Independent Australian news and analysis across politics, business, technology, world affairs and culture
Daniel Harper Search for “Robert Smith” and two very different biographies appear: the goth-pop icon who has fronted The Cure since 1976 (Wikipedia’s biography of Smith), and the former NFL running back who walked away from football at 28; this article is about the musician — and the quieter corners of his life that rarely make the … Read more
Few TV characters can make a historian squirm and a viewer laugh in the same sentence, but Philomena Cunk has been doing exactly that since 2014 as the deadpan fictional presenter who asks real academics questions like whether the Mona Lisa was “a woman or a type of pasta.” Here’s what’s actually going on behind … Read more
Georgie Purcell doesn’t fit the typical image of a Victorian MP. At 30, she walked into parliament as the state’s youngest female lawmaker and the Animal Justice Party’s first representative in Victoria, bringing a mix of legal, union, and campaign experience to push animal welfare to the top of the legislative agenda. Full name: Georgina … Read more
Georgie Purcell didn’t take a traditional road into Victoria’s parliament: in November 2022 she won the Northern Victoria seat as the Animal Justice Party’s representative (Animal Justice Party Victoria (party biography)), after a career from union campaigns to party chief-of-staff. Her political agenda is squarely about animal welfare, while her personal life stays quiet. Full … Read more
For a judge who spent 12 years on Australia’s highest court, Virginia Bell’s career didn’t end with retirement. It took a different turn — into one of the most politically charged inquiries the country has seen: the Royal Commission into Antisemitism. This profile traces her journey from a legal aid solicitor in Redfern to the … Read more
For anyone who watched Schitt’s Creek and wondered what happened to the deadpan motel clerk Stevie Budd, the answer is a lot. Emily Hampshire, the Canadian actress behind that iconic role, has spent the years since the show’s end building a career as a writer, producer, and advocate — and publicly embracing her identity as … Read more
You’ve probably seen her face in a big-budget franchise or an indie thriller and wondered: who is that? Hermione Corfield has steadily built a career that spans galaxy-spanning space operas, gritty survival dramas, and period pieces. From a brief but memorable appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi to a breakout lead in Rust Creek, … Read more
Few professional wrestlers have burned as brightly—or as unpredictably—as Jeff Hardy. A daredevil in the ring and a deeply human figure outside it, his career has been a constant cycle of soaring highs and crushing lows. This guide walks through his WWE exit, DUI history, sobriety journey, and recent public declaration of Christian faith, using … Read more
When you win a national singing competition at 19, the future looks wide open — but for Stan Walker, that future took a sudden turn when a routine health check uncovered stomach cancer. This article traces his journey from the 2009 Australian Idol stage through diagnosis, surgery, and life without a stomach. Full name: Stan … Read more
Paloma Faith has never been one to hold back — whether she’s belting out a ballad or speaking her mind about her health. In 2023, the singer revealed she was diagnosed with ADHD, a discovery she described as “really helpful” in understanding herself. Now, with three children and a new album, she’s navigating a very … Read more