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Should King Charles apologise for the genocide of First Nations people when he visits Australia?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebe-taylor-1379975">Rebe Taylor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greg-lehman-18970">Greg Lehman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p>King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Australia from Friday <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/from-bbqs-to-the-csiro-king-charles-and-queen-camilla-s-australian-itinerary-revealed-20240910-p5k9gb.html">on a five-day tour</a> of Canberra and Sydney.</p> <p>The king will be the second ruling British monarch to visit Australia, after <a href="https://theconversation.com/16-visits-over-57-years-reflecting-on-queen-elizabeth-iis-long-relationship-with-australia-170945">Queen Elizabeth II’s 16 visits over 57 years</a>.</p> <p>These visits showcase Australians’ evolving relationship with the monarchy and our colonial past.</p> <h2>Changing attitudes</h2> <p>An estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/16-visits-over-57-years-reflecting-on-queen-elizabeth-iis-long-relationship-with-australia-170945">75% of Australians</a> greeted Elizabeth on her first tour in 1954, at events that celebrated Australia’s growth as a prosperous nation.</p> <p>Historical milestones remained central to the queen’s subsequent visits.</p> <p>In 1970, she attended the re-enactment of Captain Cook’s arrival at Botany Bay. This included depictions of shooting at First Nations actors.</p> <p>The queen’s 1986 visit included <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/student-research-portal/learning-resource-themes/government-and-democracy/prime-ministers-and-politicians/queen-elizabeth-ii-signs-proclamation-australia-act-cth-1986">signing the Australia Act</a> that severed Britain’s formal powers over Australia.</p> <p>Her 1988 visit coincided with the Australian bicentenary of <a href="https://www.royal.uk/queen-marks-australias-bicentenary">the arrival of the First Fleet</a> carrying convicts and officials from Britain. But by this time, many Australians had lost their royal fervour.</p> <p>Her final tour, in 2011, came 12 years after Australia had attempted <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/elections/referendums/1999_referendum_reports_statistics/1999.htm">to become a republic</a> by referendum.</p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886">The queen’s death in 2022</a> not only reignited questions over the future of the monarchy in Australia, it instigated a public discussion over the monarchy’s role in imperial colonialism.</p> <h2>Genocide in Australia?</h2> <p>On the eve of <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9789/#:%7E:text=The%20Coronation%20of%20Their%20Majesties,Coronation%20in%20nearly%2070%20years.">Charles’ coronation in 2023</a>, Indigenous leaders from 12 settler states including Australia and New Zealand cosigned <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/indigenous-people-around-the-world-have-sent-kin/rbfzwoyav">a letter calling on the new monarch</a> to apologise for the genocides that British colonisation brought to their territories.</p> <p>Australia was settled in the name of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Did that settlement result in genocide?</p> <p>Recent research led by Ben Kiernan for <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/series/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/445A52F1E949DCB6CA8FC6BD09F04DE0">The Cambridge World History of Genocide</a> has investigated this question using the 1948 <a href="https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&amp;mtdsg_no=IV-1&amp;chapter=4">United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide</a> as a framework.</p> <p>The convention defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.</p> <p>The term “genocide” itself is modern; coined <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/general-editors-introduction-to-the-series/986A5AFB44203A21265FF31C96C0DE3B">by Raphael Lemkin in 1944</a>. The <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/genocide-in-van-diemens-land-tasmania-18031871/ED82A107B2C76801551EB3F51CA6179D">colonisation of Tasmania</a> by the British provided Lemkin with one of the clearest examples.</p> <p>The prosecution of crimes before 1951 is not permissible under the convention, but it provides a definitional framework to evaluate past events as constituent acts of genocide.</p> <p>The Cambridge World History of Genocide <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/the-cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/E60C05ADB875E63EE57B5D41EC4BA485">Volume II</a> and <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/24002BE3CC6F69B96F0C21356E6D9282">Volume III</a> demonstrate how settlers and government agents committed acts of genocide against First Nations Australians from the beginning of settlement to the late 20th centuries.</p> <p>All parts of Australia are considered. Acts conforming to the convention’s clauses include killing, forcibly removing children and inflicting destructive conditions.</p> <p>Australian historian Lyndall Ryan’s chapter, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/frontier-massacres-in-australia-17881928/D1B285AF2125CA9586DBB1AFAF0CF70E">Frontier Massacres in Australia</a>, draws on her research for a <a href="https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/map.php">Massacre Map</a> showing how British troops and settlers committed more than 290 massacres across Australia between 1794 and 1928.</p> <p>These massacres killed more than 7,500 Aboriginal people.</p> <p>Ryan found the massacres were not sporadic and isolated – they were planned and sanctioned killings, integral to the aims of the Australian colonial project.</p> <p>Rebe Taylor’s <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/genocide-in-van-diemens-land-tasmania-18031871/ED82A107B2C76801551EB3F51CA6179D">chapter on genocide in Tasmania</a> details a pattern of government-sanctioned mass killings in a colony where an estimated 6,000 Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) people were reduced to about 120 by 1835.</p> <p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/genocide-in-northern-australia-18241928/69106AF545B4C98486752DBA88575E05">Raymond Evans</a> shows how as colonisation moved northward in Australia, massacres increased in size.</p> <p>Evans documents killings that persisted into the 1940s, postdating <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/genocide-in-northern-australia-18241928/69106AF545B4C98486752DBA88575E05">the 1928 Coniston massacre</a> widely regarded as the last frontier slaughter.</p> <p>These findings are underscored by <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/very-british-genocide/78EB24782843ABFA05965F5E4C7562CA">Tony Barta’s insight</a> that colonists’ destructive actions constitute a record of genocidal intent “more powerful than any documented plot to destroy a people”.</p> <p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/australias-stolen-generations-19142021/9219A470B4665A643DC99CC5BBE699D0">Research by Anna Haebich</a> documents the taking of Indigenous children during the 19th century.</p> <p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-world-history-of-genocide/australias-stolen-generations-19142021/9219A470B4665A643DC99CC5BBE699D0">Joanna Cruikshank and Crystal Mckinnon</a> explain how these state-sanctioned removals in the 20th century were intended to eliminate First Nations people from Australia’s national life.</p> <p>The 1997 <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/projects/bringing-them-home-report-1997">Bringing Them Home</a> report, commissioned by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/IndigLawB/1997/95.html">concluded</a> the “Australian practice of Indigenous child removal involved […] genocide as defined by international law”.</p> <h2>A significant moment of resistance</h2> <p>The colonial governor of Tasmania began to exile Palawa people from their land in 1829.</p> <p>More than 200 survivors of the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/tasmanias-black-war-a-tragic-case-of-lest-we-remember-25663">Black War</a>” were removed to Flinders Island and subjected to life-threateningly harsh conditions. High death rates were caused by ill-treatment, disease and insufficient care.</p> <p>In 1846, the Palawa <a href="https://indigenousrights.net.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/395794/f85.pdf">petitioned Queen Victoria</a> to honour the agreement made when they were removed: that in exchange for temporarily leaving their country, they would regain their freedom.</p> <p>In this bold petition, Tasmanian Aboriginal people initiated a historic appeal to the British monarchy.</p> <p>Aware of Queen Victoria’s sovereign authority across the vast British Empire, this action marked a significant moment in their continued resistance to genocide.</p> <h2>An acknowledgement of wrongs</h2> <p>British sovereignty over Australia was imposed without <a href="https://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item-did-34.html">the required consent</a> of its First Nations. The result has been continued dispossession and suffering.</p> <p>Despite the <a href="https://www.royal.uk/the-role-of-the-monarchy#:%7E:text=Monarchy%20is%20the%20oldest%20form,resides%20with%20an%20elected%20Parliament">Crown’s deferral of power</a> to its parliament, the call for an apology from the king has immense symbolic importance.</p> <p>It is rooted in the desire for acknowledgement of wrongs. These include genocide and the continuing destructive effects of colonisation across Australia.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/239092/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebe-taylor-1379975"><em>Rebe Taylor</em></a><em>, Associate Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greg-lehman-18970">Greg Lehman</a>, Professorial Fellow, Indigenous Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</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/should-king-charles-apologise-for-the-genocide-of-first-nations-people-when-he-visits-australia-239092">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

International Travel

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$22,000 fine imposed on Waratah thieves

<p>A spate of thefts of one of Australia's most iconic native plants have prompted a furious warning from authorities. </p> <p>More than 20 Waratahs have "disappeared" from the Brisbane Water National Park on the Central Coast alone, according to NSW National Parks, and thieves can risk a potential fine of  $22,000 for hacking the bright flower. </p> <p>“It is illegal to pick waratahs or any other plant in any area protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act,” an NPWS spokesperson told <em>Yahoo News</em>. </p> <p>Rangers can issue a $300 on-the-spot fine to those caught illegally picking the flower.</p> <p>“The maximum fine under the Biodiversity Conservation Act is $22,000. NPWS is keen to receive details of anyone illegally picking waratahs.”</p> <p>Over the long weekend, locals in the Blue Mountains have hit out at "selfish" tourists for "ripping" waratahs from their stems, with images of the act posted on social media. </p> <p>“Just went to check on a beautiful double header waratah in local bushland only to find someone, well prepared with their secateurs, has cut it clean off. Beyond disgusted!” environmental conservation organisation Wild Blue Mountains said.</p> <p>“This is just not on. They had been giving joy to everyone who passed them but now they’re gone due to one person’s selfish actions.”</p> <p>Last week, NSW National Parks had installed signage about “helping protect the Waratah” to deter culprits from taking them and they've even painted some of the stems with a “non-toxic blue paint”.</p> <p>“Waratahs need to go through their full lifecycle to produce seeds, so picking them deprives the ecosystem of a new generation of plants,” NSW National Parks said.</p> <p>“These flowers are more than just a pretty face, they also provide nectar for birds and other native animals. Please leave them be so we can all enjoy more of these beautiful flowers in years to come.</p> <p>“If you want to pick something in a national park, pick your nose instead!”</p> <p><em>Image: NSW National Parks/Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

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Australia tops life expectancy among English-speaking nations

<p>A recent study has revealed that Australians outlive their peers in five other high-income English-speaking countries, including the UK and US, by one to four years. </p> <p>The paper published in the medical journal<em> BMJ Open</em> last month, analysed the average life expectancies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States between 1990 and 2019. </p> <p>They found that Australians' life expectancy surpassed that of Canadians in the early 1990s - and it has remained in the top spot ever since. </p> <p>The average life expectancy for an Australian born in 2019 was 83.24 years, which is two years longer than the average Brit, and four years longer than the average American. </p> <p>"Australia is clearly the best-performing Anglophone country," the paper said.</p> <p>"While Australian men and women have lower mortality at nearly all ages, their mortality advantage at ages 45–84 accounts for the bulk of Australia's life expectancy advantage."</p> <p>The Irish came in second with an life expectancy of 82.39 years, followed by the Canadians with 82.28, and the Kiwis with 81.83.</p> <p>Australia's long life expectancy could be credited to it's high migrant population and low death rates from drug and alcohol misuse, screenable/treatable cancers, and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. </p> <p>The nation's "strong public health efforts", such as the 1996 gun law reforms and buyback programs following the Port Arthur massacre, and the creation of Headspace, the national youth mental healthcare service, could also play part in our longevity. </p> <p>Australia also had the lowest level of "geographic inequality", meaning that the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor regions was narrower than other countries. </p> <p>However, the life expectancy for  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continues to be significantly lower than the average Australian, with males born between  2020 and 2022 expected to live for just 71.9 years, and females for 75.6 years. </p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Caring

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How you can get the official Australian portraits of The King and Queen

<p>Royal fans nationwide can now request a special keepsake online for free. </p> <p>All Australians are entitled to their very own free portrait of King Charles and Queen Camilla. The way one can obtain the monarchy keepsake is through sending an email to their local federal MP requesting one. </p> <p>The initiative comes under the constituents' request program, which allows registered Australian voters to receive their own printed portrait of the royals. </p> <p>Official portraits of the King and Queen were provided to the Australian Government by Buckingham Palace in July and are available for public access. </p> <p>Photos available include a photo of the royal couple standing together, and seperate ones of the monarch and her majesty posing alone. </p> <p>In the photos the King and Queen both donned royal blue outfits and their Commonwealth Insignia, with the King wearing The Sovereign's Badge of the Order of Australia and the Queen wearing the Wattle Brooch.</p> <p>The portraits were taken by royal photographer Millie Pilkington in Buckingham Palace's White Drawing Room in June.</p> <p>The digital images can be downloaded for free from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/official-australian-portraits-king-and-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> for private use. Those who want a physical copy can request printed versions through  their Federal Member of the House of Representatives or Senator in their state or territory via email.</p> <p>The government-funded program, introduced in the Parliamentary Entitles Act 1990, is available for Australian citizens only.</p> <p><em>Image: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet/ </span>Millie Pilkington</em></p>

Art

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"World's biggest" amber nugget worth over $1 million used as doorstop for decades

<p>An elderly woman in Romania has unknowingly used one of the largest known amber nuggets in the world - worth over €1 million ($1.6 million) - as her doorstop for decades. </p> <p>The woman found the stone in the bed of a stream in Colti, a village in the southeast Romania, and used it as her doorstop for years without realising its value. </p> <p>Members of her family also reported that thieves had once broken into her home, but only stole a few pieces of gold jewelry, missing the seemingly insignificant rock. </p> <p>“In their frantic search for valuables, they overlooked the real treasure that was there before their eyes,” they said.</p> <p>It wasn't until after the woman died in 1991 that a relative who inherited her home suspected the doorstop might be more than meets the eye - and he was right. </p> <p>When he sold the amber to the Romanian state, experts at the Museum of History in Krakow, Poland appraised the rock and found that the amber is likely between around 38 and 70 million years old.</p> <p>“Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level,” Daniel Costache, director of the Provincial Museum of Buzau, told  local news outlet <em>El Pais</em>.</p> <p>The expert also claimed that the amber is one of the largest pieces in the world and the largest of its kind weighing a hefty 3.5-kilograms.</p> <p>It has now been classified as a national treasure of Romania, and can be found in the Provincial Museum of Buzau, where it has been since 2022. </p> <p>Romania is one of the countries with significant deposits of amber, with Buzau County being one of the areas where you can find these beautiful stones in abundance. </p> <p>The protected area also contains the old Stramba amber mine, which was very productive during the first half of the 21st century, before it was shut down by the communist regime as it was considered unprofitable. </p> <p><em>Image: Buzău County Museum</em></p> <p> </p>

Home & Garden

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Prince George looks all grown up in new birthday portrait

<p>Prince George is 11! </p> <p>The Princess of Wales has celebrated her son's birthday by sharing a new portrait of the young royal on social media. </p> <p>“Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today!” she captioned the black and white photo of George looking all grown up in a button up shirt and black blazer. </p> <p>Royal fans also flooded the comment section with happy birthday wishes for the young monarch. </p> <p>"This picture is so beautiful, he is growing up so fast! I wish the happiest birthday to Prince George, have the best day," one wrote</p> <p>"Prince George looks so much like his Dad," another added.</p> <p>"HE'S GROWING UP SO FAST! I can't believe! Happy birthday George!" a third commented.</p> <p>"Happy birthday! I hope you have so much fun," a fourth wrote. </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/C9t-OYdNdUb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/C9t-OYdNdUb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>This comes as Prince George's godmother, Julia Samuels revealed the young royal's birthday tradition that was inspired by the late Princess Diana. </p> <p>Speaking on the <em>How to Fail with Elizabeth Day</em> podcast, she shared that each year she buys noisy toys for George that take the Prince of Wales "days to put together" in a running joke inspired by Diana. </p> <p>"I come in slightly tipped by the size of the present that William then has to spend days putting together," she said. </p> <p>"And then put all the machinery together and it makes awful tooting noises and lights flashing and all of that. That makes me laugh and it makes George laugh."</p> <p>She also praised the young prince saying:  “He is amazing. He’s funny and feisty and cheeky and God she [Diana] would have loved him so much.</p> <p>“That is heartbreaking for all of them.”</p> <p>Julia Samuels is one of seven godparents for Prince George, and she was a close friend of Princess Diana, who she met at a dinner party in 1987. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

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King Charles' official portrait vandalised

<p>The first offical portrait of King Charles has been vandalised by a group of animal rights activists. </p> <p>The portrait, which is hanging in London's Philip Mould gallery until June 21st, was targeted by campaign group Animal Rising, who took to the painting with a paint roller to stick signs over the portrait of the monarch.</p> <p>A video posted to the group's social media accounts captured the vandalism, showing the moment two activists covered the king’s head with an image of the British cartoon character Wallace, from the Wallace and Gromit comedy series.</p> <p>A speech bubble sign was then also tacked onto the painting with the following caption, “No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSCPA farms.”</p> <p>The action was designed to bring attention to a new report, released on Sunday by the group, which investigated 45 farms whose welfare standards are guaranteed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), while the Animal Rising group described their findings as “damning,” alleging that they found “severe animal cruelty” at all farms visited.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">‼️BREAKING: No Cheese Gromit! King Charles Portrait Redecorated‼️ <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalFamily</a> </p> <p>‼️Find out why King Charles, Patron of the RSPCA should ask them to drop the Assured Scheme -&gt; <a href="https://t.co/pTneW0QCWf">https://t.co/pTneW0QCWf</a> 👈 <a href="https://t.co/jYLHFuxtHB">pic.twitter.com/jYLHFuxtHB</a></p> <p>— Animal Rising (@AnimalRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnimalRising/status/1800498356441198721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>The vandalism was also a direct response of  King Charles became the royal patron of the RSPCA last month despite the allegations of animal cruelty, as the monarch is a self-professed animal lover. </p> <p>In a statement provided to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/11/vegan-activists-vandalise-portrait-of-king/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Telegraph</a>, an Animal Rising activist explained, “With King Charles being such a big fan of ‘Wallace and Gromit,’ we couldn’t think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms! Even though we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxaj1nt7000g3b6ldc3v3ptz@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">The RSPCA responded to Animal Rising’s claims in a statement provided to CNN on Tuesday, stating that “any concerns about welfare on RSPCA Assured certified farms are taken extremely seriously and RSPCA Assured is acting swiftly to look into these allegations.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxaj3ers000n3b6l776d50zk@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">“We have responded openly and transparently to Animal Rising’s challenges to our farming work,” the statement continued. “While we understand that Animal Rising, like us, want the best for animals, their activity is a distraction and a challenge to the work we are all doing to create a better world for every animal.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxaj3ypx000p3b6lwmbijygj@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">The organisation also said it was “shocked” by the vandalism of the painting, saying “We welcome scrutiny of our work, but we cannot condone illegal activity of any kind.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxah17cu00003b6lms79fnj7@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">According to Philip Mould, owner of the gallery where the portrait is on display, the painting sustained “no damage” since it was protected by a layer of Perspex, as Mould told CNN the adhesive stickers used by the activists stayed on the portrait for “less than ten seconds.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxah17cu00003b6lms79fnj7@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true"><em>Image credits: X (Animal Rising - Twitter)</em></p>

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"Looks nothing like her": Kate Middleton portrait ridiculed

<p>A painted portrait of Kate Middleton has gone viral for all the wrong reasons, after royal fans everywhere claimed the artwork "looks nothing like" the Princess of Wales. </p> <p>The image, created by artist Hannah Uzor, appeared on the front cover of UK magazine <em>Tatler</em>, as the artist recreated Middleton's appearance at a banquet held in South Africa in 2022. </p> <p>The Princess wore a white beaded Jenny Packham gown, and also donned her famous tiara, the Lover’s Knot, which was previously worn by Princess Diana.</p> <p>Uzor explained that in creating the artwork, she was inspired by the composure and bravery demonstrated by the royal mum-of-three in her emotional cancer diagnosis video in March.</p> <p>“A moment of dealing with something difficult, speaking from the heart, having the courage to tackle it head-on,” she explained in awe.</p> <p>However, many royal fans slated the artist on social media, simply asking, “are you kidding me?”.</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/C7Qy93EtBeT/?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/C7Qy93EtBeT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tatler (@tatlermagazine)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“This is just plain weird, looks nothing like her,” one person commented.</p> <p>“What have they done to her face,” asked another.</p> <p>A third agreed: “Doesn’t look like Catherine at all. If she wasn’t wearing that dress I’d have no clue as to who it’s meant to be.”</p> <p>“Are you kidding me? … You must be joking,” scorned someone else.</p> <p>Others slated the artwork by saying they believed it looked “like it was created by a child”.</p> <p>“It’s absolutely dreadful and should never have seen the light of day, let alone appear on the cover,” agreed another.</p> <p>Hannah Uzor defended her artwork, saying she had to draw on other sources as she was not able to meet the Princess directly to create her portrait. </p> <p>She said, “When you can’t meet the sitter in person, you have to look at everything you can find and piece together the subtle human moments revealed in different photographs: do they have a particular way of standing or holding their head or hands? Do they have a recurrent gesture?"</p> <p>“[Kate] has really risen up to her role – she was born for this. She carries herself with such dignity, elegance and grace."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Tatler Magazine / Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Petition to put Gina Rinehart's portrait in Times Square goes viral

<p>When Gina Rinehart's portrait featured in an exhibition at the National Gallery in Canberra, she <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/gina-rinehart-demands-for-national-gallery-to-remove-her-portrait" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demanded</a> it be taken down. </p> <p>The gallery refused, and said it would stay hanging in the gallery until the end of the end of the exhibit on July 21st. </p> <p>Rinehart's outrageous request to take down the artwork went viral on social media, and even saw her feature on Stephen Colbert's late night TV show. </p> <p>Now, comedian Dan Ilic has started a <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/put-vincent-namatjira-s-work-in-times-square#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> to get the artwork displayed in New York City's iconic Times Square. </p> <p>Ilic told <em><a href="https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2024/05/21/rinehart-times-square" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Daily</a></em> that it is important to celebrate Australia’s art and artists, because “not many other people are”.</p> <p>“The person who was seeking for it to be removed has a unique place in Australian culture and politics, and uses their power for things that are very much in line with their interests,” he said.</p> <p>“Us, using our own power as a community to try and leverage a lot of little people’s contributions to this celebration of great Australian art, is a great thing.”</p> <p>Ilic said people approached him to launch the fundraising campaign because “I’ve become the person to do such things”.</p> <p>“I happened to go to an art event on the weekend with some people who know [artist] Vincent Namatjirawell and I asked them to check if he would like it,” he said.</p> <p>“He said it’s very funny, so we went ahead with it.”</p> <p>A 10-minute slot in Times Square costs $16,000, however Ilic is campaigning to raise $30,000 to beam Rinehart’s portrait into one of the busiest locations on the planet, with any excess money being donated to Indigenous-led youth climate network Seed Mob.</p> <p>He said, “By the very nature of that organisation, they’re at odds with a lot of what big corporations like Hancock Prospecting are all about.”</p> <p>Ilic said he was confident about passing the $30,000 goal and making the 10-minute slot a reality, after already raising over 70 percent of his goal.</p> <p>“There is an old maxim in crowdfunding: If you reach 50 per cent within the 50 per cent mark of time, you’ll get the rest,” he said.</p> <p>“We hit that earlier this morning and it’s about halfway now, so I think we’ll get the rest.”</p> <p>Ilic has previously campaigned to have features in Times Square, with one such ad highlighting Australia's lack of climate change action ahead of the COP26 meeting in 2021. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Dan Ilic - Indiegogo</em></p>

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Royal artist reveals King Charles' reaction to official portrait

<p>Jonathan Yeo, who is known for his portraits of royal family members, has revealed the King and Queen's reaction to the most recent <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/king-charles-unveils-first-post-coronation-portrait" target="_blank" rel="noopener">portrait of King Charles</a> which made headlines. </p> <p>The portrait, which was done in four sittings from 2020, featured the King in his crimson Welsh Guards uniform, with a butterfly hovering above his shoulder. </p> <p>"People don't know their own faces, so it's much more useful to see the reaction of someone who knows that person well because they know in a split second if you've captured them," he told <em>The Times</em>. </p> <p>"Sometimes they'll say it, but more often you see it in their face – amazement, pleasure or recognition."</p> <p>He recalled how during his and Charles' final sitting in November, Camilla told him: "Yes, you've got him," with a look of recognition across her face. </p> <p>Yeo also revealed that the King saw the portrait when it was half completed and despite the surprise at the intense colour, he smiled at the painting and said: "It is remarkable how it has turned out." </p> <p>The artist said that the King and Queen were prepared for the mixed reactions from the public. </p> <p>"They knew what to expect," he told the publication, before revealing that the King appeared in good health despite his recent cancer diagnosis. </p> <p>"[Our last sitting] was before his diagnosis. He didn't look remotely ill to me, and he looked amazingly well on Tuesday."</p> <p>"We already had a bit of a rapport and that definitely makes it easier," Yeo said of the painting process. </p> <p>"He was really relaxed and I think it helped that he is interested in the process. We spent a lot of time talking about art and artists, as well as the environment."</p> <p><em>Image: Aaron Chown-PA/POOL supplied by Splash News/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

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Can you control your image? Gina Rinehart, King Charles and ‘moral portraits'

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-benjamin-119535">Roger Benjamin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>“She’s no oil painting”.</p> <p>Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ensemble <a href="https://theconversation.com/vincent-namatjiras-paintbrush-is-his-weapon-with-an-infectious-energy-and-wry-humour-nothing-is-off-limits-217361">Australia in Colour</a> (2021) is subject to his trademark distortions.</p> <p>When the painter gets to work interpreting the press photographs that his main source, resemblance is always stretched. No one comes out unscathed: Tony Abbott looks just as scary as Angus Young from AC/DC; a grimacing Queen Elizabeth as grisly as a roaring Cathy Freeman. Indeed, in the <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com.au/product/vincent-namatjira/">2023 volume on Namatjira</a> there are no fewer than four paintings of Gina Rinehart – and they look like four different people.</p> <p>Do we expect a portrait to be a moral <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiognomy">physiognomy</a>, the ancient pseudoscience that assumes the way someone has lived their life shapes their features and appearance?</p> <p>Roman emperors were shown to be ideal types: the heroic portrait. Who knows what these men actually looked like? In the case of King Charles III, whose <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68981200">new portrait</a> by Jonathon Yeo was unveiled this week, we can compare his likeness to the myriad photographic and filmic images.</p> <p>Newspaper caricature, <a href="https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/exhibits/virtual-exhibits/art-politics-300-years-of-political-cartoons/political-cartoons-part-1-1720-1800/">popular since the 1700s</a>, works hard to point out imperfections, posit animal likenesses, and exaggerate specific facial features to satirise public figures.</p> <p>Namatjira brushes with caricature even when depicting himself.</p> <h2>Can you control your image?</h2> <p>I think Rinehart should be flattered to be one of Namatjira’s favourites. The wits in the twittersphere have in the past 24 hours shown several more of his Ginas, and it turns out there are also at least half a dozen colour portraits of her by other artists.</p> <p>They range from <a href="https://scottmarsh.com.au/products/mothers-milk">Scottie Marsh’s mural</a> on a Sydney wall of a matronly Rinehart giving the breast to infant Barnaby Joyce (with apologies to Raphael), to Xavier Ghazi’s demonic hard-hatted Gina <a href="https://citynews.com.au/2023/bald-archy-prize-heading-for-immortality/">giving Australians the finger</a> – it’s in newspaper caricature mode, his entry in the Bald Archies competition for 2023.</p> <p>Although Rinehart has reportedly called for Namatjira’s painting to be taken down, the initiative <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/art-and-design/gold-medallist-led-campaign-to-take-down-gina-rinehart-portrait-20240516-p5je1y.html">apparently comes</a> from members of the Australian swimming team and their former coach (Rinehart is that sport’s major private sponsor).</p> <p>I suspect their discomfort comes from reading Namatjira’s Gina as a moral portrait; that is, ugliness of appearance projects an ugly spirit (whereas for them she is the epitome of generosity).</p> <p>It’s an interesting idea that the fresh-faced teenage daughter of Lang Hancock in <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abcs-australian-story-focuses-on-gina-rineharts-bond-with-father-lang-hancock-20150706-gi6h1f.html">old news photos</a> has changed not just because times takes beauty away (as we all know), but because of the impact of things she inherited from her father: not just the extreme wealth and the jawline, but the conservative views, and the ways she has used her money and power.</p> <p>Her control of vast tracts of (unceded) grazing land across western and central Australia give reason to reflect on what Western Aranda man Namatjira might think of her.</p> <h2>And yet what about commissions?</h2> <p>When can a sitter control their portrait image? Only when they commission the work. Art history has plenty of cases in which a sitter has rejected their portrait. Monet in the 1860s painted his brother Leon, who so disliked the canvas he locked it in an attic, from which it emerged 150 years later.</p> <p>Portrait paintings have had to be altered, payment refused, or be paid for then destroyed. The commissioned portrait, it’s assumed, must flatter the sitter or at least offer a fair and non-judgemental likeness.</p> <p>The British royal family has historically been very forgiving about portraits, and has the sophistication to know it is futile to protest a likeness. Doing so invokes the perverse “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect">Streisand effect</a>”, as we see happening with Namatjira’s Gina.</p> <p>There are dozens of depictions of Elizabeth II and Charles III in Namatjira’s pantheon – including one of the late queen alongside Rinehart in Australia in Colour. Namatjira has a family link to Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who met Albert Namatjira (the painter’s great grandfather) on their 1954 tour of Australia.</p> <p>But no one is asking for Queen Bess to be removed from the National Gallery of Australia.</p> <p>As a mark of <em>noblesse oblige</em>, King Charles has accepted the newly unveiled commissioned portrait of himself by Jonathon Yeo. It is an absolute shocker, and he should have sent it back.</p> <p>The King, de-aged by 20 years, looks pleasantly out at us from a floor-to-ceiling fog of strawberry- and cerise-coloured paint that covers his dress uniform. The joke, of course, is that the red colouration can be read as a reference to “<a href="https://time.com/6226657/crown-charles-camilla-tampongate/">tampongate</a>”, the product of an infamous case of tabloid phone-hacking in 1993.</p> <p>It’s a case of a portrait generating an unintended consequence – just as Namatjira surely did not expect to provoke international headlines today with his Gina, whom he’s been depicting for years.</p> <p>Fittingly, wise heads have rejected calls for the gallery to remove the canvas, starting with director Nick Mitzevich’s <a href="https://amp.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/portrait-gina-rinehart-doesn-t-want-you-to-see-mogul-demands-national-gallery-remove-her-image-20240513-p5jd59.html">measured statement</a>, seconded by the National Association for the Visual Arts whose <a href="https://visualarts.net.au/news-opinion/2024/nava-defends-vincent-namatjiras-artistic-freedom-amid-demands-removal-nga/">press release</a> insists on freedom of expression.</p> <p>Finally, late yesterday, Namatjira, resisting myriad calls for interviews, issued a statement in the pithy mode of his book texts. Let him have the last word:</p> <blockquote> <p>I paint people who are wealthy, powerful, or significant – people who have had an influence on this country, and on me personally, whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or for bad. Some people might not like it, other people might find it funny, but I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/230297/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-benjamin-119535"><em>Roger Benjamin</em></a><em>, Professor in Art History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: X (Twitter)</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/can-you-control-your-image-gina-rinehart-king-charles-and-moral-portraits-230297">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Gina Rinehart demands for National Gallery to remove her portrait

<p>Gina Rinehart has demanded that her portriat be removed from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra because she doesn't like it. </p> <p>The portrait of Australia's richest woman appears alongside many others, including Queen Elizabeth and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, in an exhibition by acclaimed Archibald Prize-winning Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira.</p> <p>Namatjira's works are known for having cartoon-like qualities, as he often paints famous figures as caricatures. </p> <p><a title="www.smh.com.au" href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/portrait-gina-rinehart-doesn-t-want-you-to-see-mogul-demands-national-gallery-remove-her-image-20240513-p5jd59.html">Nine Newspapers </a>have the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) have been flooded with a dozen complaints about the portrait of Rinehart, including some from athletes she sponsors through her company Hancock Prospecting. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has demanded the National Gallery of Australia remove a portrait of her from an exhibition by Archibald Prize-winning Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira. THAT’S A GOOD REASON TO SHARE THE PORTRAIT WIDELY. <a href="https://t.co/pYoMh6vQcW">pic.twitter.com/pYoMh6vQcW</a></p> <p>— Maurie Mulheron (@maurie_mulheron) <a href="https://twitter.com/maurie_mulheron/status/1790621641502036239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>One complaint allegedly accused the NGA of “doing the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party” with the portrait of Ms Rinehart. </p> <p>On the NGA website, Ms Rinehart is listed as a “friend” of the gallery, as she historically has donated up to $9999.</p> <p>The NGA has refused to take the painting down, and the artwork will be on display until July 21st.</p> <p>“Since 1973, when the National Gallery acquired Jackson Pollack’s Blue Poles, there has been a dynamic discussion on the artistic merits of works in the national collection, and/or on display at the gallery,” the NGA said in a statement. </p> <p>“We present works of art to the Australian public to inspire people to explore, experience and learn about art.”</p> <p>In response to the demand to have the painting removed, Namatjira released a statement saying, “I paint the world as I see it. People don’t have to like my paintings, but I hope they take the time to look and think, ‘why has this Aboriginal bloke painted these powerful people? What is he trying to say?’"</p> <p>"I paint people who are wealthy, powerful, or significant – people who have had an influence on this country, and on me personally, whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or for bad. Some people might not like it, other people might find it funny, but I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / X (Twitter)</em></p>

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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

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New birthday portrait of Princess Charlotte revealed

<p>The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a new photo of their daughter, Princess Charlotte, to celebrate her ninth birthday. </p> <p>“Happy 9th birthday, Princess Charlotte! Thank you for all of the kind messages today,” they captioned the portrait of the young royal, which was posted on Instagram. </p> <p>Charlotte smiled confidently for the camera as she leaned against a fence surrounded by flowers in the garden of their home in Windsor.</p> <p>The young royal donned a dark red cardigan, a blue top and a denim skirt with stockings in the picture taken by her mother, Kate Middleton. </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/C6dejAktAsO/?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/C6dejAktAsO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Royal fans shared their birthday wishes and praised the Princess of Wales' photography skills. </p> <p>“Another gorgeous photo taken by Catherine,” wrote one fan. </p> <p>“Am enjoying seeing her grow up and flourish.”</p> <p>“She’s growing up so fast and isn’t she the image of her father,” another follower wrote.</p> <p>“Magical. Happy birthday young lady,” commented a third. </p> <p>One fan noted that Charlotte had her father’s eyes and her mother’s “beautiful smile”, while a few others commented on how quickly she was growing up. </p> <p>Just last week Charlotte’s younger brother Louis turned six, and as part of their tradition, a portrait <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/kate-middleton-shares-new-birthday-photo-of-prince-louis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo</a> of him that was taken by his mother was also released. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram/ Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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First official portrait of King Frederik and Queen Mary released

<p>King Frederik X and Queen Mary were the picture of elegance as they posed for their first official gala portrait since ascending the Danish throne in January. </p> <p>The portrait, which was taken by photographer Steen Evald at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, was released by The Royal House of Denmark, and will be hung in various state institutions, including at Danish embassies around the world.</p> <p>"In connection with the succession of the throne on 14 January 2024, the first official gala portrait of Their Majesties The King and Queen is now published," the Danish royal household shared on Instagram. </p> <p>"The King and The Queen have thus had their portrait made at the historic palace in Copenhagen where successive kings and queens have stayed over time."</p> <p>The royal couple were pictured wearing the the Order of the Elephant on chains, which is Denmark’s oldest and most distinguished royal order of chivalry. </p> <p>Queen Mary was also seen wearing the crown jewels for the first time, which included an emerald tiara, necklace, earrings and a brooch that matched her beautiful green gown. </p> <p>The jewels are usually on display in The Treasury at Rosenburg Castle. </p> <p>The Australian-born Queen also wore a small portrait of King Frederik, in line with Danish tradition. </p> <p>Frederik and Mary ascended to the throne in January 14 2024 when Queen Margrethe II announced her abdication after 52 years as monarch. </p> <p>The couple have four children together Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabelle and twins, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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50 years on, Advance Australia Fair no longer reflects the values of many. What could replace it?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wendy-hargreaves-1373285">Wendy Hargreaves</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>On April 8 1974, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam announced to parliament the nation’s new national anthem: <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/honours-and-symbols/australian-national-symbols/australian-national-anthem">Advance Australia Fair</a>.</p> <p>Australia was growing up. We could stop saving “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_King">our gracious Queen</a>” and rejoice in being “young” and “girt”.</p> <p>Finding a new anthem hadn’t been easy. There were unsuccessful <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/fact-sheets/australias-national-anthem">songwriting competitions</a> and an unconvincing opinion poll. Finally, we landed on rebooting an Australian favourite from 1878.</p> <p>After Whitlam’s announcement, Australians argued, state officials declined the change and the next government reinstated the British anthem in part. It took another ten years, another poll and an official proclamation in 1984 to adopt the new anthem uniformly and get on with looking grown-up.</p> <p>Advance Australia Fair was never the ideal answer to “what shall we sing?”. The original lyrics ignored First Nations people and overlooked women. Like a grunting teenager, it both answered the question and left a lot out.</p> <p>On its 50th anniversary, it’s time to consider whether we got it right. Advance Australia Fair may have helped Australia transition through the 1970s, but in 2024, has it outstayed its welcome?</p> <h2>How do you pick a national anthem?</h2> <p>A national anthem is a government-authorised song performed at official occasions and celebrations. It unifies people and reinforces national identity. Often, governments nominate a tune by searching through historical patriotic songs to find a <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/golden-oldie">golden oldie</a> with known public appeal.</p> <p>For example, the lyrics of the Japanese anthem <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimigayo">Kimigayo</a> came from pre-10th-century poetry. Germany’s anthem <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Deutschlandlied">Deutschlandlied</a> adopted a 1797 melody from renowned composer <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Haydn">Joseph Haydn</a>. An enduring song or text offers star quality, proven popularity and the prestige of age.</p> <p>In the 1970s, Australia’s attempt at finding a golden oldie was flawed. In that era, many believed Australia’s birth occurred at the arrival of explorer <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Cook">James Cook</a> in 1770. Hence, we narrowed our search to hymns, marches and fanfares from our colonial history for possible anthems.</p> <p>With 2020s hindsight (pun intended), <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-national-anthem-is-non-inclusive-indigenous-australians-shouldnt-have-to-sing-it-118177">expecting First Nations</a> people to sing Advance Australia Fair was hypocritical. We wanted to raise Australia’s visibility internationally, yet the custodians of the lands and waterways were unseen by our country’s eyes. We championed “history’s page” with a 19th-century song that participated in racial discrimination.</p> <h2>Changing anthems</h2> <p>With a half-century on the scoreboard, are we locked in to singing Advance Australia Fair forever? No.</p> <p>Anthems can change. Just ask <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Morrison_(jazz_musician)">James Morrison</a>. In 2003, the Australian trumpeter played the Spanish national anthem beautifully at the <a href="https://www.daviscup.com/en/home.aspx">Davis Cup</a> tennis final. Unfortunately, he <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-11-28/spanish-angry-over-anthem-mix-up/1516684">played the old anthem</a> that heralded civil war.</p> <p>Morrison’s accidental performance incited a fist-shaking dignitary and an enraged Spanish team who temporarily refused to play. Morrison did, however, to his embarrassment, later receive some excited fan mail from Spanish revolutionists.</p> <p>If we want to change our anthem, where could we begin? We could start by revisiting the golden-oldie approach with a more inclusive ear. Perhaps there’s a song from contemporary First Nations musicians we could consider, or a song from their enduring oral tradition that they deem appropriate (and grant permission to use).</p> <p>If we have learnt anything from Australian history, it’s that we must include and ask – not exclude and take.</p> <p>We could also consider Bruce Woodley and Dobe Newton’s 1987 song <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/101146-i-am-australian-various">I Am Australian</a>, which reached golden-oldie status last year when the <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/slip-slop-slap-i-am-australian-join-sounds-australia">National Film and Sound Archive</a> added it to their registry. The lyrics show the acknowledgement and respect of First Nations people that our current anthem lacks. The line “we are one, but we are many” captures the inclusivity with diversity we now value.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KrLTe1_9zso?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>I Am Australian wouldn’t be a problem-free choice. Musically, the style is a “light rock” song, not a grand “hymn”, which could be a plus or minus depending on your view. Lyrically, romanticising convicted killer <a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kelly-edward-ned-3933">Ned Kelly</a> is controversial, and mispronouncing “Australians” could be considered inauthentic (fair dinkum Aussies say “Au-strail-yins”, not “Au-stray-lee-uhns”).</p> <p>That said, Australians are quite experienced at patching holes in our anthem. Advance Australia Fair required many adjustments.</p> <p>If the golden-oldie approach fails again, how about composing a new anthem? We could adopt <a href="https://nationalanthems.info/ke.htm">Kenya’s approach</a> of commissioning an anthem, or could revive the good ol’ songwriting competition. Our past competitions weren’t fruitful, but surely our many talented musicians and poets today can meet the challenge.</p> <h2>It’s time to ask</h2> <p>Fifty years on, we acknowledge Advance Australia Fair as the anthem that moved our nation forward. That was the first and hardest step. Today, if Australians choose, we can retire the song gracefully and try again with a clearer voice.</p> <p>Changing our anthem begins with asking whether the current song really declares who we are. Have our values, our perspectives and our identity changed in half a century?</p> <p>Australia, it’s your song. Are you happy to sing Advance Australia Fair for another 50 years? <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/226737/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wendy-hargreaves-1373285">Wendy Hargreaves</a>, Senior Learning Advisor, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></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/50-years-on-advance-australia-fair-no-longer-reflects-the-values-of-many-what-could-replace-it-226737">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock | Wikimedia Commons</em></p>

Music

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Pink spotted at Bondi ahead of national tour

<p>In a dazzling spectacle of beach vibes and sun-soaked fun, pop sensation Pink has graced the shores of Bondi Beach ahead of her highly anticipated Australian tour.</p> <p>The iconic singer, known for her powerhouse performances and unapologetic personality, was spotted basking in the Aussie sun with her adorable children, making waves Down Under.</p> <p>The excitement was palpable as Pink, with her trademark pink hair, took to social media to express her joy at being back on Australian soil. "Bondi Beach, it's been too long!!!!!!! Bills was delicious, too. ️Soooooooo happy to be back on this side of the world! Thank you beautiful Australia for being our home away from home. Kids are stoked," she gushed alongside some envy-inducing beach pictures.</p> <p>It seems Bills, a popular eatery in Sydney, left quite the impression on the star. If Pink says it's delicious, it's practically a culinary endorsement for the ages. (Move over food critics; Pink's tastebuds have spoken.)</p> <p>But this isn't Pink's first love letter to the Land Down Under. The singer has long expressed her admiration for Australia and has been a staunch supporter during challenging times. In 2020, she pledged a generous $500,000 donation to the country's fire services during the devastating Black Summer bushfires, proving she not only rocks the stage but also has a heart of gold.</p> <p>As Pink gears up for her stadium tour in Australia, aptly named the Summer Carnival tour, fans are eagerly anticipating a spectacle that will undoubtedly leave them smiling and singing until their cheeks hurt. Kicking off at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on February 9, the tour will then take Pink and her musical carnival to various cities, including Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.</p> <p>It's been nearly six years since Pink's 2018 tour, Beautiful Trauma, which wowed almost 560,000 Australian and New Zealand fans. Eager to share the joy once again, Pink expressed her excitement, saying, "I can't wait to bring the Summer Carnival tour to my home away from home and smile and sing together until our cheeks hurt. Summer 2024 can't come soon enough!"</p> <p>The tour is not just a celebration of Pink's electrifying stage presence but also a nod to her ninth album, Trustfall, released in February the previous year. The anticipation is building, and fans can't wait to witness the magic unfold live on stage.</p> <p>Adding a touch of whimsy to the excitement, Pink <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/my-home-away-from-home-pink-s-dream-down-under" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teased the possibility</a> of making Australia her permanent home last year. In an interview with <em>60 Minutes</em>, she revealed, "Last year, I was thinking about applying for citizenship; I am not even joking. I was like, 'If we're going somewhere Carey, [Australia] is where we're going'." Australia, get ready to welcome Pink with open arms – she might just become our newest citizen!</p> <p>So, as Pink readies to paint Australia with her musical colours and contagious energy, fans are counting down the days until the Summer Carnival kicks off, promising a tour de force that will linger in their memories long after the final note fades away. Bondi Beach, Bills, and a Summer Carnival – it's a Pink party, and everyone's invited.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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"Sorry about that, kids": Baby Boomers blamed AGAIN for national woes

<p>Australia's ongoing battle against soaring inflation is taking a toll on ordinary households, particularly young Australians, while – according to a recent News.com.au analysis – "<a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/why-boomers-and-big-business-are-to-blame-for-australias-economic-woes/news-story/d6478109e7701ad4cef152f38956e6b7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cash-rich baby boomers and price-gouging corporations</a>" remain largely unscathed.</p> <p>This stark reality has been brought to light by financial experts and youth advocates, who point to the disproportionate impact of rising interest rates and living costs on younger generations.</p> <p>"Some interesting results from CBA's results presentation," observed ABC financial journalist Alan Kohler in a recent television appearance that has since gone viral. "They all highlight the great divide between generations."</p> <p>Kohler presented data showing that Millennials have the most debt and "baby boomers have most of the savings", with young people drawing down on their limited savings while boomers continue to grow their nest eggs.</p> <p>"And Gen Z and millennials are cutting back their spending and therefore doing all the hard work, helping the Reserve Bank get inflation down, but baby boomers are spending more and undermining that effort," Kohler explained. "So, sorry about that, kids."</p> <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; 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: 580px; 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%2F7267335675010141442&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40equitymates%2Fvideo%2F7267335675010141442&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FocNiGB6EkWBejOG1BH8DgQnwC2AVIM2QIebTQs%3Fx-expires%3D1699671600%26x-signature%3DSWclfroCkbHi55dgIg5%252FyW0Gf%252Bk%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>Kos Samaras, director of research firm RedBridge Australia, echoed Kohler's sentiment, noting that millions of Australians are now in negative cash flow, struggling to make ends meet.</p> <p>"It's a train wreck," Samaras asserted. "These households are not driving inflation. It's people like myself and much older. Spending from 50+ is up, savings are up, and higher interest rates equal higher earned interest on savings. It's also super profits and other international drivers."</p> <p>PropTrack economist Angus Moore offered a more nuanced view, explaining that inflation is "never driven by a single thing or a single group."</p> <p>"For the sake of simplifying it, the reason we're seeing high inflation is down to two things," Moore clarified.</p> <p>"One is supply-led inflation, which is things like petrol and energy prices, disrupted supply chains driving up import costs, growth in construction costs, and so on.</p> <p>"More recently in the past 18 months, we've seen the second cause emerge, which is demand-led inflation. Basically, the economy is broadly doing very well. Unemployment is the lowest it's been in five decades. That's helped to give people more money, which has supported spending – or demand-led inflation."</p> <p>Amidst widespread financial hardship, corporations are reaping record profits, further fuelling public resentment.</p> <p>Electricity prices surged by 4.2 per cent in September, reflecting higher wholesale costs being passed on to consumers. Origin Energy, one of the country's largest electricity suppliers, saw a staggering 83.5 per cent increase in profits in the 2022-23 financial year.</p> <p>"The public have been told that supply chain issues and inflation are to blame for the cost-of-living crisis," said Joseph Mitchell, assistant secretary of the ACTU. "But when you see the profits like those posted, it is legitimate to ask whether Australia's big supermarkets have used the cost-of-living crisis as a smokescreen to push up their profit margins, despite costs decreasing for themselves."</p> <p>Similarly, Australia's biggest insurer IAG, which owns NRMA and CGU among others, posted a net profit of $832 million in 2022-23, skyrocketing 140 per cent on the year prior.</p> <p>"Insurance is an essential," Mitchell emphasised. "To protect our homes and to get to work we all have to pay those premiums. It's beyond the pale to expect hard working Australians to continue cop increases to life's essentials just to have big business creaming from the top."</p> <p>The Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work is demanding price regulations across strategic sectors such as energy, housing and transport, as well as competition policy reform to restrain exploitative pricing practices.</p> <p>"The evidence couldn't be any clearer – enormous corporate profits fuelled the inflationary crisis and remain too high for workers to claw back wage losses," stated Dr Jim Stanford, the centre's director.</p> <p>"The usual suspects in the business community want to blame labour costs for inflation. That claim simply doesn't stack up under the weight of international and domestic evidence that shows corporate profits still account for the clear majority of excess inflation, despite inflation moderating from its peak last year."</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Tragic news after camper missing for 12 days

<p>Human remains believed to be that of missing camper Jessica Louise Stephens have been found by Northern Territory Police. </p> <p>The 35-year-old went camping at Kakadu National Park almost two weeks ago, and was reported missing by her mother on October 18. </p> <p>On Saturday afternoon police released a statement saying that they have recovered the remains on Nourlangie Rock, near where Stephens was believed to be travelling. </p> <p>Police also confirmed that the remains were located within the original search area. </p> <p>In an earlier statement, NT police reported that they found Stephen's belongings “a considerable distance from the walking track in harsh terrain”. </p> <p>It was reported that her vehicle was found <span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">in a car park near Nourlangie Rock. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Acting </span><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Senior Sergeant Steven </span><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Langdon said that the search and rescue operation for Stephens, which commenced on the 24th of October, had covered around </span><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">140 square kilometres of the national park. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Search efforts had been hampered by extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 48 degrees Celcius. <br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Police have reported that they are in contact with Stephens' family and are preparing a report for the Coroner. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Image:  ABC News/ </span></em><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;"><em>Karon Evans/ Getty</em></span></p>

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"Nat Bass gaff": Huge national anthem blunder at Bathurst 1000

<p>They say "old habits die hard", and it seems not even celebrities are immune after Natalie Bassingthwaighte made an embarrassing mistake on the grid at the Bathurst 1000. </p> <p>On Sunday, thousand of race fans flocked to Mount Panorama in the Central West of NSW to watch the annual battle between Holden and Ford as the drivers prepared for 161 laps amount the mountain. </p> <p>Before the drivers set off, former Rogue Traders lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte stood on the grid to perform the Australian National Anthem. </p> <p>Unfortunately, she appeared to make one major mistake during her performance.</p> <p>On January 1st 2021, the national anthem made a change in the opening verse, with the second line changing from “For we are young and free” to “For we are one and free”.</p> <p>Bassingthwaighte, however, is seemingly a creature of habit as she appeared to sing the old version of the anthem ahead of the historic race.</p> <p>The mistake didn’t get past those watching on from home with several users online pointing out the error.</p> <p>“Oh no Nat Bass gaff during Bathurst national anthem ‘for we are young and free’ and so close to our Voice referendum,” one wrote.</p> <p>Another added, “She sung the old version, not the new one.”</p> <p>The anthem was changed under Scott Morrison's government, who said while announcing the change it was “only right” the anthem reflected and acknowledged First Nations people.</p> <p>“While Australia as a modern nation may be relatively young, our country’s story is ancient, as are the stories of the many First Nations peoples whose stewardship we rightly acknowledge and respect,” Mr Morrison said.</p> <p>“In the spirit of unity, it is only right that we ensure our national anthem reflects this truth and shared appreciation."</p> <p>“Changing ‘young and free’ to ‘one and free’ takes nothing away, but I believe it adds much. It recognises the distance we have travelled as a nation."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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