About 20 years ago, as a young journalist, I covered a court case concerning two teenage boys accused of savagely murdering one of their mates. They were aged 16 or 17 at the time, and they came from what we like to call “good families”. There were no drugs and no family violence involved, and … Read More
Risdon Prison just outside Hobart is one of the country’s most notorious jails. It’s known for its infamous inmates, including Port Arthur killer Martin Bryant and criminal-turned-celebrity Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. It’s frequently the scene of riots, sieges and suicides, and prisoners’ groups claim that human rights abuses happen on a daily basis – from food … Read More
Recently, I interviewed for a role with an all-female, fully remote consulting firm. It was less an interview and more of a conversation. The intro to the firm came via a colleague and although the firm wasn’t hiring, we wanted to explore possibilities. It was unlike any other job interview. The senior partner spoke about … Read More
Late last year, I was offered my dream job – serving on the executive team of an influential NGO reporting directly to the impressive female CEO. But when the offer was made, I became paralysed with fear. How would I manage a demanding full-time role plus my responsibilities as a sole parent – to myself … Read More
Annette Noble’s first child was four months old when she boarded an international flight for a week-long business trip. “I got on the plane and breathed a sigh of relief. I thought, ‘No one can contact me for at least 24 hours,’ ” she says. No one could question Noble’s dedication to her marketing job. She … Read More
Tanya Plibersek has a gift for doing many things at once. “My personal favourite was writing a speech, talking on the telephone and breastfeeding,” says Labor’s 43-year-old MP for the federal seat of Sydney, whisking egg yolks, lemon juice and olive oil into a home-made mayonnaise. It’s lunchtime at Plibersek’s inner-city home and the mother … Read More
Imagine if your brother raised your children and your husband visited a few times a week. This is the ancient cultural practice of the Mosuo people – one of the last surviving matriarchal societies in the world. In 2012, Erin O’Dwyer travelled to China’s Yunnan province with photographer Dave Tacon to learn more about the … Read More
An earthquake in Christchurch comes with a roar or a shudder. It rolls in across the plains from the Greendale Fault. Or it thunders up out of the ground, right below the city. It’s much like the rumble in the belly of a giant, fast asleep and snoring, deep below the earth. It’s been six … Read More
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area rises soft and blurry beyond the Sydney metropolis. On a clear day, you can see the city from its ancient sandstone ramparts and hear aeroplanes banking. How wild can it really be? Very wild indeed. Its southern section (an area of 220,000 hectares that has the Great Western … Read More
To some, Islamic veils are expressions of faith. To others, they are symbols of oppression. Either way, they continue to spark debate. The latest controversy has flared in Europe, where first Belgium and, perhaps soon, France, will pass laws to stop Muslim women wearing the face-covering burqa or niqab in public. The author of Belgium’s … Read More