The Australian Women's Weekly June 2025

Baking magic To celebrate 45 years of fabulous children’s birthday cake creations, the original Birthday Cake team reunited in The Weekly’s Test Kitchen to recreate some of their famous cakes, and share fascinating behind-thescenes tales. 45 years of an icon! One of my first introductions to The Australian Women’s Weekly was through our famous Children’s Birthday Cake Book. As a child, I was in awe of my brother Rohan’s swimming pool cake, made by my stepmother Anne, with its green jelly, chocolate biscuit sticks and lolly pool toys. Fun fact: Did you know the reason the pool is green (created by lime jelly) is simply because blue jelly had yet to be invented? We discovered this fascinating tidbit and more when we held a special reunion with four of the…

Letter of the month Reading Labour of Love (AWW, May), I felt familiar anxiety in the pit of my stomach as I knew the feelings Ann Lanigan described when battling postnatal depression (PND) after the birth of her child. It’s over 30 years ago that I struggled my way through PND after the birth of my daughter, but it feels like yesterday. I didn’t have any medical help at first and as a midwife, I thought I had a good handle on postnatal issues. When I crashed into a dark abyss of anxiety and panic, it was my husband and mother who helped me through. I’m so happy that help for women (and their families) is out there now, due to the marvellous work done by people like Ann. Busselton,…

Danish ROYALS Portrait of a princess “It means a lot to me,” Princess Isabella of Denmark said, as she thanked everyone who had made the celebration of her 18th birthday “truly special”. The Danish Palace released an official portrait taken in Frederik VIII’s Palace to mark the milestone. Princess Isabella’s golden orange dress was offset by a 19th century tiara made from turquoise and diamond rosettes. Women we love Besting herself Paralympic swimmer Alexa Leary has broken her own world record in Brisbane during the Australian Open Championships in the S9 100-metre freestyle race. Nicole in motion Nicole Kidman will be awarded the 2025 Women in Motion award at the Cannes Film Festival for her “artistic audacity”. “I am proud to join this list of extraordinary women,” Nicole said. Young…

New Zealand Mini-horses ran a four-day race through rugged Houhora to raise money for rescued horses’ care and welfare. THE NETHERLANDS Floral rainbow Fields of Dutch tulips look like ribbons of colour in this aerial photo that captures the blooms from above. The yellow, pink and purple flowers are a symbol spring has arrived as they are among the first to bloom after winter. South KOREA Lanterns light up Seoul Thousands of Buddhists filled the streets of downtown Seoul for the annual Lotus Lantern Festival, which has a history going back more than 1200 years. The celebration aims to spread Buddha’s enlightenment. More than 300,000 people take part in the festivities each year. Japan Rice price rise Japan’s picky consumers are being forced to eat foreign-grown rice as the price…

Elaine Lee was shocked. She sat down one night, with her husband and mother, to watch a new TV show. “I was shocked, and I was in it!” she told the National Film and Sound Archive. “I thought it was dreadful. But we had a hit on our hands.” The show was Number 96. It first aired on March 13, 1972, and it carried on shocking Australia for the next five years. Now, half a century later, the free streaming site, Brollie, is making this Aussie icon available to a whole new generation. “Australian television has lost its virginity,” Daily Mirror columnist Matt White declared when that first episode aired. Number 96 was revolutionary – way ahead of British and American TV drama. According to The New York Times, at…

A wedge-tailed eagle named Storm who suffered injuries to 11 of his primary feathers in February last year has returned to the skies. The eagle “misjudged” stormy conditions and severely damaged the feathers he needs to fly. He was found and taken to Healesville Sanctuary’s Raptor Rehabilitation Centre in Victoria, where he received temporary feather transplants while his own moulted and grew back. “Seeing him fly took my breath away each time,” Vet Nurse Chris Stitt said. Red CARPET Cartier’s crowning jewels Stars shone and diamonds glimmered as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London launched a Cartier exhibition that charts the evolution of the French jewellery house. Dame Joan Collins, Dame Helen Mirren and the Spencer twins were among the guests. In the US, Hollywood turned out for Ralph…