour ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1½ cups (375ml) chicken stock 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 8 pork sausages 200g Brussels sprouts 1 small head broccoli (300g) 1 cup (120g) frozen peas, thawed extra thyme sprigs, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). 2 Peel eschalots and cut in half. Cut potatoes in half. Pick thyme leaves. 3 In a large jug, whisk flour with 2 tablespoons of the oil and half the maple syrup until combined. Gradually whisk in stock until smooth. Stir in mustard and Worcestershire sauce;…

Sophie Keegan was born in England, raised in Australia and is based between London and Hamburg, Germany. With her husband, Tino Baum, they have raised their sons, Max, Alfie and Casper, in the upmarket neighbourhood of Blankenese, originally a fishing village. “When we arrived, we lived in a small fisherman’s cottage in this beautiful riverside suburb where Tino grew up. In the 1800s, wealthy merchants built their country homes here, arriving by horse and carriage from the city of Hamburg,” she explains. “It has a rich shipping history, which, when combined with Tino’s love of sailing and the influence of water in my work, made it the perfect place for us.” In 2009, they purchased a Blankenese home which required an almost three-year renovation. Constructed in 1875, the four-storey architectural…

Sensational SUSPENSE The Thinning by Inga Simpson, Hachette You don’t know how you’ll react to a total solar eclipse until you go through one. The rare celestial event – when the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun plunging us into darkness – is known to elicit an emotional response. Some people cry, others scream. Animals are known to huddle together and stare skyward. There’s a sense of collective awe, heightened humility and overwhelming wonder. I felt the same emotions reading The Thinning. Inga Simpson’s new novel bursts with feelings: impending doom, camaraderie and hope. The dystopian story follows Fin, a young woman who grew up by an observatory before the world was thrown into turmoil, and Terry, one of the so-called “Incompletes”, a new generation who…

Devonport to Launceston, 102km (63 miles) If you’ve arrived on the overnight ferry from Geelong, head to the House of Anvers chocolate factory in Latrobe for breakfast. The speciality is chocolate, but they also do Belgian-style breakfasts. Or, head further south to Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe for berry-topped brunches. Suitably nourished, as you head to Launceston stop to admire the murals of Sheffield. Almost every blank wall in the village is covered with colourful artwork. Another half-hour or so down the road, stretch the legs in Deloraine, a pretty town on the banks of the Meander River, full of historic buildings, many which now house art galleries, cafes and boutiques. Make your next stop the charming Westbury, with its English-style village green and the innovative Silhouette Trail displays that…

December 13, 1961 In this issue ... “Who does baby David take after?” pondered The Weekly on page 5 as the first photos of David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones graced our cover. Not his mother, Princess Margaret, was the verdict, with most agreeing the newest royal was the spitting image of his father, the Earl of Snowdon – also the man behind the camera. This wasn’t the only debut celebrated inside the pages of this issue. Lucille Ball was pictured cutting the cake at her marriage to husband number two, Gary Morton, while Frank Sinatra’s arrival in Sydney with a colourful entourage was covered on page 10. “Love him, hate him, or couldn’t care less about him, you’re certainly aware of him all the time,” wrote reporter Patricia Kent of Ol’…