Aussie twins captivated the internet for speaking in unison
When you get to know someone pretty well you could say you finish each other's sentences. For identical twins Paula and Bridgette Powers, that really is the case.
The 51-year-old Sunshine Coast sisters went viral online after they were captured speaking in perfect unison during an interview in the aftermath of a violent carjacking on Monday.
Dressed in matching blue scrubs with a rabbit pattern, the pair described how their mother went to help a bloodied man only to be confronted with the gun-wielding car thief.
'One guy, he was up there with our mum. He went up there and he was coming back down toward us,' one said, as the other finished her sister's sentences.
'And he goes 'run, he's got a gun!'' the sisters said at the exact same time.
Their unique ability to speak in sync stunned viewers around the globe, along with their matching outfit and hairstyles.
The pair said they have tried not to speak in unison, but it is impossible.
'We don't notice it ourselves when we're getting interviewed,' Bridgette told SBS News.
'There is a lot of negative comments on Facebook … because some people are saying, 'It's fake. How can you rehearse a conversation?'
'You can't. It's us, and we've tried not to talk together, and it's impossible.'
It is also not the first time the sisters have been in the spotlight.
In 2016, Paula and Bridgette appeared on Good Morning Britain, with former presenter Piers Morgan calling it 'one of the greatest interviews I have ever conducted in my life'.
The pair also share a love for wildlife and have run the Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue in Landsborough for the last 25 years.
Just a give-minute drive from Australia Zoo, the sanctuary rehabilitates seabirds and pelicans who've been injured in the wild.
The sisters are hoping their viral moment can help raise funds for their lifelong passion.
Funds will go towards mounting food bills and ongoing care costs, repairs to their ageing building and installing a disabled toilet for visitors.
Paula and Bridgette called for answers from the Queensland Government in October last year after two birds, an eclectus parrot and an extremely rare white crow, were seized from their care.
Officers from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) took Bonnie the parrot and Luca the crow from Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue, claiming the sisters did not have approval to keep them.
During a routine compliance check by DESI, the sisters were told they needed a permit for Bonnie and Luca was not on any 'species management' list.
The Twinnies offered to get a licence for Bonnie and pay $900 for her back, and to pay for her shelter until that happened.
Despite being promised the birds would not be euthanised, Paula and Bridgette told Daily Mail Australia they had learnt both had been killed in April 2024.
Meanwhile Molly the Magpie, who was taken from her family and two canine companions due to a lack of permit, was returned to Gold Coast couple Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen following the intervention of Queensland Premier Steven Miles.
The Powers were mentored by the late and great Steve Irwin, who was mesmerised by their intuition and understanding of animals.
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SBS Australia
4 days ago
- SBS Australia
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Women who have experienced domestic violence are often at a disadvantage when it comes to their finances. Source: Getty, iStockphoto / Primipil The Humans of Purpose Academy provides training in digital tech skills for domestic violence survivors. It aims to empower women to upskill and help them become more financially secure. At the same time, changes to the Family Law Act recognise the financial impact of domestic violence on women affected by it. This article contains references to domestic violence. Bronté got married before her 18th birthday and was expected to stay home to take care of the house and family. She felt controlled by her husband, who she said "believed a woman's place is in the house, taking care of the children and maintaining the house". Bronté (not her real name) told SBS News she was not permitted to work or make financial decisions for her family. So when she left her husband after seven years of marriage, she was not in a good financial position. 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After years of being controlled and abused, she took her two children and they escaped the situation. While Bronté may have finally felt safe, she faced many challenges in trying to set up a new life. She said it was not only her finances that were lacking, she also did not have a great deal of confidence and no real experience to put on a resume. "There had been a lot of mental and emotional abuse, nothing I ever did was good enough, lots of name-calling, my self-esteem had plummeted massively," Bronté said. "I found myself stuck in a trauma fog," she said. By the time she reached a point where she felt she had the capacity to look for work, she had a work gap of more than a decade. "I think I spent a year-and-a-half straight applying for jobs that were within my capabilities, without luck," Bronté said. The Cost of Domestic Violence to Women's Employment and Education report, by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney and the Australian National University, found victim-survivors reported financial problems at much higher rates than other women. In 2021 43.9 per cent of women who experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner in the past five years had cash flow issues compared to 7.2 per cent of women who have never experienced partner violence. Financial hardship was also an issue for 31.4 per cent of women who experienced partner emotional abuse and 37.7 per cent of women who experienced partner economic abuse. It was a referral to do job skills training with a not-for-profit that finally gave Bronté a stepping stone to a career and the many extra benefits she said come with that. Melanie Globo started the Humans of Purpose Academy in 2023, offering free online training in digital technologies. 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7NEWS
19-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Dingo attack on fisherman at tourist hotspot sparks fresh warning
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SBS Australia
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- SBS Australia
Peter Dutton has made history, but not in the way he hoped
Peter Dutton became Liberal leader in 2022. Source: SBS News Opposition leader Peter Dutton has lost his Brisbane seat of Dickson. He has represented the Queensland seat of Dickson in the Australian House of Representatives since 2001. Dutton has held several significant positions in successive Coalition governments, including stints as the minister for home affairs, health and defence. Opposition leader Peter Dutton was hoping to make history as the first Opposition leader to unseat a first-term government in 100 years. Instead, he has made history as the first Opposition leader to lose his seat at a federal election. has snatched the electorate by at least a 9 per cent margin — a remarkable result after two previous runs for Dutton's long-held seat. "Dickson had a one-term curse, it was only ever held for one term at a time and we have held it for 24 years," Dutton said in his concession speech. 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He credits Dutton's background in policing as playing a critical role in shaping his views on issues including security and immigration. "If you ask people to list his [Dutton's] qualities, they would say: 'We like his position on immigration. We like his position on law and order.'" Dutton has he likely suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and said his time in law enforcement has left him with "scars". Before his time in Canberra, Dutton also worked with his father in the building business, which he says grew to employ 40 Australians. In 2001, Dutton defeated Labor frontbencher Cheryl Kernot for the seat of Dickson and caught the attention of then Liberal prime minister John Howard. In a letter to Dickson voters during the 2019 election, Howard wrote: "Some politicians fly to Canberra and forget where they come from — Peter is not one of them. "In my experience, he is a genuine, hardworking local member." 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