Tributes flow for David Stratton, 'Gandalf' of Australian cinema
He formed an indomitable on-air partnership with Margaret Pomeranz which spanned decades across the SBS and ABC, and became a cultural touchstone for many around the country.
Guest: George Miller, friend and Oscar-award winning director
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The Australian
34 minutes ago
- The Australian
Vegan activist Tash Peterson raising $30,000 to travel to UK festival
A controversial vegan activist who filed for bankruptcy after a court found she had defamed a Perth vet is attempting to raise money to leave Australia for 'the world's biggest vegan camp out' in the United Kingdom. Tash Peterson and boyfriend Jack Higgs had their passports confiscated when they filed for bankruptcy in May, after WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan ordered they pay $280,000 in damages. Justice Quinlan found the pair had published defamatory claims that a Bicton vet was 'eating her own patients', with Ms Peterson claiming the court battled meant her 'personal accounts have been wiped'. The pair returned to social media on Friday to urge their supporters to donate to a GoFundMe campaign to help them acquire $30,000 demanded by their bankruptcy trustees 'because they're concerned we are going to flee Australia for good'. Vegan activist Tash Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs declared bankruptcy and surrendered their passports after a failed defamation action with a vet. Picture: Instagram. 'Because of this, we are trying to raise funds so that I can give my speech at the Vegan Camp Out,' Peterson said in a video. 'The only purpose of our trip is to speak up for non-human animals. Not to run away. 'We only have one week to raise the $30,000'. The pair said the funds, which will contribute to a bond, will be returned to them when they return to Australia and forfeit their passports once again, and will then go to the animal NGO, Farm Transparency Project. Ms Peterson is listed as a speaker for the vegan Camp Out, a four-day festival at Bygrave Woods in Hertfordshire which includes talks from vegan activists such as Paul McCartney's ex-wife, Heather Mills. Ms Peterson is most well-known for protests staged outside restaurants and agricultural shows. Picture: Facebook The GoFundMe campaign is being run by Ms Peterson's mother, Sally, and as of Saturday morning had raised more than $2000 to a target of $5500, with donations ranging from $20 to as large as $300. The festival website describes Ms Peterson as a WA-based animal activist 'known for her bold and attention-grabbing approach' with a 'controversial style which often includes civil disobedience'. Ms Peterson is most well-known for protests staged outside restaurants and agricultural shows, and according to her own social media have resulted in 30 police move-on orders, three restraining orders, and 17 convictions.

News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
What's on: Must see entertainment in Darwin this weekend
WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND In what feels like a time-warp, we're already about halfway through Darwin Festival – one of the most magical times of the year. I've been lucky enough to work across the festival, which means I've been able to catch a heap of the shows. This week I'm breaking the mold and combining my Local's Tip and What's On This Week into one. This weekend, make sure you embrace the highlights: circus and cabaret in the Spiegeltent, late-night music from WAFIA in Festival Park, and then dancing until the early hours at the Peachy Party in Club Awi. Last weekend's Club Awi hoedown was one for the ages – have you ever seen a line dance to Untouched by The Veronicas? Hilarious. If your Sunday calls for live music or free dance, you'll be spoiled for choice – and it's also your final chance to catch the phenomenal mentalist Suhani Shah. But here's my real local's tip: choose something random. Go out of your comfort zone. Join a silent disco. Embrace the magic. Some of my favourite festival moments so far have been completely unexpected. The first show I saw featured a rapper belting out, 'You've got to be the real you if you really want to flex' while figure skating around the stage on rollerblades – a big flex, indeed. At Fort Hill Parklands, I watched fans right up the front making eye contact with their favourite singer, singing every word back at them in perfect unison – it was pure wholesomeness. On the new Festival Harbour Cruise, Merrick Watts summed it up perfectly when he said, 'I'm so happy to be here doing a wine tasting on a boat … any other state would probably think it's too dangerous - but in Darwin it's sold out!'. For future reference, a wine tasting and then a silent disco: fun. And in a rock 'n' roll drag cabaret, the crowd roared just as loudly for a mullet contest as they did for a moment of activism – that's when you know you're in Darwin. My favourite part is soaking in the little things – the wild, the hilarious, the heartwarming. The real 'Darwin' part of Darwin Festival. SOMEWHERE YOU NEED TO EAT Speaking of Darwin talent, it's that time of the year again. The quest to find the best barista in Darwin – a very highly regarded title! Hospitality NT's Gold Plate Awards is coming up soon, and they've just announced the Top 4 Baristas of the Year! A big congratulations to Thao from Besser, Yoga from Kopi Stop, Summer from Kopi Stop & Makan Stop, and Mim from Coffee Man – the top four of our many champions of caffeine! The Gold Plate Awards shine a spotlight on the incredible people, venues and flavours that make our dining scene so special - and I can't wait to spotlight some of the winners for you. All winners will be crowned at the Gold Plate Awards on Monday, 25 August – but grab a coffee from these venues in the meantime and see what you think!


SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Chanel Olive Thomas on embracing her Filipino roots and breaking pageant norms
Chanel has earned multiple titles, including Miss Philippines Air 2015 and Miss Supranational 2017, solidifying her place in pageant history. Growing up in Australia, she struggled to fit in, but it was in the Philippines where she felt fully accepted as both Filipino and Australian embracing her natural self. She returned to the Philippines to join the Miss Universe Philippines stage in 2025 as a married woman and the oldest candidate, challenging traditional pageant norms. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST SBS Filipino 32:37 Filipino Growing up in Queensland, I just wanted blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes to fit in because that's all I saw around me. In modeling, I was often told I looked too 'exotic', not Australian enough. But coming to the Philippines was my identity awakening, and for the first time, I felt accepted for exactly who I am. Chanel Olive Thomas Nayer – Miss Supranational 2017, Miss Philippines Air 2015, Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Nueva Ecija and Filipino Society of Melbourne representative 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino