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King Charles unveils first post-coronation portrait

<p>King Charles has unveiled his first post-coronation portrait in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace. </p> <p>The painting by Jonathan Yeo - known for portraits of celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Paris Hilton and Grayson Perry - was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’ 50 years as a member of charitable institution The Drapers’ Company. </p> <p>Yeo had four sittings with the King, with the first sitting when Charles was still Prince of Wales in June 2021 at his country home in Highgrove, and the last sitting in November 2023 at Clarence house. </p> <p>The portrait – approximately 2.6 metres by 2 metres framed – depicts King Charles wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guard. </p> <p>“It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation,” the artist said.</p> <p>“When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed.</p> <p>“I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter’s face.</p> <p>“In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st century monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject’s deep humanity,” said Mr Yeo.</p> <p>“I’m unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.”</p> <p>The King and Queen met The Master of The Drapers’ Company, Tom Harris and Past Master, William Charnley on Tuesday at Buckingham Palace. </p> <p>The portrait will go on public display for a month at the Philip Mould Gallery in London, from May 16 until June 14 and will be displayed at Drapers’ Hall from the end of August.</p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au</em></p> <p> </p>

Art

Hollywood legend targeted on the street in unprovoked attack

<p>During an increase in unprovoked attacks in New York City, a Hollywood A-lister has been targeted in broad daylight. </p> <p>Actor Steve Buscemi was strolling through Kips Bay in mid-town Manhattan last Wednesday when a man walked up and struck the actor in an attack just before midday.</p> <p>The attack on the 66-year-old star is one of the latest unprovoked assaults in the five boroughs, law enforcement sources told <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/12/us-news/boardwalk-empire-star-steve-buscemi-attacked-by-rock-wielding-maniac-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The New York Post</em></a>.</p> <p>The actor, who starred in <em>Fargo</em> and <em>Boardwalk Empire</em>, suffered swelling to his face and left eye and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.</p> <p>His attacker fled the scene and is still at large, according to police. </p> <p>“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” Buscemi’s publicist said in a statement to <em>The Post</em>.</p> <p>“He is OK and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York.”</p> <p>A worker in the area who witnessed part of the assault told the publication, “I saw he was with a woman, and then through the corner of the window I saw him trip and fall backwards.”</p> <p>“He right away got up and ran in the opposite direction. I didn’t see who hit him."</p> <p>“It worries me for when we close because we close at 11 and it can get scary around that time,” said the woman.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock / NYCPD</em></p>

Legal

"Welcome home, Harold": Iconic Neighbours actor returns to Ramsay Street

<p>More than 15 years after his departure, Harold Bishop is returning to Ramsay Street. </p> <p>Ian Smith's character has long been a fan favourite on <em>Neighbours</em>, after originally starring on the soap between 1987 and 1991, before he returned in 1996 until his departure in 2009. </p> <p>Since then, Harold has made multiple guest appearances, including in the 2022 finale.</p> <p>When Amazon picked up the Aussie show, Smith rejoined the cast for a short time but quickly left after a health scare.</p> <p>But now, Harold is making another comeback. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5fVoAlvJEJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5fVoAlvJEJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Neighbours (@neighbours)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The official <em>Neighbours</em> Instagram shared the exciting news of his return, writing, “After 15 years of living away, the legendary Harold Bishop is returning to Erinsborough."</p> <p>“We are thrilled to welcome Ian Smith back to the show and the opening titles, where he belongs.”</p> <p>Fan were quick to flood the comment section with excitable messages, rejoicing in the fact that a fan favourite character was returning. </p> <p>“The best news. The show misses an elder character like Harold,” one person wrote.</p> <p>Another commented, “Absolutely amazing news to wake up too. Welcome home, Harold.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / YouTube </em></p>

Aussie street crowned "world's coolest"

<p>Global media company <em>Time Out</em> have released their official list of the world's coolest streets, with one busy street in Melbourne's inner north coming in first place. </p> <p>What makes a street cool? Well, according to the publication, each street's food offerings, drink options, cultural delights, nightlife and overall sense of community are the main factors that were taken into consideration when they made their list. </p> <p>To create the 2024 lineup, the publication had their global team of local expert editors and contributors each make a case for the coolest street in their city. </p> <p>Melbourne's High Street claimed the top spot local Time Out Melbourne editor Leah Glynn praising the road's "epic restaurants, hidden bars, live music venues and boutique shops". </p> <p>Glynn said that the street’s “bona fide cool status” comes down to one thing - “its unique, something-for-everyone local businesses”.</p> <p>The street itself is easily accessible from the CBD via the 86 tram line and criss-crosses the suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston. </p> <p>Hollywood Rd, one of the oldest streets in Hong Kong came in second. Pre-dating LA's famous entertainment district, the street itself is home to incredible restaurants including Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room.</p> <p>It's also home to the Man Mo Temple and the Mid-Levels Escalators, the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system.</p> <p>East Eleventh in Austin came in third, as it "encapsulates the city's spirit" for packing so many venues in a short quarter-mile. </p> <p>One other Australian street made it into the list of the top 30 coolest streets and that street is Sydney’s Foster St, which came in 23rd. </p> <p>“Along with neighbouring Campbell St, it’s part of the inner city precinct known as the Hollywood Quarter,” <em>Time Out</em> said. </p> <p>“Despite the dazzling name, the quarter brings low-key cool vibes, and is bordered by Central, Thai Town, and cool suburbs Surry Hills and Darlinghurst.”</p> <p><strong>Here is Time Out's Top 10 coolest streets: </strong></p> <ol> <li>High St, Melbourne</li> <li>Hollywood Rd, Hong Kong</li> <li>East Eleventh, Austin</li> <li>Guatemala St, Buenos Aires</li> <li>Commercial Dr, Vancouver</li> <li>Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur</li> <li>Rua da Boavista, Lisbon</li> <li>Arnaldo Quintela, Rio de Janiero</li> <li>Chazawa-dori, Tokyo</li> <li>Consell de Cent, Barcelona</li> </ol> <p><em>Images: </em><em>South China Morning Post via Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

Two more infant deaths at Queensland hospital spark coroner's investigation

<p>In the wake of a recent healthcare scandal involving infant fatalities at a Queensland hospital, the state coroner is now delving into two more heartbreaking cases at the same facility, as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-12/coroner-investigating-more-baby-deaths-at-mackay-base-hospital/103573248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported by the ABC</a>. This development has reignited concerns about the safety and quality of care provided to expectant mothers and newborns at Mackay Base Hospital.</p> <p>The stories of Chloe Stanley and Jenna McGregor echo a disturbing pattern of maternal distress, dismissal of concerns and tragic outcomes. Stanley's baby girl, Everlee, tragically passed away in her arms just seven days after birth in May 2023, while McGregor lost her son, Hugo, five days after his birth, two months prior. Both infants succumbed to hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, a condition stemming from oxygen or blood flow deprivation during birth.</p> <p>Stanley's harrowing experience sheds light on a systemic issue of young mothers feeling marginalised and ignored by healthcare professionals. At just 19 years old, Stanley expressed her belief that she was being "judged" for her ago, leading to dismissal of her concerns about her baby's well-being, ultimately resulting in devastating consequences. McGregor's ordeal parallels Stanley's, underscoring a troubling lack of responsiveness to maternal distress and the urgent need for systemic reforms.</p> <p>These recent tragedies evoke haunting memories of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-30/mackay-hospital-health-service-babies-obstetrics-review/101411172" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a similar case a decade ago</a>, involving the loss of Jessica Beazley's newborn son, Nathan. Like Stanley and McGregor, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-30/mackay-base-hospital-obstetrics-harming-mother-and-baby/101485862" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beazley's concerns </a>appear to have been disregarded, leading to irreversible harm. An investigation into Mackay Base Hospital's obstetrics and gynaecology service in 2022 revealed a disturbing pattern of inadequate care contributing to infant deaths and maternal suffering, prompting calls for comprehensive reforms.</p> <p>The review uncovered 122 recommendations aimed at improving communication, culture and empathy within the hospital's maternity care system. However, despite assurances of progress, Stanley and McGregor's experiences suggest that critical reforms have yet to be fully implemented, leaving expectant mothers vulnerable to similar tragedies.</p> <p>The Root Cause Analysis conducted by the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) following McGregor's loss identified several systemic deficiencies, including delays in care escalation, poor collaboration and communication breakdowns. These findings underscore the urgent need for sustained efforts to address systemic failures and ensure the safety of expectant mothers and their babies.</p> <p>Stanley's and McGregor's accounts of feeling dismissed and unheard by healthcare providers highlight a pervasive culture of neglect and complacency that must be addressed. </p> <p>In response to these tragedies, health authorities have pledged to bolster obstetric care and enhance staff training and empathy initiatives. </p> <p>As the Queensland coroner investigates these heartbreaking cases, it is imperative that lessons are learned, and systemic reforms are swiftly implemented to prevent further loss of innocent lives.</p> <p>Expectant mothers like Chloe Stanley and Jenna McGregor deserve nothing less than the highest standard of care and compassion throughout their pregnancy and childbirth journey.</p> <p><em>Images: Mackay Base Hospital \ Getty Images file photo</em> </p>

Legal

One humble Sydney pub's big plans for Princess Mary's coronation

<p>A pub in Sydney has shared their plans to celebrate Crown Princess Mary's coronation as she ascends to the Danish throne. </p> <p>The Slip Inn, a Merivale-owned pub near Sydney's Darling Harbour, was where Princess Mary met Denmark's Prince Frederik in 2000 during the Olympic Games. </p> <p>Now, the Aussie princess is set to become Queen of Denmark following the shock announcement of the abdication of Queen Margrethe, who announced she will be handing the throne to her son as of January 14th. </p> <p>In celebration of the Princess Mary <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/crown-princess-mary-set-to-make-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making history</a> as the first Aussie to ever hold the title of Queen Consort, the Slip Inn have shared their plans for coronation day. </p> <p>The pub will be honouring the occasion with a Danish themed menu and decorations ahead of a busy weekend expected to attract tourists and royal punters.</p> <p>The Slip Inn is closed on Sunday, so there will be no live broadcast of the official proclamation ceremony taking place in Copenhagen, however the pub couldn’t let the day pass without paying tribute to the couple.</p> <p>Danish flags will fly throughout the venue, while Daisies, the national flower of Denmark, will adorn the venue and King and Queen thrones have been installed for people to pose on and take photos with.</p> <p>A special menu will feature hotdogs and a Scandinavian inspired cocktail titled “There’s Something About Mary”. </p> <p>The Danish-inspired menu will run at The Slip Inn for the whole month of January to celebrate the new King and Queen. </p> <p>Chief operating officer at Laundy Hotels Justin Tynan said the Sussex St pub was “the place to be” in Sydney’s thriving night-life scene of the time, and soon became the centre of royal attention after the couple disclosed it as their meeting place.</p> <p>“I think I did about 50 live crosses around the world when the news broke,” he said of the time.</p> <p>“The Danish flag still hangs out the front of the building but back in the day we put Carlsberg beer on, we put Danish food on the menu, we had buses turning up with Danish tourists just wanting to see exactly where they were.”</p> <p>“It was absolutely crazy.” </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Relationships

Coroner finally reveals Sinead O’Connor’s cause of death

<p>The cause of Sinead O'Connor's unexpected death in July 2023 has been officially disclosed by a coroner, initiating a global response of grief for the renowned Irish music icon known as the "Daughter of Ireland".</p> <p>According to British authorities, the 56-year-old singer died of natural causes, a revelation that has led to an extensive outpouring of condolences and remembrance from her admirers worldwide.</p> <p><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/sin-ad-o-connor-passes-away-at-just-56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Discovered unresponsive in her London home last July</a>, the sudden passing of O'Connor prompted an emotional worldwide reaction. John Thompson, a clerk of Southwark Coroners Court in London, confirmed the natural cause of death, leading to the cessation of the coroner's involvement in the case.</p> <p>A prior statement on the Coroner's website had indicated that a decision regarding the need for an inquest would be made once the cause of death was determined. O'Connor was pronounced dead at the scene in her Herne Hill penthouse in South London, with no immediate disclosure of the medical cause of death. The Coroner opted not to provide additional details regarding the specific circumstances of her passing following the autopsy.</p> <p>In the period leading up to her death, O'Connor had taken to social media to share personal updates, expressing a newfound sense of happiness after moving back to London. This phase marked a fresh start for the singer following the tragic loss of her son Shane, who, at the age of 17, took his own life in January 2022 after escaping hospital while under suicide watch.</p> <p>A year later, in January, O'Connor was admitted to the hospital after revealing on social media that she had decided to follow her son's path. The singer had been open about her mental health struggles, using platforms like Twitter to convey the depth of her grief, referring to herself as an "undead night creature" since the loss of her beloved son, whom she described as "the love of my life, the lamp of my soul".</p> <p>A funeral procession for O'Connor through her hometown in Bray, Ireland, witnessed a gathering of thousands of mourners. Draped in blue, white and pink flowers, her coffin rolled through the streets after a private memorial service attended by family, friends and fellow musicians such as Bono and Bob Geldof, the latter observed riding behind the cortege.</p> <p>Geldof, reflecting on O'Connor's tumultuous life, spoke of the "terrible loneliness and terrible despair" that had haunted her many times. The procession, passing along the seafront south of Dublin, where O'Connor had lived for 15 years, marked the final chapter in the life of a music legend whose legacy will forever be intertwined with the pain and beauty she brought to the world.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Beloved Coronation Street star dies aged 89

<p><em>Coronation Street</em> star Joan Savage has passed away at 89. </p> <p>The actress, known for her role as Celeste Pickersgill in the ITV soap series, was reported to have passed away peacefully in her home in Twickenham earlier this month. </p> <p>Her cause of death has not been revealed. </p> <p>Tributes have poured in from the star's friends and family. </p> <p>In a touching tribute, her daughter Kelly wrote: "Mum always used to say 'I'd like to go with my tap shoes on' so the last few years have been extremely difficult for her and us as a family.</p> <p>"I hope she's reunited with her show biz contemporaries and putting on a show up there!" she added.</p> <p>Her friend, Cheryl Forbes paid tribute to the actress on X. </p> <p>"Our dear friend, the remarkable Joan Savage, passed away recently," she tweeted. </p> <p>"She was a real star and absolutely brilliant at everything she did," she continued. "An actress, comedienne, singer, impressionist and dancer.</p> <p>"She was truly a very special talent."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our dear friend, the remarkable Joan Savage, passed away recently. She was a real star and absolutely brilliant at everything she did. An actress, comedienne, singer, impressionist and dancer. She was truly a very special talent 💔 <a href="https://t.co/mDtL2YTeX6">https://t.co/mDtL2YTeX6</a></p> <p>— Cheryl Forbes (@mezzocheryl) <a href="https://twitter.com/mezzocheryl/status/1724507318316859598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Savage has spent over six decades in the show biz industry. She starred in an episode of <em>Dad's Army</em> in 1972, and made multiple appearances in <em>The Arthur Haynes Show</em> between 1956 and 1962. </p> <p>Aside from her glittering career on the screen, she also ventured out into music, theatre and entertainment.</p> <p>She toured as the leading lady in a George and Alfred Black revue called <em>Music and Madness, </em>where she met performer Ken Morris - who she later on married in 1955 - and the pair performed as a double act. </p> <p>The duo appeared in multiple big shows and advertisements at the time including <em>Hi Summer, The Black and White Minstrel Show, The Jack Jackson Show</em> and <em>The Arthur Haynes Show.</em></p> <p>In 1960, they welcomed daughter Kelly, but their love story was cut short when Morris tragically passed away on July 3, 1968 following a brain tumour. </p> <p>Four years later, Savage remarried, and tied the knot with husband Bryan on November 1972.</p> <p>She continued performing and had also established herself as a solo artist, creating popular love songs, comedies and even went on to win the Nordring Radio Prize for her singing in 1974. </p> <p>Savage is survived by her husband Bryan, her daughter Kelly and her two grandkids.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty/ Youtube</em></p>

Caring

Streets of purple haze: how the South American jacaranda became a symbol of Australian spring

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-k-martin-107846">Susan K Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>Jacaranda season is beginning across Australia as an explosion of vivid blue spreads in a wave from north to south. We think of jacarandas as a signature tree of various Australian cities. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth all feature avenues of them.</p> <p>Grafton in New South Wales hosts an annual <a href="https://www.jacarandafestival.com/">jacaranda festival</a>. Herberton in Queensland is noted for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jacarandafestivalherberton/">its seasonal show</a>.</p> <p>There are significant plantings in many botanic, public and university gardens across Australia. <em>Jacaranda mimosifolia</em> (the most common species in Australia) doesn’t generally flower in Darwin, and Hobart is a little cold for it.</p> <p>So showy and ubiquitous, jacarandas can be mistaken for natives, but they originate in South America. The imperial plant-exchange networks of the 19th century introduced them to Australia.</p> <p>But how did these purple trees find their stronghold in our suburbs?</p> <h2>Propagating the trees</h2> <p>Botanist Alan Cunningham sent the first jacaranda specimens from <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">Rio to Britain’s Kew gardens</a> around 1818.</p> <p>Possibly, jacaranda trees arrived from Kew in colonial Australia. Alternately, Cunningham may have disseminated the tree in his later postings in Australia or through plant and seed exchanges.</p> <p>Jacarandas are a widespread imperial introduction and are now a feature of many temperate former colonies. The jacaranda was exported by the British from Kew, by other colonial powers (Portugal for example) and directly from South America to various colonies.</p> <p>Jacarandas grow from seed quite readily, but the often preferred mode of plant propagation in the 19th century was through cuttings because of sometimes <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">unreliable seed</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/histres/article/93/262/715/5938031?login=true">volume of results</a>.</p> <p>Cuttings are less feasible for the jacaranda, so the tree was admired but rare in Australia until either nurseryman Michael Guilfoyle or gardener George Mortimer succeeded in propagating the tree in 1868.</p> <p>Once the trees could be easily propagated, <a href="https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/library/local_history/woollahra_plaque_scheme/plaques/michael_guilfoyle">jacarandas became more widely available</a> and they began their spread through Australian suburbs.</p> <h2>A colonial import</h2> <p>Brisbane claims the earliest jacaranda tree in Australia, <a href="https://blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/godfrey-rivers-under-the-jacaranda-a-quintessential-image-of-brisbane-queensland/">planted in 1864</a>, but the Sydney Botanic Garden jacaranda is dated at “around” 1850, and jacarandas were listed for sale in <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13055858?searchTerm=Jacaranda%20OR%20Jakaranda">Sydney in 1861</a>.</p> <p>These early park and garden plantings were eye-catching – but the real impact and popularity of jacarandas is a result of later street plantings.</p> <p>Jacaranda avenues, in Australia and around the world, usually indicate wealthier suburbs like Dunkeld in <a href="https://www.wisemove.co.za/post/top-10-richest-suburbs-in-johannesburg">Johannesberg</a> and Kilimani in <a href="https://gay.medium.com/hashtag-jacaranda-propaganda-2f20ac6958b9">Nairobi</a>.</p> <p>In Australia, these extravagant displays appear in older, genteel suburbs like Subiaco and Applecross in Perth; Kirribilli, Paddington and Lavender Bay in Sydney; Parkville and the Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy in Melbourne; Mitcham, Frewville and Westbourne Park in Adelaide; and St Lucia in Brisbane.</p> <p>The trend toward urban street avenue plantings expanded internationally in the <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.2307/3983816?journalCode=foreconshist">mid 19th century</a>. It was particularly popular in growing colonial towns and cities. It followed trends in imperial centres, but new colonial cities offered scope for <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2009/00000015/00000003/art00004">concerted planning of avenues in new streets</a>.</p> <p>Early Australian streets were often host to a mix of native plants and exotic imported trees. Joseph Maiden, director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens from 1896, drove the move from mixed street plantings towards avenues of single-species trees in the early 20th century.</p> <p>Maiden selected trees suitable to their proposed area, but he was also driven by contemporary aesthetic ideas of <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2009/00000015/00000003/art00004">uniformity and display</a>.</p> <p>By the end of the 19th century, deciduous trees were becoming more popular as tree plantings for their variety and, in southern areas, for the openness to winter sunshine.</p> <p>It takes around ten years for jacaranda trees to become established. Newly planted jacarandas take between two and 14 years to produce their first flowers, so there was foresight in planning to achieve the streets we have today.</p> <p>In Melbourne, jacarandas were popular in post-first world war plantings. They were displaced by a move to native trees after the second world war. Despite localised popularity in certain suburbs, the jacaranda does not make the list of top 50 tree plantings for <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/220356756/714CC7FF6134038PQ/6?accountid=12001">Melbourne</a>.</p> <p>In Queensland, 19th-century street tree planting was particularly ad hoc – the <a href="https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=602440">Eagle Street fig trees</a> are an example – and offset by enthusiastic forest clearance. It wasn’t until the early 20th century street beautification became more organised and jacaranda avenues were planted in areas like New Farm in Brisbane.</p> <p>The popular plantings on the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland occurred later, in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/queensland-review/article/abs/for-shade-colour-and-in-memory-of-sacrifice-amenity-and-memorial-tree-planting-in-queenslands-towns-and-cities-191555/459CD1E02E7FD581B4B89ADD7073D705">1930s</a>.</p> <h2>A flower for luck</h2> <p>In Australia, as elsewhere, there can be too much of a good thing. Jacarandas are an invasive species <a href="https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/jacaranda">in parts of Australia</a> (they seed readily in the warm dry climates to which they have been introduced).</p> <p>Parts of South Africa have limited or banned the planting of jacarandas because of their water demands and <a href="http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0006-82412017000200020">invasive tendencies</a>. Ironically, eucalypts have a similar status in South Africa.</p> <p>Writer <a href="https://gay.medium.com/hashtag-jacaranda-propaganda-2f20ac6958b9">Carey Baraka argues</a> that, however beloved and iconic now, significant plantings of jacarandas in Kenya indicate areas of past and present white population and colonial domination.</p> <p>Despite these drawbacks, spectacular jacaranda plantings remain popular where they have been introduced. There are even myths about them that cross international boundaries.</p> <p>In the southern hemisphere – in Pretoria or Sydney – they bloom on university campuses during examination time: the first blooms mark the time to study; the fall of blooms suggests it is <a href="https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/dream-tree-jacaranda-sydney-icon/">too late</a>; and the fall of a blossom on a student bestows <a href="https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/34">good luck</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214075/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-k-martin-107846"><em>Susan K Martin</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor in English, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/streets-of-purple-haze-how-the-south-american-jacaranda-became-a-symbol-of-australian-spring-214075">original article</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

Dave Hughes mugged by "big man" on Melbourne street

<p>Comedian Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes has shared an incident on air about a harrowing encounter he had while grabbing dinner in Melbourne for his family on a Tuesday night.</p> <p>The 52-year-old radio host recounted the incident during his appearance on 2DAY FM’s morning show, "Hughesy, Ed & Erin", with fellow comedian and stand-in host, Kate Langbroek.</p> <p>Hughes explained that he had ridden his electric bike to a nearby takeaway restaurant close to his residence to order dinner for his family.</p> <p>Unfortunately, upon his arrival, he discovered that the restaurant he had in mind was closed. Frustrated by the situation, he took out his phone with the intention of calling his wife to discuss alternative dinner plans when, suddenly, his phone was snatched from his hand.</p> <p>While recalling the incident, Hughes expressed how startled he was, saying, "I’m on the bike, and I put my phone up to my ear, and then all of a sudden, someone grabs my phone out of my hand, just grabbed it, yes, stole my phone."</p> <p>He went on to describe the thief as a "big man" who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, suspecting him to be a "meth head": “I look and it’s a man, a big man, and he is off his nut. I’m gonna say he’s a meth head, you know what I'm talking about.”</p> <p>The assailant's erratic behaviour didn't end with the phone theft. Hughes continued, "He tries to talk into the phone and he goes, ‘You weren’t even talking to anyone.’ Like it was my fault, like I was pretending to make a phone call."</p> <p>Rather than pursuing the thief on his bike, Hughes resorted to shouting, "Give me my phone back!"</p> <p>The situation eventually deescalated as the man threw the phone to the ground and stumbled away, eventually confronting a nearby vehicle. "He just staggered off and basically attacked a car,” said Hughes.</p> <p>Langbroek criticised Hughes for not immediately contacting the police after the unsettling incident, expressing concern about tolerating such dysfunction in society. “I know that we’re all like, that’s sort of how it rolls," she said, "but when you start accepting dysfunction like that, then dysfunction will rule.”</p> <p>Hughes, who had lost his driver's license the previous month due to a series of minor traffic violations that resulted in the loss of his accumulated points, had been relying on his electric bike for transportation. </p> <p><em>Image: 2DAY FM</em></p>

Legal

Hero tradie’s daring move saves toddler who wandered onto busy street

<p>In an awe-inspiring act of bravery that will leave you breathless, shocking <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tradie-scary-move-save-child-095600259.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dash cam footage</a> has captured a heart-pounding moment that will forever be etched in the annals of heroism. </p> <p>Laurie Owens, a true guardian angel who fearlessly soared into action on the Salisbury Highway in Adelaide, embarked on a heart-stopping mission to save a young child's life, giving no thought to his own safety or that of his vehicle</p> <p>It was just another day for working tradie Laurie Owens as he navigated the bustling roadways. But with eagle eyes and a heart tuned to protect, Laurie spotted a young boy, still adorned in his nappy, wandering innocently into the treacherous path of oncoming vehicles on a busy highway.</p> <p>In a surge of adrenalin-fuelled heroism, Owens sprang into action as – u<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">ndeterred by the imminent danger, he gallantly mounted the median strip and fearlessly directed his own vehicle into the path of the charging traffic, all in an effort to shield the toddler from harm's way. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">His words echo with undying determination: "I'd rather take the damage of a car running into me because I'm safe rather than the child be killed because what protection do they have?" he told 9News. </span></p> <p>In a dazzling display of divine intervention, the unsuspecting little boy, named Aaryan, instinctively turned and bolted towards the safety of his family driveway, under the watchful gaze of Owens.</p> <p>Owens then gathered the child in his arms, poised to reunite him with his worried parents, who confirmed that Aaryan was indeed their precious child. The driveway gates had been left ajar, allowing the child, who grapples with autism, to embark on an unplanned adventure onto the perilous road.</p> <p>In the tearful aftermath, Aaryan's mother, overwhelmed with gratitude, expressed her deepest appreciation, declaring, "Thank you, I'm really grateful that [he] saved my child."</p> <p>For Owens, the humble champion of this heart-stopping saga, the joy of knowing that the little boy made it home safely was an immeasurable reward. Bursting with pride, he triumphantly proclaimed, "I've saved a kid's life. He's got a future now!"</p> <p><em>Images: 9 News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

"Not my King": Second coronation marred by protestors

<p>King Charles has celebrated his coronation a second time during a ceremony in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, just two months after being crowned King in London. </p> <p>The monarch was joined by Queen Camilla, and Prince and Princess of Wales, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, for a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication held in his honour. </p> <p>During the service inside St Giles Cathedral, the monarch was presented with the symbols of his authority in Scotland – the Crown, the Sceptre and the Sword of State.</p> <p>The new Elizabeth Sword, named in honour of the late monarch, was commissioned to replace the previous Sword of State as it had become too fragile, having been given to James IV by Pope Julius in 1507.</p> <p>The sword was carried into the cathedral by Olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger.</p> <p>Despite the grand and emotional service, the ceremony was slightly marred by anti-monarch protestors outside.</p> <p>The protestors stood chanting "not my King" for hours on end so loudly, that the voices could be heard from inside the church during the quieter moments of the ceremony. </p> <p>Four protestors were later arrested for their disruption. </p> <p>Prior to the ceremony, Grant McKenzie from the Republic anti-monarchy pressure group, told the BBC's <em>Good Morning Scotland</em> programme that his group would be vocal at the event.</p> <p>"It's being forced upon us," McKenzie said. "We've got an unprecedented cost of living crisis. I don't think the public in the UK are particularly interested in their tax payer money being put towards a parade up and down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh - it's tone deaf.</p> <p>"Of course people are going to be able to enjoy it if that's what they want to do. Protests by their very nature are disruptive, we will be making ourselves visible and heard."</p> <p>The King and Queen didn't let the demonstrators get in the way of the proceedings, which was strengthened by the thousands of crowds who lined the streets of Edinburgh in support of the royal family. </p> <p>The tradition of a second coronation taking place in Scotland dates back over 400 years, with the late Queen Elizabeth also celebrating the event just weeks after her coronation in 1953. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Transgress to impress: why do people tag buildings – and are there any solutions?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavia-marcello-403040">Flavia Marcello</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>In 1985 photographer Rennie Ellis <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8707788">defined graffiti</a> as “the result of someone’s urge to say something – to comment, inform, entertain, persuade, offend or simply to confirm his or her own existence here on earth”. Since the mid-1980s, graffiti has crossed from vandalism to an accepted form of art practice through large murals or “pieces” and stencil art aimed at informing, entertaining and persuading us.</p> <p>But these are outnumbered by the tags you see everywhere. These stylised icon-type signatures define a hand style and confirm their author’s existence on Earth. These, for many of us, remain an eyesore. If you walk through an urban environment filled with tags, you may feel less safe. Heavily tagged areas can suggest the area is not cared for or surveilled.</p> <p>So why are Australian cities so full of tags? The problem is, the main solution proven to work is expensive. When tags go up, paint over them – and keep doing it. While anti-graffiti paint exists, it’s not widely used at present.</p> <h2>Why do people tag?</h2> <p>Graffiti in urban centres is often tied to the world-wide proliferation of hip-hop culture. Along with DJing, rapping and breakdancing, “Graf” or “writing” is considered one of its <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop">four pillars</a>.</p> <p>Posturing (or showing off) is a big part of tagging. When you see a tag on a freeway overpass or seemingly inaccessible building parapet, it’s not only confirming the tagger’s existence, it’s bragging. See how high I climbed! See what crazy risks I took!</p> <p>As one tagger in Sydney’s outer south-western suburb of Campbelltown <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/vandalism-graffiti-state-rail-authority-nsw.pdf">told researchers</a> in the 1980s:</p> <blockquote> <p>If you get on a train and see your name and know you’ve been here before that’s real good. Like, I was here. Or you see your mate’s name and you can say, hey, I know him […] It’s really good if you can get your name up in a difficult place where nobody else has. Other kids look at that and think, great!</p> </blockquote> <p>So why do people tag?</p> <ul> <li> <p>it boosts self-esteem and a sense of belonging to a social network, particularly for teens experiencing alienation at school</p> </li> <li> <p>it demonstrates bravado. Risky places have the added advantages of being both highly visible and harder to remove</p> </li> <li> <p>it gives graf artists practice for bigger pieces. You have to work quickly and accurately, especially in precarious positions where you could get caught at any moment.</p> </li> </ul> <p>While cities like Melbourne <a href="https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/art/where-to-find-the-best-street-art-in-melbourne">have embraced</a> larger murals and pieces as street art – even making them a tourist attraction – tagging isn’t regarded the same way.</p> <p>So why do non-taggers hate it? On a broader level, tagging can signify a sense of social degradation which makes people feel less safe.</p> <p>There’s no clear link between <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">more graffiti and more crime</a>. Even so, the public perception is that tagging is a sign warning of the presence of <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/vandalism-graffiti-state-rail-authority-nsw.pdf">disaffected and potentially violent</a> people in gangs.</p> <p>Asked to picture a tagger and you will most likely come up with a stock photo stereotype: a male teenager in a hoodie from a seedy area. But you would not be completely right. It is true just under half (46%) of graffiti damage and related offences are committed by 14 to 16 year old males, but the largest percentage of offenders actually come from <a href="https://www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/Schools/Facts-for-Students/Who-are-the-most-likely-offenders-of-graffiti">middle- to high-income families</a>.</p> <p>So what tools do we have to manage it?</p> <h2>Punishment</h2> <p>It’s perfectly legal to commission a graf artist to paint a wall of a building you own. Many people do this to avoid a street-facing wall being tagged. For it to be illegal, tagging or graffiti has to be done without the owner’s permission.</p> <p>Since the majority of taggers are under 18, if they’re caught, punishment will usually include a caution, fines (presumably paid by bemused but cashed up parents) and cleaning off tags.</p> <p>But punitive measures only go so far because the appeal of graffiti is the transgression. Other measures include keeping spray paint locked away or not for sale to under 18s as well as zero-tolerance rapid removal. This can work for a while, but taggers know their tags are temporary. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse a committed tagger will eventually win.</p> <h2>Technical solutions</h2> <p>If you’ve walked past workers scrubbing or pressure washing tags off walls, you may have wondered why there are no coatings which don’t let paint stick.</p> <p>These actually <a href="https://www.ipcm.it/en/article/anti-graffiti-paints-what-are-they-and-how-they-work.aspx">do exist</a>, and can work well. When in place, you can remove graffiti with a solvent rather than having to repaint. But they’re not widely used.</p> <p>Unless paints such as <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/7-inventions-from-mexico-that-would-go-on-to-change-the-world">Deletum 3000</a> are used everywhere this approach is unlikely to be effective.</p> <h2>Prevention</h2> <p>The problem with punitive and technical measures is the limited reach. The vast majority of unwanted graffiti <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">goes unreported</a>. That’s why prevention is becoming more popular.</p> <p>How do you prevent tagging? By making it easier to report. By setting aside areas for taggers and graf artists. By commissioning pieces to deter graffers from illegal modes. And by talking directly to taggers about strategies. But these behaviour change efforts take time.</p> <p>People who hate tagging often believe taggers are motivated by negative emotions such as <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">boredom and rebelliousness</a>. For them it’s vandalism, a criminal act associated with gangs, petty crime, broken windows and a less attractive environment to live in.</p> <p>But the truth is, taggers are often motivated by positive emotions. Tagging, for them, brings pride, pleasure, enjoyment and community. That’s why behaviour change approaches can be hard.</p> <h2>So what’s the best way forward?</h2> <p>In the 1990s, many cities declared war on skateboarders, using punishment and installing metal stoppers on well-skated urban areas. But the real solution was simpler: create skate parks.</p> <p>For taggers, the answer may be similar. Give them spaces such as little-used alleyways to practise their art. And for the rest of us, the solution may be to look at tags with different eyes. Not as a sign of crime and the collapse of civilisation, but as a need for validation, for transgression, for community and all the other things you probably wanted when you were a teenager.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205492/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavia-marcello-403040">Flavia Marcello</a>, Professor of Design History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/transgress-to-impress-why-do-people-tag-buildings-and-are-there-any-solutions-205492">original article</a>.</em></p>

Art

Royal family celebrates Prince William’s birthday with unseen photo

<p dir="ltr">The Royal family have shared a never-before-seen candid snap of King Charles and Prince William to celebrate the Prince’s 41st birthday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The picture, which was posted to Instagram on Wednesday, showed a candid moment between the two royals who shared a laugh as the Prince struggled to fasten an ancient Imperial Mantle over his dad's shoulders.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sweet father and son moment was captured inside Westminster Abbey during the coronation rehearsals last month.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair were dressed in their suits, with the intimate moment captured just days before the big ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wishing The Prince of Wales a very happy birthday today! 🎈” the caption read.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtvkOxIMFN2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtvkOxIMFN2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The photo comes just days after Prince William and Princess Kate shared <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/prince-william-shares-sweet-father-s-day-photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new family photos </a>in celebration of Father’s Day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans have shared their birthday wishes to Prince William and their praise for the beautiful photo.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This photo isn’t about being royal…This photo is depicting the love between a son and his father… ❤️” wrote one fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy birthday to The Prince of Wales. Keep on shining William! 💕” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What a lovely picture! Happy Birthday your Royal Highness! 👑🥳” wrote a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lovely photo! Happy Birthday to Prince William!” commented a fourth.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Why King Charles III arrived late to his coronation

<p>The reason why King Charles III was late to his own coronation has been revealed, with a military source attributing His Majesty’s tardiness to horse troubles.</p> <p>Six Windsor Greys were carefully selected to pull the Diamond Jubilee State Coach to transport King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey on May 6.</p> <p>Their names are Echo, Haven, Knightsbridge, Milford, Shadow and Tyrone.</p> <p>The source told <em>The Telegraph</em> in the UK that the dress rehearsal for the journey took place in the middle of the night when the horses were "quite sleepy and took their time.”</p> <p>"But on the day of the Coronation, they were wide awake and consequently went a lot faster than they had in the practice. That's what threw the timings out," they continued.</p> <p>As the royals arrived at the Abbey, viewers saw a visibly irritated Charles demanding an explanation.</p> <p>Initially, the delay was blamed on the Prince and Princess of Wales who were scheduled to arrive at Westminster Abbey before the monarch but rather arrived a few minutes after.</p> <p>A lip reader told <em>The Guardian</em> that the King muttered, "we can never be on time" and "there's always something”.</p> <p>The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived with their children Princess Charlotte, eight and Prince Louis, five.</p> <p>They were left to join the back of the procession to the altar of the abbey.</p> <p>There had been suggestions they were delayed by filming behind-the-scenes footage of their preparations, which was later posted on social media, but that is allegedly false.</p> <p>Prince George, nine, acted as Page of Honour for his grandfather at the coronation and performed his duties diligently.</p> <p>King Charles, Prince William and Prince George later posed for a “line of succession” portrait.</p> <p>Prince Harry was spotted at the ceremony, taking his seat in the third row with his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.</p> <p>His visit was short-lived as he flew home to the US for his son Archie’s fourth birthday later that day.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

What Julie Bishop really thinks of King Charles

<p>Julie Bishop has shared what she really thinks of King Charles, just days after rubbing shoulders with members of the royal family at the coronation. </p> <p>The former Foreign Minister was invited to the historic event for her role as chair of the Princes Trust, as she joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other politicians in Westminster Abbey. </p> <p>Now, in a social media Q&A for <em>Marie Claire Australia</em>, Bishop has described King Charles as an inspiration. </p> <p>The 66-year-old shared her admiration for the King, while commending his work in the royal family. </p> <p>"I admire King Charles," Bishop said in the video, adding, "I think he's been an extraordinarily focused King in waiting."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsDK7LUIo9t/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsDK7LUIo9t/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Marie Claire Australia (@marieclaireau)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bishop made headlines from the coronation when her selfie with Lionel Ritchie went viral, as Julie <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/julie-bishop-tells-all-from-inside-king-charles-coronation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> what it was really like inside Westminster Abbey for the royal event. </p> <p>Bishop told 7News that she and Ritchie were making comments to each other throughout the service, as they pointed out who else was invited to the coronation. </p> <p>"During the procession, we'd be whispering to each other... I'd say that's the Papua New Guineans and he'd tell me who somebody else was."</p> <p>"But then as he was singing a hymn, I was very quiet. I didn't want to have my voice heard. That's quite an experience in itself having Lionel Ritchie singing hymns next to you."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Julie said she felt honoured to be invited to the historic ceremony, admitting. "I have never been to anything like this."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"I felt deeply privileged to be invited and to witness the pageantry and the beauty and the religious and historical significance of this service was deeply moving."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">"When you're actually there, there was a sense of excitement and anticipation."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

King Charles’ grimmest guest exposed

<p dir="ltr">In the months leading up to King Charles III’s extravagant coronation, the guest list was a hot topic. </p> <p dir="ltr">From “will she or won’t she?” discussions surrounding Meghan Markle to the “who’s who?” of British high society, there was always something on hand to pick apart. But one guest that no-one had seen coming - except perhaps in some of the internet’s darkest jokes - was the Grim Reaper.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cloaked figure was spotted during Charles’ May 6 coronation at Westminster Abbey, scurrying past a doorway with a long thin staff in hand, reminiscent of the reaper’s scythe or Charon’s ferry oar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Those determined to see some Harry and Meghan drama transpire joked that it may have been the prince’s wife in disguise, or even the late Diana back for “revenge”, and social media was rife with jokes, though most were of the opinion that the mysterious guest was none other than the fabled Grim Reaper. </p> <p dir="ltr">One Twitter user wasted no time in sharing a clip of the figure’s appearance at the abbey, asking if anyone else was seeing the same thing. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anyone else just notice the Grim Reaper at Westminster Abbey? 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coronation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Coronation</a> <a href="https://t.co/77s4XIY17i">pic.twitter.com/77s4XIY17i</a></p> <p>— Joe (@realjoegreeeen) <a href="https://twitter.com/realjoegreeeen/status/1654774890237394945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Yep, had to pause & rewind to get a pic,” one like-minded soul wrote in response, “couldn't decide if it was Death (Pratchett would be proud) or maybe Darth Vader!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“High security should allow the identity of the grim reaper to be revealed. No doubt this is an official walk-in,” another said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought I was seeing things when this happened,” one user admitted, “would love to know who it was.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Diana getting her revenge,” another decided. </p> <p dir="ltr">There was, of course, another possibility, as someone pointed out when they wrote “Charles got pranked.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When footage was uploaded to TikTok, alongside the caption “NAH IT CANT JUST BE ME THAT SAW IT”, the response was similar, with the video collecting over 31k comments, and 21 million views. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Grim reaper Casually invited to the coronation as a security guard,” one user said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“That is Diana,” another declared.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, someone was simply of the opinion that “Lizzy [was] coming back for her crown”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thankfully, they weren’t left to ponder it for long, with a Westminster Abbey spokesperson putting the grim theories to rest, confirming the figure’s identity as a member of the abbey community. More specifically, as a verger, an individual who assists with religious services but who is not actually a member of the clergy itself.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

International Travel

“Grandma meant Elmo”: Cake-maker reveals hilarious baking blunder

<p>An American baker has left the internet in stitches after misreading her customer’s custom cake request, instead delivering a baking blunder for the Sesame Street history books.</p> <p>In a video posted to her TikTok account, Brianna Romero - who is known professionally as Brinni Cakes - confessed her mistake to the world, recounting the story of how a recent order from a grandmother had led her to the creation of her new friend ‘Emo Elmo’.</p> <p>“So my worst nightmare happened,” she said, with audio playing over a timelapse of Brianne constructing another cake. “Last week a lady DMed me and asked me if I could make her an emo cake, and I was thinking ‘yes, of course, I love emo and I love goth, and I know I’ve been perfecting my black frosting so I’m ready for this’.” </p> <p>Brianna went on to explain that she’d gotten all of her customer’s information, and set to work. However, an hour before she was set to deliver the cake, she decided to offer the woman a number candle - an offer that was soon accepted. </p> <p>“She said ‘yes, the cake is for my granddaughter and she’s turning four’”, Brianna explained in the clip. “And I thought that that was a little bit weird, ‘cause I don’t know an emo four year old.”</p> <p>After trying to understand the weird request, Brianna figured that the little girl must just be a fan of something like Netflix’s Wednesday series. Unfortunately, this was not the case. </p> <p>“Something felt wrong,” she noted, before describing how she’d reach out again to ask what the theme of the party was, only to find out it was Sesame Street. </p> <p>“So my heart sinks a little bit because this is now making sense to me,” she said. It was then that Brianna returned to the original exchange between herself and her customer, and had her worst fears confirmed. </p> <p>“I misread emo,” Brianna admitted, “and it said an Elmo cake.”</p> <p>Luckily, Brianna was a quick thinker in her time of stress and rushed out to find an Elmo topper for her cake, before offering the cake for free.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610.266px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7212109376436391210&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40brinnicakes%2Fvideo%2F7212109376436391210&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Fe19d4562cc04495c8778154678f1d382_1679200086%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-useast5-i-0068-tx%2F1ad8d307d5f74948880bf2e0f91228f3.image%3Fx-expires%3D1683669600%26x-signature%3DCxdjPe36YRrx4SrRRwvAPwRsevY%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p>Brianna’s audience were obsessed with her tale, and the video shot to viral heights, with over 11.7 million views to its name. </p> <p>“As soon as you revealed it was for a 4yr old I was like ‘oh no, grandma meant Elmo’,” one follower wrote. </p> <p>“Praying it’s Elmo with a side bang,” said another. </p> <p>Her misfortune drew in over a thousand comments, but there was a recurring thought that stood out among the chorus, and that was a request to see the baked blunder. </p> <p>And while Brianna admitted in an update that she hadn’t had the time to snap pictures on the day of delivery, she did her best with her follow-up video, sharing photos of cakes that looked “almost exactly” like her own, to the delight of her worldwide audience. </p> <p>“This is so funny,” someone said. “Elmo with a side bang has me in tears.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, another commenter wanted to know what the recipients had thought about their unique goods. </p> <p>“She tried to pay still but I told her everything that happened and we just laughed it off,” Brianna said. “It was just for a small family party anyway.”</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

ABC threatened with legal action over coronation coverage

<p dir="ltr">The Australian Monarchist League have threatened to take legal action against the ABC over their coronation coverage, specifically the comments made on their hour-long special <em>The Coronation: A discussion about the Monarchy in 2023</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The programme, focussed on the monarchy’s relevance to Australia, featured <em>The Drum</em>’s Julia Baird and Jeremy Fernandez as hosts, with a panel that included the likes of<em> Q&A </em>host Stan Grant and Australian Republic Movement co-chair Craig Foster. Julian Leeser - a Liberal MP and monarchist - and Teela Reid - a Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman - were also involved.</p> <p dir="ltr">The coverage, which broadcast in Australia three hours before King Charles III’s coronation, faced a wave of criticism from the Australian Monarchist League, as well as <em>3AW</em> radio host Neil Mitchell, ABC audiences, and Liberal MPs.</p> <p dir="ltr">And now, the AML have announced their intention to take their complaints further, with a statement from AML national chair Philip Benwell declaring that their “legal advisers are preparing a formal complaint to the board of the ABC in regard to the production and airing of Saturday's extremely biased pre-Coronation programme specifically designed to attack the Constitution and the Crown. Our Executive and others are meeting this week to formalise our approach.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So vitriolic are their attacks on the King, the monarchy, the British settlement and everything that came thereafter that they forget that they are the very people who want our vote for their Voice to the Parliament.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Brenwell noted that they were inviting “pertinent comments” regarding the broadcast to help compile their formal complaint, specifying that these should “include specific comments made during the programme by interviewers and panellists”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Neil Mitchell, radio host for <em>3AW</em>, had a lot to say about the coverage too, noting his opinion that it had “misread the mood”, as well as his desire for the ABC to see the broadcaster held accountable. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Somebody in the ABC needs to be accountable for this,” he declared, “as the national broadcaster it should have been the place you go to see the coverage of the coronation, instead you see all this bitterness about our Indigenous history.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He also took the opportunity to point out that the panel had featured four individuals, with “three of them republicans”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The fourth - and only monarchist - Julian Leeser agreed that the broadcast had gotten “the balance wrong” when it came to their panel compilation. </p> <p dir="ltr">As Mitchell added, “to have only one of four panellists as supporters of our existing constitutional arrangements meant there was little opportunity for a panel discussion that reflected the warmth and respect Australians have for King Charles.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Q&A</em></p>

Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh responds to backlash for “terribly white” coronation comment

<p dir="ltr">A star of the stage and screen, Adjoa Andoh HonFRSL, made waves around the world with her comments on the royal family’s post-coronation balcony appearance. </p> <p dir="ltr">Coverage of King Charles III’s coronation was available around the world from numerous providers, but it was the comments <em>Bridgerton </em>star Adjoa Andoh made during ITV’s extensive coverage in the UK that set the internet ablaze. </p> <p dir="ltr">To kick off their day, the network broadcast a special edition of their <em>Good Morning Britain</em> show, with a programme hosted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham to follow. </p> <p dir="ltr">Their show saw them welcome a whole host of guests - including but not limited to reporters out on The Mall for the day’s festivities. Their coverage was going as planned until they cut to their temporary studio for the royals stepping out onto Buckingham Palace’s balcony.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bradby and Etchingham asked for thoughts from their guests, and it was then that Andoh shared her take, noting that “we have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I am very struck by that.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking ‘what are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?’”</p> <p dir="ltr">A clip from the show went viral on Twitter soon after it was uploaded, where it was met with mixed - and loud - response. </p> <p dir="ltr">The comment stunned the ITV presenters, and Myleene Klass was seen staring at the actor as she spoke.</p> <p dir="ltr">The clip was later shared on Twitter, where it received a mixed response. Some people criticised Andoh for her words, while others applauded her for speaking out.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dozens raced to submit complaints to OFCOM, claiming that Andoh’s take had stemmed from racist ideals, while others rose to her defence, thanking her for speaking out. </p> <p dir="ltr">As author and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu wrote, Andoh “told no lies in factual observation of ‘terribly White’ (literal & symbolic) Buckingham palace balcony at #Coronation in contrast to tokenism of race diversity at Westminster Abbey & got branded ‘racist’”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, conservative commentator Darren Grimes demanded to know “why is it ok to dismiss a white family for being white?”</p> <p dir="ltr">They were only two of such comments flooding social media, and were the exact kind Andoh addressed in her next public appearance, when she joined Paddy O’Connnell on <em>BBC Radio 4</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I think I upset a few people yesterday,” she noted. “I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was, and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going ‘oh, it’s so white!’ because the day had been so mixed, and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, it wasn’t quite enough to stem the tide of feedback, while users all across Twitter taking sides, and sharing their opinion on the latest round of comment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There's an old saying: "Think before you speak". Andoh thought about it and said it anyway,” one said. “Spare us the crocodile tears. You knew exactly what you meant.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She said the right thing they didn’t want to hear instead of the white thing they did want to hear,” another wrote. “The firm had an extraordinary opportunity to show progress and inclusion, not to mention the perfect ambassadors for the Commonwealth - and they ran them out of town.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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King Charles unveils first post-coronation portrait

Hollywood legend targeted on the street in unprovoked attack