Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i The Australian Women's Weekly

I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of 2025! It’s been a particularly busy year for The Weekly, one in which we connected with our beloved community in many ways. We’ve welcomed new and familiar faces – Julie Goodwin returned to share her favourite family recipes, and Chrissie Swan has kept us entertained with her funny and insightful “Life Lessons” column. Chrissie also graces our cover this month to celebrate her debut cookbook, The Shortcut Queen. Turn to page 32 to read her wonderful interview with Deputy Editor Tiffany Dunk. This year also marks 45 years of our iconic Children’s Birthday Cake Cookbook, and our celebrations included limited-edition collectable coins from the Royal Australian Mint. We also reconnected with the original Test Kitchen team of cake bakers, and held a…

Diane Keaton 1946-2025 In MEMORIAM Hollywood mourns “What words can come to mind when your heart is broken?” wrote Goldie Hawn following the death of Diane Keaton, aged 78. The star of Annie Hall, Baby Boom and Reds leaves behind a legacy of tender drama and divine comedy. Women we love A wing & a paw Jennifer Hunt, 15, is attempting to become the youngest female to circumnavigate Australia by plane. Her puppy, Bella, is her co-pilot. Banking on Anna New Zealand has appointed its first female Reserve Bank governor, Dr Anna Breman. “Young women and girls can see there’s no office that can’t be occupied by a woman,” said MP Nicola Willis. Church’s new era Sarah Mullaly has become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church…

Dame Jilly Cooper 1937-2025 Queen Camilla was one of the first to pay tribute to author Dame Jilly Cooper, describing the late novelist as a “wonderfully witty and compassionate friend”. Dubbed “Queen of the Bonkbuster”, Dame Jilly’s novels chronicled the sexcapades of the upper-class and sold about 11 million copies in the UK alone. In a 2023 interview with The Weekly, Dame Jilly commented that she perhaps did go a little too far with her raunchy scenes. “I re-read Riders the other day, and it was very wild,” she said. But her formula worked. She counted former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among her fans. Dame Jilly died aged 88, leaving behind two children and 18 novels. “May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs,” Queen Camilla…

Alan is friendly but softly spoken. He’s never considered himself much of a singer and so was sceptical when he was invited to attend the Sing Out Choir in Dubbo. It is now the best part of his week. Every Tuesday, he and his wife, Mary, travel 75km from the small town of Mendooran to join between 120 and 200 enthusiastic community members for a vocal workout. Alan particularly enjoys getting up to dance. For him, Sing Out Choir is not just a hobby but an important part of how he manages his dementia. “It’s like a medicine without taking drugs,” says Mary. “It does so much good for your body. Alan’s dementia has a Parkinson’s piece too, so it helps him keep coordinated. It’s a full-impact workout. We’re very…

I have been talking to Australians about sex for more than 40 years. It wasn’t intentional, I simply went where fate led me. There has rarely been a dull moment and I have learned a lot. First there was Cleo and the debut of the naked male centrefold in the ’70s. Australian women loved the centrefold. Many of them pinned Cleo’s centrefolds up in their lockers in their workplace. So many men used to offer me their bodies, but when I tried to set up a photo shoot they’d run a mile. The distinguished Australian actor Jack Thompson was our first centrefold, which he said changed his career. Almost overnight, he went from action man roles to romantic lead roles. I wasn’t surprised because he was a smash hit with…

Mum would have turned 100 years old this year, which has made me reflect quite significantly on the impact she’s had on Australia, and on my life. She was 76 years old when she passed. I wish I’d had her for longer. But this anniversary has inspired me to go through my precious photos and press clippings, which has been lovely because I miss her more as I age. Also because I find myself nostalgic for moments lost in time. Growing up, I never knew my mother was Australia’s first “supermodel”, which in those days was termed a “mannequin”. From the 1940s until the 1960s, there were “models” and “mannequins”. Generally speaking, a model didn’t do the catwalk, whereas a mannequin did, and mannequins were more prestigious. Back then, women…

We all know the importance of taking care of our skin when we are outside. Once the UV Index reaches 3 or higher, it’s time to put on sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat to reduce the risk of skin cancer – a disease that impacts two in three Australians during their lifetime. But the sun isn’t all bad news. As long as we do it safely, spending a little time in the sunshine may even give our mind and body a boost. “There’s evidence that there are benefits from being in the sun, including the production of vitamin D,” says Sally Blane, the Deputy Chair of the Cancer Council’s National Skin Cancer Committee. “We don’t want people to avoid the sun, but we want them to be safe when they…

From the Test Kitchen We used fresh pasta but if you prefer dried you’ll need 250g. Green olive, rocket & tuna linguine with chilli crumbs SERVES 2 PREP + COOK TIME 25 MINUTES 185g can tuna in chilli oil 1 slice sourdough bread, torn into small pieces 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan 120g green pitted marinated olives, chopped 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 1 bunch chives, chopped finely 375g packet fresh linguine 50g rocket, roughly chopped 1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Drain oil from the tuna, reserving 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place bread on an oven tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Drizzle over 2-3 tablespoons chilli oil from tuna, sprinkle with parmesan and toss well to combine.…

Read THIS! Food for thought Struggling to grow your own fruit and veg at home? According to horticulture expert Justin Calverley, the problem may be in what you grow alongside them. In this new book, he shares practical tips on how a “food forest” garden can be established – and kept up – with minimal fuss or expenditure. The Urban Food Forester by Justin Calverley, ABC Books. Collab alert! Time to celebrate Get into the Scandi spirit with this IKEA collab with Swedish designer Gustaf Westman. A playful take on the festive tradition, this was, says Gustaf, “an opportunity to take traditional holiday decor aesthetics and turn it on its head”. With signature sculptural shapes and pops of bright colour, his collection of tableware and home objects will make your…

It was an ordinary moment that sparked something inside Bryan Brown. On an average weekday, the actor opened the front door of his home in the Nambucca Valley to a tradesman who was there to sort out the wi-fi and solar power. He let the tradie inside and left him to it, without any hesitation. That’s when the thought hit: “Jeez, this bloke must get a lot of access to people’s houses.” From that thought, a character was born, a crime was conceived, and a story began to take shape. The solar-system installer, Donny Lucas, appears in Bryan’s new novel, The Hidden, which is set in a small coastal town, not unlike the beachside villages of the Nambucca Valley. “The last two books I’ve written have been set around this…

When it comes to championing women’s health, Corrina Brazel (pictured) isn’t one to sit on the sidelines. As General Manager of Marketing for Wesfarmers Health – the parent company of Priceline Pharmacy – she’s leading the charge on one of the most overlooked stages of a woman’s life: Menopause. Fresh off the launch of Priceline Pharmacy’s nationwide Anything Menopause initiative, Corrina spoke to The Weekly about why now is the time to change the conversation and how pharmacists are being equipped to support women in every community. Priceline Pharmacy launched the Anything Menopause initiative in September. Why is menopause such an important topic, especially this year? This journey started for us after The Weekly’s Health Summit last year, where we looked at trends in health and some of the areas…

King Charles While His Majesty has met with his youngest son, the pair are yet to publicly reconcile. Prince Harry As his father battles cancer, Harry has told the BBC, “There’s no point in continuing to fight”. It was their first meeting in 19 months, wedged tightly into a late afternoon gap between public engagements and lasting just 53 minutes from the moment a besuited Prince Harry stepped out of a black Range Rover at 5.21pm to enter Clarence House. For the British public – fired up by a feverish media – this was the moment the King, now 76 and still undergoing regular cancer treatment, might reconcile with his younger son and father of his two youngest grandchildren, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four. Perhaps, some speculated, it might even…

It has people are turning their back on impacted the Beckhams, Drew Barrymore, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Jennifer Aniston. And outside of these high-profile celebrities, a growing number of parents, siblings or grandparents whom they come to view as toxic and damaging. Instead of Sunday dinners and celebrations, there are months or years of stony silence. While many feel shame in admitting they are cut off from someone in their family, on social media, more and more people are sharing their estrangement stories. Rather than hiding their ‘no contact’ with a family member or two, they’re showcasing why they’ve walked away. Clinical psychologist Joshua Coleman has written about the rise in family estrangement in society and on social media and believes it is partly due to changing…

PHOTOGRAPHY by TREVOR KING, STYLING by MATTIE CRONAN, HAIR AND MAKE-UP: CANDICE SEPTEMBER. STYLING ASSISTANT: LILLY VEITCH. MODEL: PALA NEGARA @ PRIMARY MANAGEMENT.…

Common causes & antidotes “Bloating is common during summer months when changes in routine, travel and eating habits can affect digestion,” says nutritionist and psychologist Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart, who suggests limiting the following foods: Bloating is one of the most common gut complaints, especially in women over 40, and hormone fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause play a key role. “Causes are typically multifactorial, involving a complex interplay between hormonal fluctuations, gastrointestinal function, dietary triggers, and stress,” says Dr Nirusha Kumaran, an expert in women’s health and longevity. “During the perimenopausal and menopausal transition, shifts in key sex hormones – namely oestrogen, progesterone, and androgens – can significantly influence digestive health. Progesterone is known to slow gastrointestinal motility, which may result in delayed transit time and increased gas retention. Oestrogen supports…

Easy melt-and-mix fruit cake MAKES 1 CAKE PREP + COOK TIME 5 HOURS 30 MINUTES Rich and moist, this easy melt-and-mix fruit cake makes turning out a winning Christmas cake simple, with no need to soak fruit. 5 cups (1kg) mixed dried fruit ¼ cup (35g) slivered almonds, toasted ⅓ cup (80ml) sweet sherry, plus extra 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1¼ cups (250g) firmly packed brown sugar 250g butter, chopped ½ cup (125ml) milk 3 eggs, beaten lightly 3 cups (450g) plain flour ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 2 teaspoons mixed spice blanched almonds to decorate 1 Preheat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan-forced). Grease a deep 22cm-round cake pan or a 19cm-square cake pan, cover the base and side with 2 layers of brown paper and 2 layers of…

The best part about the warmer months is eating outdoors. A simple platter of barbecued goodness, a big bowl of salad leaves with a simple vinaigrette, and a substantial salad – like this delicious pesto pasta – and feeding the family is simple and joyful. Happy summer days fishing with Nan. My little sister Beb is hoping for a big catch with a little stick! Pesto & cherry tomato pasta salad SERVES 6-8 AS PART OF A SHARED TABLE PREP + COOK TIME 20 MINUTES 500g dried pasta (casarecce or spirals) 100g parmesan, cut into 1cm cubes 200g pine nuts, toasted 2 cups basil leaves (around 1 generous bunch) 60g baby rocket 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 (100g) grape…

Vietnamese chicken salad SERVES 4-6 PREP TIME 30 MINUTES There’s a chicken salad at Sisterfields in Bali that I just love, but it’s far too fancy to make at home. This one hits all the herby goals and uses a good old roast chook. You can poach your own chicken, of course, but I prefer to just open a bag from the supermarket, give the skin to Murphy the dog and get on with it. 1 large carrot, julienned 600g cabbage, shredded (I like a mix of green, white, red and wombok) ½ roasted chook or barbecued chicken, shredded ½ bunch coriander, leaves picked (save the roots for the dressing) Vietnamese dressing (see box below) ½ bunch mint, leaves picked 10g (½ cup) Vietnamese mint leaves 80g (½ cup) roasted…

For more holiday inspiration from The Weekly’s experts, head to our website at WomensWeekly.com.au I am apparently the best drawer of dogs, ships and birds, can build a wobbly cubby house with cushions and towels in five minutes flat and can whisper supercalifragilisticexpialidocious underwater. These are hidden talents I discover on a 10-day multigenerational holiday to Bali with our merry band of 13. What could possibly go wrong, with two grandparents, six parents and five grandchildren, aged from seven to six months, on an all-inclusive holiday that has been a year in the planning? Plenty, I know – but despite the 52 forms we had to fill in online to enter the country, warnings of dreaded Bali belly and threats of lengthy flight delays and possible luggage losses –…

With this festive season budget playbook, you’ll find seven easy steps to spend smart (and stress less) this Christmas. The festive season is fast approaching, and while it’s a wonderful time of the year, it can also be very expensive. Between gifts, travel and those “must-do” sales, it’s easy for “ho-hoho” to turn into “Oh-no-no-no!”. But instead of starting the New Year deep in hock, let’s make Christmas 2025 a little different. Because with some planning, you can enjoy the celebrations without budget worries. 1. Don’t just draft your holiday plan, cost it! Every winning team has a playbook, and so should you. Map out your holiday season and include spending on gifts, food, travel, entertainment – everything. Add a dollar figure to each. For example: $300 for gifts, $400…

What a special person Maggie Beer is (“I feel very lucky”, AWW, November). She has achieved so much and now also with the Maggie Beer Foundation which is doing wonders in aged-care homes. Maggie’s books are a delight, and her philosophy after her horrid fall and recovery shows her amazing optimism and that “there’s life to be lived right to the end of life if you look after yourself and if you are engaged mentally and physically”. I have pinned her words “there is always joy in every day in some way” up on my fridge. Thank you, Maggie, for all you have given us and for enriching our lives. Sale, Vic. An incredible legacy The latest issue has so many powerful stories about things that have changed the course…

Palace ADVOCATES Royals rally for change While Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was speaking with peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Princess Eugenie launched a campaign to fight slavery in the lucrative, criminal world of fake fashion. The pretty Dutch village of Zaanse Schans has become the latest destination to impose an entry fee to try to limit visitor traffic. The town has a population of just 100 people, who say there are overrun by tourists eager for selfies with the traditional windmills. AAP. ALAMY. GETTY IMAGES. INSTAGRAM. JEFF BUSBY. OTHER IMAGES SUPPLIED AND USED WITH PERMISSION.…

Style ROUND-UP Fashion forward Sarah Jessica Parker wore wings, JLo cinched herself into a black sculpture, but all eyes were on Nicole Kidman, in a classic white shirt at Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show. The Oscar-winner was flanked by her daughters, Faith and Sunday Rose as tabloid coverage of her divorce reached fever pitch. She has been announced as the ambassador for the French brand. Australian First Nations’ models, included AFLW player Tatyana Perry and Matilda’s star Mary Fowler. Restoring VISION The gift of sight For three years, 38-year-old Laos woman Lien lived with blindness, unable to work or see the face of her baby, Bountai. Her 14-year-old daughter Aomphai had to work long hours after school to help support the family. In Laos, untreated cataracts cause 75 per cent…

“I feel like there’s still a bit of a stigma around mental health, maybe because it’s invisible.” It’s a beautiful spring day, the kind that feels like summer. The Weekly is in Byron Bay to meet with and profile its new resident, Turia Pitt. The setting for our photo shoot is a local beach with nothing except sand, dunes, and stellar views. The sun is scorching but the surf is dangerously rough thanks to strong winds. Only a few brave souls splash in the shallows while others, rugged up against the fierce gusts, linger to watch Turia pose for the camera. When we wrap, she drives us to a nearby cafe, where we settle in to talk about her latest book, Selfish: How to Unlearn the Rules That Are Breaking…

“The hounds are my job … I run the day and make sure everyone is safe and sound.” Through the mist come the fine horses, galloping alongside icy rivers, trees winter bare. The thud of hooves on the ground, the excited hounds running, noses to the ground, looking for the scent. It could be a scene from an 18th century English painting. The formal riding jackets, ties, boots, white jodhpurs. The glorious scenery, the steaming horses. But this is the muted palette of the Tasmanian Northern Midlands, and this is the largely female Northern Hunt club. “The majority of the committee and working members of the club have been women for as long as I remember,” says the secretary, Hayley Atkins. “My grandmother was one of the founding members.” Hayley…

Overwhelmed, marathon swimmer Susie Maroney cried all day. So many poignant memories resurfaced when she found a forgotten plastic storage box full of yellowed newspaper cuttings, medical notes, letters, scrapbooks and other family keepsakes, including her late mother’s diaries. When she first read them, a year after Pauline’s death, it felt almost as if her beloved mum was still alive and sharing her heartfelt struggle to give precious twins Susie and Sean – both born with cerebral palsy – the best future possible. Day after day, month by month, year in and year out, she had meticulously documented every medical appointment, every milestone missed or triumphantly celebrated since their premature arrival in November 1974. “I just couldn’t stop reading,” says Susie, who grew up to become one of the world’s…

I answered the knock at our door the night my youngest brother and his two friends were killed. Shortly before midnight I’d been woken by barking sheep dogs, signalling the arrival of two local police officers. I called to my parents and siblings, and we gathered around the kitchen table in our old mudbrick homestead on the family sheep property in the Murchison region of WA. It was July 8, 2000. The annual shearing of our Merino flock was due to start the following day. The police officers were kind but plain-speaking. They told us that my youngest brother, Christian, and his friends, Jess Broad and Hilary Smith, had been killed that night when a loaded grain train had struck the Toyota he was driving at the Yarramony Road level…

1. Cooki shampoo bar, $19.99. 2. Linen House towels, from $9.99. 3. Kerasilk hairspray, $48. 4. Mocka toy storage, $89.99. 5. Marvis toothpaste, $17.95. 6. Maison Balzac x TANORA Gobelets (set of two), $119. 7. Emma Lewisham The Heroes skincare bundle, $70. 8. HAY placemat, $28, and napkin, $30. 9. Antler 45L backpack, $240. 10. Crystal Clear: Working with Stones book, $29.99. 11. Mimco bracelet, $149.95. 1. Mimco earrings, $79.95. 2. Yu Mei bag, $395. 3. Maison Balzac servers, $49. 4. Vixin Beauty All In One Apple Stem Cell face cream, $59.90. 5. Maison Balzac lobster claw napkins (set of four), $119. 6. Black Pepper dress, $149. 7. Tissot watch, $590. 8. Country Road towel, $99.95. 9. Dinosaur Designs bowl, $310. 10. Go Ask Austen book, $24.99. 11. Charlotte Tilbury…

Book the dentist, chase up the insurance claim, plan the shopping, order a gift, and remember to water the plants before going away for the weekend. The list never ends – and for many women, it runs silently in the background of their minds every hour of the day. This unseen burden has a name: The mental load. It’s the constant thinking, planning and anticipating required to keep a household running smoothly, the invisible glue holding families together. “The mental load is the seemingly never-ending to-do list we constantly carry around in our heads,” explains Dr Morgan Cutlip, a psychologist and the author of A Better Share. “It’s made up of primarily invisible tasks. That makes it hard to explain to partners, hard to hand off, and hard to receive…

4 ways salada cracks No 1 No 2 Crake base MAKES 20 PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced. Line a 30cm x 40cm baking tray with foil, then baking paper. Arrange 12 Arnott’s Salada crackers over base of tray (3 down, 4 across). Place 220g unsalted butter and 1 cup (220g) brown sugar in a medium saucepan, stir over low heat for 3-5 minutes until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat, bring to the boil; cook for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour mixture over crackers; working quickly, spread evenly to cover. Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden and bubbling. Stand for 5 minutes before spreading with one of the Toppings opposite. Stand until…

Philosophical FICTION The Seeker and the Sage by Brigid Delaney, Allen & Unwin Deep in the Myanmar-India highlands, on the side of a cliff overlooking a fertile valley, sits the community of Silver Springs. The isolated town is unlike any other; the citizens live according to the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and they are reported to be the happiest people on Earth. Far away from the chaos and complications of the modern world, the community is protected by its mayor, who is a Stoic sage. When the mayor grants a traumatised journalist an interview, it is under the strict condition that she can spend only three days in the utopian town. The idea of a far-flung oasis is not a new one. In fact, author Brigid Delaney started thinking about…

Sagittarius Nov 23 - Dec 21 Friendly Venus joining breezy Mars in your easy-going, fun-loving sign will colour the first half of your birthday month vivid, bold and passionately involved. As energetic Mercury resurfacing in Sagittarius mid-month sets holiday plans back on the fast track, stay available to alternative options. When the new moon in Sagittarius on December 20 sets a fresh stage for your coming astrological year, maintain a wide-angle viewfinder, tap into your natural intuition and recommit to making each day an adventure which is, after all, your essential Sagittarian mission. Capricorn Dec 22 -Jan 20 Dec 22 -Jan 20 This month welcomes your mentor planet, Saturn, back into forward gear after five months of soul-searching, personal growth and necessary lessons. Even better, mid-December’s entry of go-getter Mars…

December 13,1944 In this issue ... Two long years into WWII, the question on everyone’s lips was, “When will the war end?” According to military writer Pierre van Paassen, who penned his thoughts for The Weekly on the topic, that would be “in six years ... with victory for Britain”. One of those would prove true. So opened this issue, which reported on both the tough times the nation was experiencing as well as bringing some much needed good news and tidings as we headed into the Christmas season. On page 29 there was a report about the expected boom in sales for children’s books by Australian authors, including a new illustrated release by sisters Mary and Elizabeth Durack. Further into the magazine, our Hollywood correspondent, Barbara Bourchier, cabled the…