Ashleigh Illingworth offers a sneak peek into her developing novel, Barely Friends, with this excerpt. Chapter 8 I am woken up with a loud scream from across the street. I sit up and see the lights on in Florence’s house and a shadowy figure running through the upstairs hallway. Another scream sends me out of bed. I run to the top of the stairs to see Mum putting on a dressing gown and bolting out the front door, down our one-step veranda. Dad must still be asleep. That man c

When were you last at the circus? Genevieve Spiteri reviews the Circus Oz show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. When was the last time you went to the circus? Do you remember the incredible acrobatics and hilarious antics of the performers? Now is the perfect time to experience it again with Circus Oz’s Here, There and Everywhere these school holidays at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. An absolutely seamless performance from start to finish,

Estonian clowns Piip and Tuut have landed in Melbourne to brighten your school holidays for Melbourne Comedy Festival, Genevieve Spiteri reviews. Welcome to Piip and Tuut at Concert! Two impatient janitors who can’t seem to sit still are here to entertain and delight your young ones this school holidays as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival . I had the absolute privilege of attending the "World-Famous known only in Estonia" clown duo Piip and Tuut ’s Mel

This weekend marks ten years of celebrating the achievements of women in filmmaking at the annual MWFF, but there's still work to be done, Matthew Parkhill reports. ACMI and Federation Square are lit up once again this weekend for the annual celebration of women and gender-diverse filmmakers, with ACMI theatres screening both domestic and international films and shorts, both old and new. Crash the party at this year's Melbourne Women in Film festival celebrating ten years of

Playing for an incredibly short run in Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett is a must-see show for classic rock lovers… and anyone interested in seeing a masterpiece in non-linear, theatrical storytelling, Genevieve Spiteri reviews. There is so much to say about Chrissy Amphlett. Before tonight, I barely knew anything about her - I did know two of her songs, though I didn't even know they were Australian - "I Touch Myself" a

Leila Cochrane reviews Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! A campy retelling of the story of Ida, the bride to Frankenstein's Monster. If you haven't heard of Maggie Gyllenhaal's film ‘The Bride', you should take note. A feminist reimagining of the original 1935 cinematic release of "Bride of Frankenstein" by James Whale, The Bride! gives life to the monster's 'girlfriend', named Ida, played by Jessie Buckley. Under director Maggie Gyllenhaal's vision, The Bride! takes place in

Erin Kavanagh writes Is Rage Just Guilt Disguised, a window into the reality that is women's healthcare rights. Tick. Tick. Tick. I shut my eyes tight, hoping that would somehow block out that damn clock. It’s not enough that the lady next to me is bouncing her leg up and down, shaking the couch we’re sitting on, or that the pregnant woman across the room is flipping through a magazine in the loudest way possible. It isn’t enough that this clinic seems to be the absolute hot

Ashleigh Illingworth writes The Day He Said I Do, a sombre story about watching your dreams fade before your eyes. She sits at the table across the room, the world passing her by. Her stunning, satin, lavender dress, draping over her statuesque figure. People thriving in conversations that she couldn’t be further away from. The guests are walking past, dancing, enjoying the festivities, but she seems to be floating in space. Travelling to another planet, maybe even another u

Dreams have come true as Australia's first-ever Paralympic three-on-three basketball team has touched down in Puerto Rico, Daniell Allen reports. Special Olympics Australia and the Eltham community have joined forces to send off Australia's entry to the first-ever three-on-three basketball World Cup: Enter, the Eltham Wildcats. The Wildcats are shooting for gold this 3x3 Basketball World Cup. (Image: Supplied) Touching down in San Juan, Puerto Rico, today, the Wildcats have

Amy Anderson captures the quiet moments where we wonder when we left our inner child behind in Before August. We race to grow up and then wish we never grew (Image: Adobe Stock) During that summer when I was nine years old, I would ride my second-hand pink bike around the neighbourhood. The other kids in the street would join me. We knew nothing of the world, and the world knew nothing of us yet. It was always Abbey’s front yard where we’d leave our bikes all over the lawn,

Genevieve Spiteri reviews Australia's fourth run of Charles Dickens' beloved Christmas tale. Heavy spoilers ahead for the novel and light spoilers for this production! (Although if you don’t know how the story goes by this point, that’s kind of on you) Premiering to London audiences nine years ago, Matthew Warcus and Jack Thorne’s production of A Christmas Carol has been praised as one of the greatest theatrical adaptations of the source material, and after experiencing it

Amy Anderson writes Broken Bones for the Prose Poetics unit, a story on love and heartbreak. Some broken things never mend (Image: Adobe Stock) She’d broken her arm the day after we broke up. Karma, I’d say. ‘Get up.’ She says it coldly, standing over me. I must've fallen asleep. ‘Fuck off, B.’ I mumble it out, enjoying the damp grass on the bottom of my back. I close my eyes, and she kicks me in the arm. ‘I said fuck off, B,’ I say a little louder. ‘Jamie, stop being a prick

Bea Lovatt rewrites the classic fable The Tortoise and the Hare in three variations for their Reading Writing Genre unit. Stories from generations ago continue to shape our literature today. How many ways can we rewrite these classic tales to speak to our modern world? (Image: Wix) Not Lovers, But More Than Friends. The annual community fun run had always been more about the raffle tickets and fairy-floss than competition. But for Tilly and Harrison, it was another stage for

Cassandra Wylie writes Sixty-Four Days , a tragic romance set in the apocalypse. Can love bloom at the end of the world? (Image: Wix) Thirty-six days after the apocalypse. It was ugly. A mess of splattered flesh and bone that had peeled onto the mud. A wet stench of pus drooled out with whatever life it had been clinging to, if you could call it life. Mila stood over a creature that was not quite a zombie, not quite a human. When she was young, her father would take her on c

Swinburne students will be taking the stage at the Leadbeater Hotel for the third annual Inter-Varsity Battle of the Bands this Friday, Ella O'Neill and Matthew Parkhill report. Melbourne's music gig scene is not exactly rock n' roll. Musicians are expected more than ever to fork out cash for gigs themselves and create their own brand, playing a game of 'who you know' to get the ball rolling. Since COVID, venues have seen running costs soar, passing on some of those demands t

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, experts warn of associated dangers with surgeries. Associate Professor Andreea Molnar from Swinburne University's School of Science, Computing and Emerging Technologies said, "Without effective antibiotics, even routine surgeries could become dangerously risky to perform." Image: Wix

The World Health Organisation states that the increase in antibiotic resistance naturally occurs based on genetic changes. However, the main driving factors for antimicrobial resistance are the abuse and overuse of antimicrobial drugs. Image: Wix

WHO reveals antibiotic resistance is highest in Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, where a third of infections are drug-resistant, posing severe threats, especially in regions with weak healthcare. Image: Wix

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros warns that antimicrobial resistance is outpacing modern medicine, urging responsible antibiotic use, access to quality medicines, and investment in new solutions globally. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Image: WHO)

The World Health Organisation has reported an increase in antibiotic resistance: one in six common infections are resistant. The Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 found that between 2018 and 2023, resistance rose in over 40 per cent of antibiotics. Image: Adobe

50 years on, the movie has been criticised as an outdated depiction of queer experiences but some argue it is an important piece of LGBTQ+ history. Pelvic Thrusts performer, Ira Luxuria who plays Frank N Furter, said a lot of punters "might not have even seen the movie before but they’re excited about what we do....they’re coming for a drag performance.” The Pelvic Thrusts perform live while screening The Rocky Horror Picture Show in movie theatres across Melbourne. Image: Th

The Rocky Horror Picture Show movie was directed by Australian Jim Sharman and featured Australian actress Nell Campbell as Columbia. 50 years after the movie was made, fans still flock to screenings dressed in costumes to dance and act out the entire movie! Rocky Horror Picture Show cast, 1975. Image: National Film and Sound Archive

The Metro Tunnel's high-frequency, reliable public transport will get people out of cars, reducing congestion and making Melbourne more "livable and sustainable," according to Crystal Legacy, urban planning researcher from Melbourne University. Crystal Legacy, Associate Professor, Urban Planning at University of Melbourne. (Image: University of Melbourne)

Lots of claims have been knocked back, including a truck driver who tried to claim swimwear because it was hot they wanted to go for a swim. ATO Assistant Commissioner Rob Thomson said that ‘While a lunchtime dip might clear your head for work, swimwear for a truck driver is clearly not deductible." Image: Adobe

Tax return extensions can be granted to May 15 th , 2026 if you have a Tax Agent and file for it before the 31 st of October. Image: Adobe

Tax Returns must be filed before the 31 st of October, those who fail to lodge theirs will face penalties of up to $1650. Image: Adobe