XtraClubs Is Launching In Marrickville and “Affordable-Luxury” Has Never Looked So Good After huge success in Bondi and Green Square,   XtraClubs , Australia’s first self-service, tech-enhanced wellness brand, is expanding to Marrickville this December. Set to open December 8, 2025, XtraClubs is transforming how Australians recover, recharge and relax. Once reserved for elite athletes - saunas, steam rooms and ice baths are now becoming part of everyday wellness, and XtraClubs is making them accessible to everyone. From busy parents and professionals to active older adults, members are embracing XtraClubs’ unique blend of luxury, affordability, and convenience. With clubs open 6 am to 11 pm, seven days a week, recovery and relaxation have never been easier to prioritise. What’s Inside Marrickville’s New Wellness Hub 2 Finnish Saunas — including the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and a smaller “Silent Zone” sauna for deep relaxation 4 Infrared Saunas — custom-built for a next-level experience 6 Ice Baths — with options at 3°C and 10°C 1 Steam Room — inspired by traditional global wellness rituals The Science Behind the Experience Finnish Sauna:  The Finnish sauna has the most consistent   evidence   regarding health benefits. They have been shown to decrease the risk of health outcomes such as hypertension, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular concerns, musculoskeletal disorders and may also improve mental wellbeing and sleep. Infrared Saunas:   Studies  have indicated they may improve cardiovascular health, relieve pain, lower blood pressure, boost circulation, aid muscle recovery and even support weight management by increasing metabolic rate.  Ice Baths:  May enhance post-exercise recovery, improve sleep regulation and mood via endorphin release according to   studies . Steam bathing:   Studies  suggest that it may support skin health, hydration of the skin, collagen production and may promote longevity while burning calories and aiding healthy aging.   About the Founders Brothers Anthony and James Simonetta , alongside Simon Hamilton , founded XtraClubs from a personal mission to make wellness more accessible. Two years ago, Anthony, then 130kg, stressed, and exhausted, found rejuvenation in saunas but struggled to find affordable, flexible access. “I wanted a place where I could go anytime, stay as long as I wanted, and enjoy premium facilities without paying top dollar,” says Anthony. A Bondi Beach ice bath challenge and viral response proved the demand was real. Within months, the team raised over $2 million and opened their first two clubs in record time. Founding Memberships (Limited Time Only) Early members can secure exclusive discounted rates  before launch. These discounted weekly prices won't be repeated once they are exhausted.  Essentials: $19.95/week: Unlimited off-peak sessions, 1 x peak session, up to 70 mins each session. (Normally $27.95/week) Elevate : $29.95/week: Unlimited off-peak sessions, 3 x peak sessions, up to 100 mins each session, access to all locations. (Normally $36.95/week) Thrive:  $39.95/week: Unlimited sessions at any time, unlimited duration, towel service, access to all locations. (Normally $54.95/week). Locations Bondi Junction:   434-436 Oxford St, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022 Green Square:   18/20 Zetland Ave, Zetland, NSW 2017 Marrickville (Opening December 8): 18-30 Faversham St, Marrickville Manly (Opening Early 2026):  32 The Corso, Manly, NSW 2095 More locations to follow! https://xtraclubs.au/ @xtraclubs

Discover the lost hotel, historic ocean pool and colourful history of Mosman’s Clifton Gardens. By Alec Smart More on Mosman Historic postcard of Clifton Gardens. Clifton Gardens is a grassed reserve with a netted bathing area in Chowder Bay, on the south-west side of Mosman in Sydney Harbour. Adjacent to the historic Submarine Miners’ Depot, the idyllic picnic area with barbecues, children’s playground, basketball court and fishing jetty was once a bustling tourist destination featuring a huge swimming arena and two luxury hotels.   Piers of the realm There was a time in recent history when jetties – those long walkways mounted on pillars and extending over the sea – were a major social attraction. From the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries, jetties (or piers as they were more commonly known in Britain, Europe and the USA), often featured theatres, pleasure rides and amusement arcades.  In Australia – as in the case of Clifton Gardens in Chowder Bay and historic Manly Harbour Pool  (1931-74) – people were drawn not to novelty attractions along the boardwalk, but the bathing areas beneath. Protected by shark nets, here they could swim safely without fear of losing their legs – or their lives.  At their peak, when trains and ferries made cross-country travel more affordable for the masses, seaside jetties – often repurposed cargo wharfs - attracted tourists across all social classes, from the gentry to commoners.  These tidal pools were enclosed by timber walkways, sometimes consisting of upper and lower levels, from which the public could dive, sunbathe or stroll around.  Sea bathing in Australia accelerated in the early 1900s when social swimming became popular after the repeal of repressive ‘public decency’ laws that previously forbade swimming in daylight hours. (However, gender segregation was enforced or encouraged until the mid-20th century).  Clifton Hotel and pool, 1905. History: off the Cliffe The Clifton Gardens parkland has a history steeped with names associated with wealthy American whaler and merchant seaman Captain E. H. (Edmund Harrison) Cliffe, who, in April 1832, arrived in Sydney aboard his whaling ship, the Lady Wellington. Shortly after his arrival, Cliffe purchased a 56-acre estate on the water’s edge of the bay the Indigenous Borogegal clans called Gooree. He built a grand two-storey house with balconies, which he named ‘Cliffeton’. Cliffe employed convicts to work on his estate – two of whom, John Ward and William Grimshaw, burgled his home and were later discovered in their hut drunk and in possession of most of the missing items. They were subsequently sentenced to death and hanged. A whaling factory was founded in nearby Mosman Bay, four inlets to the west, in 1831, by Archibald Mosman, from whom the suburb is named . The whaling ships, many of them international vessels, often anchored in Chowder Bay as well as neighbouring Taylors Bay and Sirius Cove. Boaters in Chowder By in the early 1900s, the Submarine Miners' Base in the distance. Photo: Patricio Parragué. It is often stated that the name ‘Chowder Bay’ originated in the 1830s when visiting American whalers, to whom Cliffe reportedly sold water and vegetables, made fish chowder from shellfish (oysters and pipis) along the shore.  However, its origins may be more prosaic. According to an article  in the Sydney Sun, published 7 August 1925, “In 1832 an estate on the foreshores was bought by E. H. Cliffe, who had made six voyages between Port Jackson and the East Indies as chief officer of a Vessel. Writing from the estate, he gave his address as "Chouder Bay". “Chouder" has a breath of the Indies in it and probably it was associated with some place or incident in Mr. Cliffe's East Indian career.” Captain Cliffe often undertook maritime trade with India. There is no word ‘chouder’ in Hindi, India’s most commonly spoken language, nor any geographic locations in India, so perhaps we should stick with the shellfish broth, even though the English origins  of the word ‘chowder’ are obscure.   Cliffe himself died  in November 1837, aged 41. Hoteliers and hoodlums In 1871, hoteliers Duncan and Mary Butters converted Cliffe’s two-storey grand house into a 10-bedroom hotel and licensed bar, which they named Clifton Arms. A carpenter and shipwright, Duncan Butters also built a dining pavilion and a dance hall (the latter popular social centres of the era), and the Chowder Bay Pleasure Grounds were promoted enthusiastically in the Illustrated Sydney News. A wharf was constructed in the bay to allow the berthing of Sydney steam-powered ferries and it was far enough out so that the vessels could drop and collect passengers in low and high tides. Pre-1931 photo of Clifton Hotel and the Submarine Miners' Base in the distance, prior to construction of the pool. The hotel, dance hall and pavilion pre-date the famous swimming arena, constructed in 1931, by 60 years, so during this time people were journeying to Chowder Bay for dancing, socialising and seaside picnics in the sheltered cove.  For five years the Butters oversaw this popular venue, however, in 1875 Mary Butters died of lung inflammation (probably influenza), aged just 32, leaving Duncan caring for their six children.  In 1878 Butters married Elizabeth, Mary’s former nurse, however, he was financially crippled by the Pleasure Grounds’ running costs. After being declared bankrupt, he sold the venue in 1879 to Irish ferry owner David Thompson, who moved into the hotel with his wife Mary and their five children. Thompson was a wealthy merchant who oversaw several vessels that transported goods and people between Melbourne and Newcastle. Unfortunately, in the early 1880s, Sydney experienced a crime wave by rival gangs of ‘push’ mobsters, and they frequently crossed the harbour to the secluded Chowder Bay for drunken punch-ups and turf wars. The Clifton Arms developed a nefarious reputation, and in June 1883, Thompson had his liquor license revoked. Clifton Gardens Hotel 1908. Postcard - Mosman Library. Rebirth and rise After a year and with the support of a public petition, authorities deemed Thompson fit to operate a liquor venue again, and in July 1884 Clifton Arms Hotel was granted a new license.  Thompson then set about upgrading the establishment to attract a higher class of clientele, expanding the hotel from 10 to 40 bedrooms, replacing the dance pavilion to a larger 5000-seater venue, adding a new skating rink, and extending the ferry wharf. To shake off the previous notoriety, Thompson renamed the now three-storey hotel with a bar at the entrance, the Marine Hotel, which opened in August 1885.  Thompson also imported a bathing machine from Britain, which was a netted enclosure that was wheeled down into the sea and bathers could swim without fear of hungry sharks. The revamped pleasure grounds were a major success and was soon one of Sydney’s premier attractions.  In 1906, after the Thompsons had passed away (David 1900, Mary 1905), Sydney Ferries Ltd purchased the Thompson’s estate, which comprised the hotel, dance/functions pavilion, roller-skating rink, surrounding parklands and, of course, the wharf. The new owners constructed a boatshed and a tramway between the hotel and the wharf. Curiously, they reverted the hotel back to its previous name, albeit modernising it from Clifton Arms to Clifton Gardens.  Clifton Gardens ocean pool, 1909. Photo: Mosman Library Sydney Ferries also modernised the wharf, taking advantage of the new trend in public ocean swimming, which previously was illegal in daylight due to an 1830s law enforcing ‘Public Decency’. In 1902, Manly & North Sydney News editor William Gocher deliberately flouted the ban  by swimming in daylight, in order to get arrested, publicise the ridiculous nature of the ban, and force a change in the law. It worked - in November 1903, Manly Council were the first authority to permit all-day sea bathing, and other councils followed. Sydney Ferries capitalised on the incredible popularity of ocean swimming, building an enormous circular shark-proof enclosure of timber and iron in Chowder Bay, which included diving platforms and two levels of promenades upon which 3,000 people could stroll or recline in deck chairs. They reaped the rewards – regular ferry services brought day-trippers, honeymooners, etc., over to Clifton Gardens, which was most popular on the weekends in Summer.  The ocean pool and a Sydney ferry, Chowder Bay, 1920s. Decline and demolition Sadly, the swimming arena slowly declined in popularity over the following decades and fell into decline. Sydney Ferries sold it in 1949 to Canadian businessman and Sydney nightclub owner Joseph Herbert. Herbert had grand plans to revamp the entire Clifton Gardens to a massive tourist resort, and commissioned an architect to design the venue.  However, the redevelopment plan met with public opposition, including the NSW Trades & Labour Council, which proposed instead a public parkland. Dismayed, Herbert sold the venture to a new owner in 1956, and in October the bathing arena suspiciously burned to the waterline – and was subsequently demolished. Clifton Hotel, 1949. Over the next decade, the Clifton Gardens Hotel fell into disrepair and instead of being repaired and preserved, was demolished on 17 November 1967. Mosman Council then purchased the land and in the following years cleared the site and levelled it to a grassed public reserve.  Recollections from a resident During the research for this article, I discovered a woman named Mavis West who lived in Clifton Gardens Hotel as a young girl (1955-56, then 1965-67) while her parents were employees – her mother the cook, her father the bar manager. She kindly shared her recollections. What was life like in the hotel?  Fun, we had great staff there at the time, it was like a family. The Arthurs were the licensees - great couple. I was the only kid that lived on the premises; a girlfriend lived up the road. I swam in the pool and fished off the jetty with Mum. There used to be a dumb waiter from the public bar to the kitchen and I can remember the orders coming up, requesting my Mum be the one to cook the punters’ steaks. Mum was rather busy!  I had a great time living in the hotel; I could have soft drinks and chips whenever I wanted! When I came home from school I could sit in the dining room and watch TV… There were separate staff quarters’ buildings on the premises. Clifton Gardens postcard, c1930s Was the hotel busy all year around, or mainly catered to Summertime weekenders using the tidal pool?  Busier in the summer time; the majority of people mainly came for the pub. There was a couple that came every weekend and sat in the beer garden listening to the horse races that they placed bets on prior. Also used to have a jazz band on a Saturday night during the summer months, they docked at the jetty and lugged the gear through the park and set up in the beer garden. With their stripped blazers and boater hats they played great jazz (I was aged about 10 then). Clifton Gardens was always a popular spot; companies would hold their Christmas Parties in the ballroom at the hotel and others would have them in the park, with a beer tent for the adults, Santa for the kids. The ballroom was used other times during the year as well.  We had the 16-foot sail clubs stay at the hotel and hold races off the beach. What was the circular swimming pool like - did you swim there often?  The promenade, dressing rooms & diving platform weren't there in my years residing there. Unfortunately, there was a fire back in the day and the pool area burnt down, so what is there today is what was there when I was a kid. Clifton Gardens in the 1930s. Photo by Patricio Parragué Netted swimming area in Chowder Bay today, where the historic ocean pool was situated. Photo: Alec Smart When the hotel was demolished, how did that affect you?  I can't remember the year it was pulled down, but I watched it every day, as we ended up moving into a block of flats next door. My bedroom window overlooked the hotel. (It was the first time I saw a female brickie too.) I heard the bricks were used to build a house on the North Shore somewhere. It was a sad time… The hotel should have been preserved - turn it into a nursing home or bed & breakfast, they could have done anything with it. It was about the time Jack Mundy was saving The Rocks  that the hotel was pulled down. [Jack Mundy of the Builders Labourers Federation oversaw the ‘Green Bans’ that preserved Sydney’s historic buildings from the overzealous demands of the property developers under the corrupt NSW Premier Bob Askin.] Shark-netted swimming area and the former Submarine Miners' Base in Chowder Bay today. Photo: Alec Smart =======================================

The man, the myth, the message board - we catch up with Sydney’s smiliest sign-wearer - Danny Lim. By Alec Smart More on Newtown Danny Lim is an 81-year-old Chinese-Australian who has gained notoriety for wearing signboards with cheeky messages – which have, on several occasions, got him in serious trouble! He’s often seen on the side of Sydney’s main roads and pedestrian thoroughfares – King St in Newtown, for example – waving at passing traffic and chatting with commuters whilst wearing a double-sided sign. Danny Lim with his dog Smarty (RIP), St. Peters, Sydney. Photo: Alec Smart Danny is (in)famous for displaying messages with double entendres. A double entendre is defined as “a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacceptable, or offensive to state directly.” That mixed messaging has led to controversy, most notably his two arrests and Court fines for Offensive Conduct in 2015 and 2019, both of which were reversed on appeal, although they utilised a certain notorious C-word. Despite the controversies, Danny has been photographed wearing his risqué signs whilst stood alongside numerous high-profile politicians. These include former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, former Labor Party leader Bill Shorten, senators Cory Bernardi and Kristina Keneally, and our current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who posted his photo with Danny to his Facebook page in December 2017, describing Danny as “a special guest from the Inner West!” Danny Lim with Anthony Albanese, December 2017 - screenshot of Anthony Albanese's Facebook account Born 1944, Danny is a Chinese-Malaysian (and naturalised Australian) who emigrated to Australia in 1963, and found work as an electrical technician. Danny also served as a progressive independent councillor on Strathfield Council from 2008-2012. Garnering 13% of the vote, he refused to accept a salary during his period of tenure and ran on the policy of "openness, transparency, accountability and morality." I interviewed Danny for this article, but he’s a chatty fellow with a tendency to speak in long monologues. Despite being on the phone with him for 80 minutes (we’re friends who’ve met several times), he went off on tangents, straying like an excited child in a fairground, and I didn’t get direct answers to the questions I sought. In regards to his much-loved, cult-like status, Danny told me, “l joined Facebook in 2015, and in less than one year l had more than 5000 followers and had to start my Danny Lim Facebook page [to exhibit his cheeky sign-wearing publicity stunts]. And soon l had 2,500 followers! [Danny now has 5,600 followers] Some people offered to buy them [his posters] from me but l was never interested in financial gains.” Danny Lim with Extinction Rebellion performers in central Sydney. Photo: Alec Smart Popular culture Since his signboard stunts began attracting national attention, Danny has also appeared as a counter-cultural rebel in Australian popular culture. He’s often seen at the front of civil rights marches in the city – such as Black Lives Matter rallies for Indigenous rights and Palestinian support demonstrations. In the wake of his first arrest in 2015, Danny featured in the short Brendan Toole documentary You Can, You Can’t (2018), examining the democratic right to freedom of speech in Australia. Danny’s grinning face has appeared on an album cover – Indie rock band Sticky Fingers’ fifth studio recording Lekkerboy – with steel braces on his teeth spelling out the letters of the aforementioned ‘offensive’ C-word that got him arrested (see details of the arrests below). Sticky Fingers 'Lekkerboy' album cover featuring Danny Lim with provocative metal braces on his teeth. Danny also appeared as a storyteller in the 2022 movie Three Thousand Years of Longing with his Chihuahua-Pomeranian X dog Smarty (which passed away in Jan 2021). Written and directed by the Academy Award-winning George Miller (responsible for the Mad Max quintet, Happy Feet and Witches of Eastwick), and starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, Three Thousand Years of Longing centres on a woman who hallucinates demons. During a trip to Istanbul, she purchases an ancient bottle containing a genie, who grants her three, albeit conditional, wishes, which leads to all sorts of trouble. Miller also gave Danny a cameo in his 2024 film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Danny also had a cameo in season 2 of Australian teenage drama series Heartbreak High, in the episode The Feelings Pit. His character carries a cassette player playing It’s that Time by DJ Daddy Trance in Sydney Park, Alexandria, while Jett James (actor William McDonald) dances alongside him on the grass. Danny Lim as High Master Black Thumb in Mad Max Furiosa In January 2019, mural artist Scott Marsh, arguably the Australian Banksy of politically astute social commentary, painted Danny on a wall in Chippendale, central Sydney. Located on the side of Cafe Giulia at 92 Abercrombie Street, the large artwork depicts Danny Lim with his dog Smarty, holding a sign that says "Peace Smile Be Kind", underscored with the risqué slogan that got Danny in trouble: “C∀n’t say C∀n’t”. A halo was later painted above Smarty’s head after he passed away. Danny recalled the mural painting: “Scottie Mash rang me to have lunch with him at Burwood. During lunch he told me he wanted to paint a mural of me and I refused, then added I had better let him do one before they [his detractors] shoot me! “After lunch he drove me back to Strathfield and l showed him a couple of my new signs and he chose one for the mural. He painted the mural on Thursday and on the following Monday morning he rang me to inform me that the media would be there…” (I subsequently photographed Danny and Smarty stood in front of the mural, replicating Marsh’s painted pose, for an Inner-West newspaper.) Danny Lim and his dog Smarty in front of Scott Marsh's mural of them in Chippendale, Sydney. Photo: Alec Smart Signboard notoriety In August 2015, in the first of his two signboard-related arrests, Danny was charged and fined $500 for Offensive Conduct after publicly wearing a large A1-sized sign in Edgecliff that called Tony Abbott, the ruling Prime Minister of Australia, a 'C∀nt'. The sign read: “Peace Smile. People can Change. Tony you C∀nt.” The fine was paid in 56 minutes through a GoFundMe campaign organised by a legion of generous supporters. The play-on-words (inverting an A to resemble a U), was deemed to be provocative and unacceptable. However, in a 29 August 2017 legal appeal, District Court Judge Andrew Scotting overturned the conviction, ruling that the previous magistrate “had not stated a reason why a person would have been offended.” He added, “while the conduct was inappropriate and in poor taste, I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt it was offensive.” On 11 January 2019, Danny was again arrested for wearing a sign that was deemed ‘offensive’ whilst standing in a public area in Barangaroo in central Sydney. The sign on this occasion was a little more provocative, reading “SMILE C∀N’T! WHY C∀N’T?” Video footage of the arrest – which involved three NSW Police officers – attracted over a million views on Facebook and hundreds of supporters joined a demonstration outside Central Sydney Police Station. Danny was again convicted for offensive behaviour, but launched another appeal and in a hearing at Downing Street Court on 30 Aug 2019 – during which I sat alongside Danny for the duration – magistrate Jacqueline Milledge overturned the conviction. In her summing-up she criticised the police officers’ “heavy-handed and unnecessary” arrest of Danny and referred to the sign as “provocative and cheeky, but not offensive.” Danny Lim, Chippendale, Sydney, 2019. Photo: Alec Smart The C-word The word ‘cunt’ is Germanic in origin, probably from Old Norse ‘kunta’ (although numerous spellings and pronunciations appeared in several Germanic languages) and was likely brought to Britain by the Anglo Saxons, who arrived after the departure of the Romans in 410 CE. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest traceable version of the written form of the word in Britain was a street in the city of Oxford called Gropecunt Lane around 1230 CE (since renamed Grove Passage or Magpie Lane). London had several streets named Gropecunt Lane, the first recorded in 1279 as Gropecontelane and Groppecountelane in what is now Cheapside area 1km north-west of London Bridge. It was situated between Bordhawe Lane (that evolved into the word ‘bordello’) and Puppekirty (‘poke skirt’) Lane. These explicitly-named streets were all what we would now call ‘red light districts’, where prostitutes operated legally. The word was not considered vulgar in the Middle Ages, and 14th century social chronicler Chaucer has frequently been described of using it liberally in his famous Canterbury Tales collection of stories (c1390). In fact, Chaucer used the word ‘queynte’, which meant ‘a clever or curious device or ornament’ (nowadays spelt ‘quaint’), although queynte was often utilised then as a euphemism for a woman’s genitalia. It wasn’t until the mid-17th century that the word began to take on a more offensive nomenclature, eventually evolving into a spiteful insult for women. Danny Lim with a Police Officer during an Aboriginal rights protest at the Town Hall in Sydney. Photo: Alec Smart Physical assaults on Danny In November 2022, the then-78-year-old Danny required hospital treatment after he was slammed face-first onto the concrete walkway in the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) in Central Sydney. Danny was wearing one of his cheeky signs when a security guard requested that he not wear it on the premises. Two NSW Police officers were then called, who intercepted Danny and violently assaulted him after claiming he "failed to comply with a move on order.” The officers grabbed his arms and flung him face-first onto the tiled floor – which was filmed by a witness, criminal lawyer Chris Murphy. When Danny’s cheek was split and blood flowed onto the tiles, the officers “discontinued” the arrest, and an ambulance was called to take Danny to St Vincent’s Hospital with bleeding on the brain. Months later Danny was still walking with support sticks due to the bruising he sustained, and it took him a while to recover from the concussion, including difficulty speaking. Danny and Smarty beside a Scott Marsh mural in the back streets of Chippendale, Sydney. Photo: Alec Smart In April 2023, Danny needed hospital treatment again after a disagreement with a security guard at Barangaroo – close to where he was first arrested by police in 2015. Although there was no physical contact between him and the guard, Danny reportedly had a panic attack due to anxiety over the QVB violent face-plant five months earlier. Danny told the Daily Mail, “I have had enough of all this shit after what happened last time. I'm a bit shaken now because it brings back so much memory.” A spokesperson for the security company, Placemaking NSW, told the Daily Mail, “We are aware of the issue and we are very sorry to hear about any distress caused to Mr Lim.” NSW Ambulance took Danny to a hospital for observation. On 22 September 2023, Danny, now 79 years of age, was physically assaulted at Strathfield railway station by a 66-year-old Chinese man. The assailant allegedly objected to Danny campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum (aka the First Nations’ Voice to Parliament). Danny was taken by ambulance to Concord Repatriation General Hospital where he received a CAT scan to assess a head injury and an eye bleed. After studying CCTV cameras, Auburn Police arrested Ming Wiseman, 66, in Homebush West and charged with Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm. During his first appearance at Burwood Local Court, Ming approached the media singing Edelweiss from the 1965 film The Sound of Music, followed by the 1961 Elvis Presley hit Can’t Help Falling In Love. Danny claimed Wiseman had taken issue with him previously over his wearing a signboard with the words “Smile C∀n’t.” Wiseman claimed Danny’s injuries were self-inflicted, but he was eventually found guilty of assault at Burwood Local Court on Monday 6 May 2024. Wiseman, who promoted his own political party, the Enjoy Share Party, in Court, was convicted and fined $200. Magistrate Vivien Swain also made an 18-month Apprehended Violence Order (AVO restraint) against Wiseman for Danny’s protection. ===========================

Three masters come together for Sydney Dance Company’s stunning new triple bill, Continuum . Continuum  is the perfect title for this trio of works. Rafael Bonachela’s Spell , Tra Mi Dinh’s Somewhere between ten and fourteen, and Stephen Page’s Unungkati Yantatja – one with the other , are each completely distinct pieces, yet there is a flow and feeling of connection between them.  First, Spell, which opens auspiciously with a solo dancer and no music. The sole figure moves on the sparse stage, alone and silent before another dancer appears and we hear the first strains of music. More dancers appear and the music flourishes.  Bonachela’s choreography is elegant and inventive. The dancers move like liquid, acutely in sync with each other, in expressions of phrases that are not definitive but allow the viewer to extrapolate a story. Spell’s costumes, designed by Kelsey Lee, are varied cuts in varied shades of burgundy and maroon. They give unison and individuality all at once. The set is minimal with Damien Cooper’s lighting helping to give shape and ambience.  Next, Dinh’s Somewhere between ten and fourteen bursts forth energetically. Aleisa Jelbart has designed costumes that are somewhat diaphanous but have an urban feel. They are in varied shades of blue, giving the overall effect of a watercolour. The dance has discernible narrative beats, moving through dynamic changes in music and movement. It’s exciting and captivating.  The third work is performed after the intermission and takes up the whole second half. Stephen Page’s Unungkati Yantatja – on e with the other , is a deeply affecting work, drawing on spirit, land and Indigenous culture. Page collaborated with William Barton, a preeminent player of the Yidaki (didgeridoo of the Yolngu people of North East Arnhem Land), who plays live and sings on stage, accompanied by the strings of the Omega Ensemble.  Barton’s voice is robust and soulful, and the sounds he creates with the Yidaki are remarkable in quality and range. A very large, roughly hewn boomerang hangs overhead. The dancers are dressed in costumes designed by Jennifer Irwin which are as beautiful as they are meaningful; flowing pieces made up of strands of fabric resembling lizard skin.  The entire work is utterly engaging, stirring visceral emotions and intelligent contemplation.  Continuum is on now until November 2 📍 Roslyn Packer Theatre, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay 🎟️ www.sydneydancecompany.com/performance/continuum

Comedian, musician, and all-round creative powerhouse Reggie Watts is back in Australia for Just For Laughs Sydney 2025. By Melissa Mantle More on Sydney CBD Expect the unexpected: Our chat with Reggie Watts on comedy, chaos and his return to Sydney. Reggie Watts describes himself as a “playful trickster,” a label that fits an artist whose work defies easy categorisation. A comedian, musician, and improviser, Watts has collaborated with names as varied as Michael Cera, Flight Facilities, and The Try Guys.  He was the bandleader on The Late Late Show with James Corden , created a comedy troupe on YouTube with Michael Cera and Sarah Silverman, and delivered one of the most unusual TED Talks to ever go viral. His performances - part stand-up, part DJ set, part physical theatre - leave audiences stunned, often laughing at things they can’t quite explain. This November, he’s bringing his one-man show back to Australia, including a stop in Sydney as part of this year’s Just For Laughs festival (Nov 10-22) . We meet over video call after a few minor tech glitches on my end. “There’s always something with this technology,” he laughs. Watts eventually appears in a sunny kitchen, joking that he’s in “Lost Angeles.” As we chat, he wanders around his colourful home, relaxed and present. His stage work, though often described as “disorienting” and “pure presence,” has lately leaned into something more earnest. “The playful trickster” is how he describes himself, but there’s a seriousness underneath. Comedy, he says, can be a shortcut to “instant community.” In a fractured social landscape, those shared moments of laughter feel like an essential release valve. It’s one reason he’s excited to headline Just for Laughs  alongside Eddie Izzard. What should Sydneysiders expect from his show? He laughs at the question. “I usually just feel out what the space needs,” he replies. His performances are famously improvised: no set list, no script, just instinct. When I joke he might riff on climate change if he catches a Sydney heatwave, he shrugs off the risk of controversy: “That’s the thing, it’s less what you talk about. It’s how you talk about it.” That skill - of playfully bringing the unsayable and the absurd to the stage  - has defined his career. More recently, Watts has also become politically outspoken on social media, saying people need laughter more than ever given current tensions. Australia is hardly new ground for him. He’s performed at the Sydney Opera House “five or six times,” and says Sydney ranks among his favourite cities, though Melbourne wins out. “It’s the artist in me,” he admits, before conceding Sydney’s charms.  “There’s a lot of natural beauty in Sydney,” he adds, naming Manly and Double Bay among his favourite spots. His tour this time also includes Melbourne, Perth, and Auckland. “I’m a good traveller, and I’m used to it by now. Getting to the airport is the worst part.” When talk turns to influences, he describes them as “lego blocks” for improvisation. Musically, he grew up on bands like Depeche Mode – “I’m a child of the ’80s,” he jokes. Comedically, Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman stand out, with a tongue-in-cheek nod to Yahoo Serious: “I’m joking,” he quickly reassures.  But his longest riff is reserved for Andor , the Star Wars spin-off series. “It’s just this perfect Fabergé egg of a show,” he says, “full of tension and nuanced dealings with evil and darkness.” Before arriving in Australia, Watts will launch a new podcast, bringing in friends and collaborators as guests. Like his live performances, it will be entirely improvised. “It’s my approach. I can’t really do it any other way. I never have a plan, and that doesn’t always work for producers. What I request is usually at the lower end of their capacities, but I feel it’s worth it.” That commitment to spontaneity is precisely what makes his shows so singular. Whether switching between invented languages mid-sentence, looping his own voice into a musical crescendo, or throwing out surreal and off-kilter observations, Watts creates something unrepeatable each time. If audience reactions are any measure, his insistence on creative sovereignty pays off. This November, Sydney audiences can expect exactly what they can never quite expect from the international treasure Reggie Watts. Reggie Watts: Live 📅 November 10th - 11th, 2025 📍 Sydney Opera House 🎟️ Tickets from $79.90 - sydneyoperahouse.com

Your curated guide to the Sydney CBD’s newest bites, brews, and buzzworthy spots, recently opened or opening soon! Sydney’s CBD is once again asserting itself as Sydney’s epicentre for dining, drinks and nightlife. The precinct’s energy is undeniable - where glittering rooftop bars meet cosy laneway wine rooms, and world-class chefs rub shoulders with bold newcomers. From sleek fine-dining experiences to hole-in-the-wall ramen joints, there’s something to discover in every corner. The recent wave of openings reflects a renewed confidence in the CBD - a sign that Sydney’s post-work crowds, weekend diners and late-night revellers are well and truly back. To celebrate, we’ve rounded up the most exciting new spots to open their doors this season. Whether you’re planning after-work drinks, a special occasion dinner, or a night out that stretches into the early hours, these venues promise something for every mood and moment. 1. Grill Americano 📍No 1 Chifley Square, Sydney 🔑 Opened: November 2025 A Venetian-style grill house offering a menu inspired by Italian cuisine, featuring high-quality steaks and seafood in a glamorous setting. 2. Lee Ho Fook 📍Porter House Precinct, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: September 2025 Chef Victor Liong's renowned Melbourne restaurant expands to Sydney, offering reimagined Chinese-Australian dishes with a focus on premium Australian seafood and beef. 3. Grandfather’s Restaurant 📍Cnr Pitt St & Angel Pl, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: August 2025 A moody, retro-style Chinese restaurant serving dishes from Guangdong and Sichuan regions, including Peking duck, prawn toast, and seafood specialties. The venue offers a late-night supper service and a creative cocktail list, making it a perfect spot for evening dining. 4. Rovollo Restaurant & Wine Room 📍 25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: July 2025 Bringing the best of Italian cuisine to the Sydney CBD, Rovollo Restaurant and Wine Room combines the charm of old-world hospitality with modern-day opulence and theatre. Indulge in a seasonal menu featuring handmade pastas, premium steaks, and fresh seafood, with an extensive wine list to match. 5. 24 York 📍24 York St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: July 2025 A bold concept focusing solely on steak frites, 24 York serves a 220g MB2+ scotch fillet with fries and your choice of sauce for $48, inspired by Parisian bistros. 6. Loulou Bistro 📍1 Elizabeth St, Martin Place 🔑 Opened: July 2025 Open from breakfast through to dinner, Loulou serves up a Parisian-inspired menu featuring classics like croissants, steak frites, and escargot, all served in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. 7. Ette 📍10 Bridge St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: July 2025 A brand new ‘fast’ fine-dining experience, delivering high-quality dishes with precision and speed, ideal for those seeking gourmet meals on a tight schedule. 8. Gina Pasta Bar 📍11/33 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo 🔑 Opened: July 2025 If you’re looking for sun-soaked Amalfi vibes, Gina is the spot for you! With a 170-seat waterfront setting, the menu features seasonal antipasti, premium cuts, and a rotating lineup of hand-rolled pastas. There’s also an extensive wine list featuring both Italian and Australian wines, spritzes, and signature cocktails. 9. Kahii After Dark 📍364 Kent St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: July 2025 A hidden gem offering a unique blend of tea and coffee-based cocktails, providing a cozy atmosphere for late-night gatherings. 10. Tiva 📍King St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: July 2025 A basement lounge offering a chic setting for cocktails and light bites, perfect for evening relaxation. 11. The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar 📍King St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: July 2025 A two-in-one venue featuring a grand brasserie and a sophisticated bar, offering a diverse menu and an extensive drink selection. 12. Akti 📍6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo 🔑 Opened: June 2025 Akti, meaning "coast" in Greek, offers a modern take on Greek cuisine, featuring a menu crafted by Athens-based chef Ntinos Fotinakis, and dishes like charcoal-grilled kontosouvli skewers, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, and sizzling saganaki. The interior boasts a feminine palette with coastal accents, and the alfresco terrace evokes the ambiance of a European beach club. 13. Shabuway 📍1 Dixon St, Haymarket 🔑 Opened: June 2025 Sydney’s first fully self-service,all-you-can-eat Japanese hot pot buffet with yin-yang hot pots that allow diners to enjoy two distinct broths simultaneously. The expansive buffet includes premium meats like Wagyu MB9+ beef rolls, fresh seafood, tofu, vegetables, a variety of house-made sauces, DIY bao bun station and even a dessert bar! 14. Conte Negroni Bar 📍151 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: April 2025 A world first bar, completely dedicated to the Negronie, Conte combines classic Italian cuisine with expertly crafted Negronis in a stylish, multi-level setting. 15. Rockpool Lounge 📍L1, 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: April 2025 Situated above Rockpool Bar & Grill, this sophisticated lounge offers refined cocktails and South American-inspired bites in an intimate setting. 16. The Malaya 📍Grosvenor Pl/George St, Sydney CBD 🔑 Opened: April 2025 The iconic Malaysian restaurant returns to the CBD, serving classic dishes like laksa and rendang in a sleek, contemporary space.

Meet Kate Kachor, the Sydneysider digging into the 1980 disappearance of two local teens - and you can follow the story on her gripping new podcast.   By Isabella Edwards In April 2019, investigative journalist Kate Kachor happened upon a social media post that would play on her mind for years. The post, written by Helen Cooper, the youngest sister of missing teenager Elaine Johnson, revealed that Elaine had only received a missing persons post more than 30 years after her disappearance.  For Kachor, this staggering detail was just the beginning. “It was a shocking piece of information. It was just the tip of the iceberg, as they say,” Kachor recalls.    Elaine Johnson and her friend Kerry Anne Joel vanished from Sydney’s Sutherland Shire in early 1980. Kerry was seventeen years old and Elaine only sixteen.    “It probably sounds cliched, but Elaine’s case was something that stayed with me. I wanted to know more and when I heard more, I approached Helen about her interest in working on a podcast together.  “I have been working with Helen and her sister, Wendy Johnson, for the last two years. What was also important to Elaine’s sisters is making sure Kerry’s story was told, as best we could. They didn’t want their sister’s friend to be forgotten,” says Kachor.     Kachor hopes the podcast will do more than just tell a story - it’s a call to action.  “Elaine Johnson disappeared from the Sutherland Shire in early 1980 at just sixteen. When she was hanging around the area in the late 1970s, she had scores of friends. The podcast is a great opportunity to help jog people’s memories. It’s early days, but new details have already surfaced,” Kachor shares.    True crime podcasts have certainly made an impact in the search for long-term missing people. Perhaps most notable to Sydneysiders would be The Australian ’s The Teacher’s Pet which investigated the disappearance of Lynette Simms and saw the subsequent trial and imprisonment of her husband, Chris Dawson, who was convicted for her murder in 2022.    When asked what sets her podcast apart from others in the Australian true crime landscape, Kachor has this to say: “I think what makes Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine  stand out is that so much of Helen and Wendy’s story is untold. Even the police did not have a missing persons file in their system.”    For many, Sydney, and particularly the Shire, of the 1970s and 80s conjures up images of an easy-going lifestyle by the beach with children and teenagers roaming freely, visiting friends and local hang-out spots. For those people it was a ‘better’ more ‘simple’ time.  But in 2025 it’s important to put the rose-coloured glasses down and acknowledge that “relaxed” can mean dismissive. For some, those memories are a reminder of a time when missing people, particularly young women, were not taken seriously. Missing teens were often regarded as rebellious runaways or missing women as bored housewives taking up with new partners, leaving behind husbands and children - the same story that was given to explain Lynette Simms disappearance from Sydney’s  Northern Beaches in 1982.    According to Kachor’s podcast, similar claims were made about Elaine and Kerry - police allegedly dismissed Elaine as a runaway when her father, Clifford, reported her missing to police.     A 2016 New South Wales state coroner’s report found that “That Elaine Johnson and Kerry Anne Joel, who were last seen together in the Cronulla area in 1979 or 1980, on the balance of probabilities are both deceased, having died soon after that sighting.” These findings were made some thirty-six years after the girls were reportedly last seen.    When asked about her own theories, Kachor remains cautious. “There are many theories,” she admits. “If I’m honest, having to distill a 45-year search into an eight-episode podcast series was a little daunting. I was fortunate that given this series is about Helen and Wendy’s search, facts always led the way.”    That 45-year search would see Elaine’s family scour different areas of Sydney and New South Wales including trips taken by Elaine’s parents to Kings Cross, canvassing locals for information about the missing girls.     On October 15 2025, a proposed inquiry into long-term missing people was referred to the NSW parliament. This inquiry would look into the Unsolved Murders and long-term missing persons cases in New South Wales between 1965 and 2010. The parliamentary support was secured by NSW MLC Jeremy Buckingham, as reported by the ABC.  “The proposed inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in NSW is crucial. Cases like Elaine and Kerry’s have remained dormant, in terms of the public consciousness, so knowing that potentially their cases and so many others will be reviewed by a new generation of trained police investigators is heartening.” Kachor says.    Recent speculation has linked the girls’ disappearance to notorious serial killer Ivan Milat. While Kachor acknowledges the connection, she urges restraint.  “It’s little surprise his name has surfaced in connection with Elaine and Kerry. However, for the sake of the families, facts should really be the focus, not speculation and rumour.”     Crimestoppers report that each year, police across Australia receive around 38,000 reports of missing persons. While the majority are located within a short timeframe, approximately 2,600 individuals remain missing for longer than three months.     Kate Kachor has reported on a number of unsolved cold cases, including that of Lois Roberts as detailed in the four-part online series Dirty Little Secrets . She founded Happy Tuesday Productions in December 2021.    “The more people who know about Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance the more chance of people coming forward with information, so to get listeners to the podcast and share it with family and friends is a great help.  “As we’ve already experienced, even the smallest piece of information can be a huge help. Someone might remember one detail from back in the 1980s and another person could remember a separate piece. But together, it’s a crucial piece of information.”     You can follow Kachor’s investigation into Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance by searching “Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine” wherever you get your podcasts.     Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.             Kachor hopes the podcast will do more than just tell a story - it’s a call to action.  “Elaine Johnson disappeared from the Sutherland Shire in early 1980 at just sixteen. When she was hanging around the area in the late 1970s, she had scores of friends. The podcast is a great opportunity to help jog people’s memories. It’s early days, but new details have already surfaced,” Kachor shares.    True crime podcasts have certainly made an impact in the search for long-term missing people. Perhaps most notable to Sydneysiders would be The Australian ’s The Teacher’s Pet which investigated the disappearance of Lynette Simms and saw the subsequent trial and imprisonment of her husband, Chris Dawson, who was convicted for her murder in 2022.    When asked what sets her podcast apart from others in the Australian true crime landscape, Kachor has this to say: “I think what makes Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine  stand out is that so much of Helen and Wendy’s story is untold. Even the police did not have a missing persons file in their system.”    For many, Sydney, and particularly the Shire, of the 1970s and 80s conjures up images of an easy-going lifestyle by the beach with children and teenagers roaming freely, visiting friends and local hang-out spots. For those people it was a ‘better’ more ‘simple’ time.  But in 2025 it’s important to put the rose-coloured glasses down and acknowledge that “relaxed” can mean dismissive. For some, those memories are a reminder of a time when missing people, particularly young women, were not taken seriously. Missing teens were often regarded as rebellious runaways or missing women as bored housewives taking up with new partners, leaving behind husbands and children - the same story that was given to explain Lynette Simms disappearance from Sydney’s  Northern Beaches in 1982.    According to Kachor’s podcast, similar claims were made about Elaine and Kerry - police allegedly dismissed Elaine as a runaway when her father, Clifford, reported her missing to police.     A 2016 New South Wales state coroner’s report found that “That Elaine Johnson and Kerry Anne Joel, who were last seen together in the Cronulla area in 1979 or 1980, on the balance of probabilities are both deceased, having died soon after that sighting.” These findings were made some thirty-six years after the girls were reportedly last seen.    When asked about her own theories, Kachor remains cautious. “There are many theories,” she admits. “If I’m honest, having to distill a 45-year search into an eight-episode podcast series was a little daunting. I was fortunate that given this series is about Helen and Wendy’s search, facts always led the way.”    That 45-year search would see Elaine’s family scour different areas of Sydney and New South Wales including trips taken by Elaine’s parents to Kings Cross, canvassing locals for information about the missing girls.     On October 15 2025, a proposed inquiry into long-term missing people was referred to the NSW parliament. This inquiry would look into the Unsolved Murders and long-term missing persons cases in New South Wales between 1965 and 2010. The parliamentary support was secured by NSW MLC Jeremy Buckingham, as reported by the ABC.  “The proposed inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in NSW is crucial. Cases like Elaine and Kerry’s have remained dormant, in terms of the public consciousness, so knowing that potentially their cases and so many others will be reviewed by a new generation of trained police investigators is heartening.” Kachor says.    Recent speculation has linked the girls’ disappearance to notorious serial killer Ivan Milat. While Kachor acknowledges the connection, she urges restraint.  “It’s little surprise his name has surfaced in connection with Elaine and Kerry. However, for the sake of the families, facts should really be the focus, not speculation and rumour.”     Crimestoppers report that each year, police across Australia receive around 38,000 reports of missing persons. While the majority are located within a short timeframe, approximately 2,600 individuals remain missing for longer than three months.     Kate Kachor has reported on a number of unsolved cold cases, including that of Lois Roberts as detailed in the four-part online series Dirty Little Secrets . She founded Happy Tuesday Productions in December 2021.    “The more people who know about Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance the more chance of people coming forward with information, so to get listeners to the podcast and share it with family and friends is a great help.  “As we’ve already experienced, even the smallest piece of information can be a huge help. Someone might remember one detail from back in the 1980s and another person could remember a separate piece. But together, it’s a crucial piece of information.”     You can follow Kachor’s investigation into Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance by searching “Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine” wherever you get your podcasts.     Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

Pet-friendly Newtown is filled with places where dogs and their humans can eat, drink, and play together More on Newtown Newtown is home to people who are happy to be and express themselves; where beings of all shapes and models mix freely — and that includes non-humans. There are lots of dog-friendly cafes and bars. Here are just a few: The Bank 324 King St Right in the centre of Newtown, close to the station and the Enmore Rd/King St intersection, The Bank happily welcomes locals, visitors and doggies into their airy, spacious beer garden. Great food and friendly atmosphere and lots of other pups to play with. Young Henry’s 76 Wilford St Get your pup on the leash and visit one of Newtown’s beer success stories. Young Henry’s brewery is a proud local craft brewer whose selection of beers can be found in pubs all over this city. It’s also a great place to hangout with friends and fur-babies. The Newtown Hotel 174 King St This big country-style hotel on a corner welcomes canines with open arms. Dogs are allowed in every part of the venue — inside the front bar, out in the courtyard, or enjoying the view from one of the upper level balconies. Lots of terrific fun and entertainment to be had here. Uncanny 349 King St A delightful little cocktail bar serving vegan Mediterranean tapas-style food and lots of warm vibes. Enjoy bespoke, artistic cocktails in the courtyard or inside (dogs allowed in both areas) while listening to the juke box and imbibing the funky decor. The Courthouse 202 Australia St Just off the main strip, this Newtown institution has a famous beer garden that always sounds like a summer barbie. Bring your doggy and enjoy terrific food, chill sounds and a relaxed atmosphere. The Botany View 597 King St Down “the other end” of Newtown, towards Sydney Park, the Botany View is a classic Aussie pub with pinball machines, pool tables, velvet sofas and armchairs, beer garden, balconies, retro chic and loads of charm. They welcome dogs with open paws. Naked Brew Cafe 110 Swanson St, Erskineville Newtown’s little sister, Erskineville, is host to lots of pet-friendly pubs and cafes, including this little gem. The menu features delicious, Instagrammable brekkie and lunch dishes for you, and their special Doggie Waffle for your furry friend.

Inside Newtown’s integrative women’s health clinic, bringing collaboration and community to care More on Newtown On Friday nights, the team at Papaya Clinic turns their light-filled Alice Street studio into a room full of women talking, asking, and learning. The event is part of the clinic’s Papaya Conversations series, which brings together a multidisciplinary panel including Women’s Health Physiotherapists Winnie Wu and Jacinta Maxwell, Naturopath Lauren Lee, and Acupuncturist Louie Rachael for a night of open, evidence-based discussion. “It’s rare to have a group of health professionals from different disciplines sitting together, answering questions openly and sharing how we each approach women’s health,” says Winnie Wu, Director and Founder of Papaya Clinic. “We wanted people to see what integrated, collaborative care actually looks like.” Real Questions, Honest Answers The evening is intentionally small and intimate, designed to feel more like a living-room conversation than a lecture. Attendees from across the Inner West eagerly engage as the panel answers community-driven questions on everything from bone health after forty and pelvic floor exercises to hormonal balance, acupuncture for chronic pain, and supplement quality. Guests describe the night as informative and refreshing, with one participant noting how empowering it felt “to finally hear health professionals speak together instead of separately.” It’s exactly the kind of genuine connection that’s become Papaya’s signature. A Community Initiative That Keeps Growing Papaya Conversations began as a local idea - a safe, welcoming space for women to ask the questions they rarely have time for during a standard appointment. It has since evolved into a bi-monthly series, with each event focused on a new theme. The upcoming 2026 schedule includes: January – Natural Support for ADHD and Autism March – The Menopause Brain and Hormones May – Expectant Mama Night June – Healthy, Happy Figure The Home of Women’s Health in the Inner West Papaya Clinic has become a cornerstone of women’s health in Sydney’s Inner West. Founded by physiotherapist Winnie Wu, the all-female team delivers collaborative, trauma-informed care that integrates the hormonal, physical, and emotional aspects of wellbeing. The clinic’s services include pelvic health physiotherapy, acupuncture, naturopathy, massage, strength classes for women, and counselling, alongside signature programs such as: Embrace Program – integrative perinatal and postpartum support Menopause Mastery – a four-month program for women navigating perimenopause and hormonal change across all pillars of health At Papaya, practitioners don’t stay in their lanes. They’re trained to stay curious, to ask the next question rather than the obvious one. Each clinician understands how the others work - a physio knows when a hormone check matters, and a naturopath recognises when pelvic floor strength might be the missing link. This shared curiosity forms the bridge between true integrative care and the siloed systems women too often face. Too often, patients bounce between experts who never speak to each other. Papaya Clinic was built to change that. The Papaya team thinks together, not apart. The result? Consults that go slower, reach deeper, and finally make sense of the whole picture. “Women’s health is complex. There are layers beneath what we see, and no single discipline has all the answers. That’s why we work together,” Wu says. “There are many paths to healing, and collaboration between health professionals breeds innovation. It pushes us to look beyond what we know, to stay curious, and to understand the story behind every symptom. That’s the heart of Papaya.” Papaya Clinic Suite 6, 32–72 Alice Street, Newtown www.papayaclinic.com.au  | @papayaclinic

Newtown’s favourite anti-waste grocer, Beyond Best Before, expands to a bigger King Street home More on Newtown Beyond Best Before, an organisation known for rescuing perfectly good food that’s passed its “best before” date, has moved from 397 to 545 King Street, Newtown - and their shelves are now bigger, fuller, and just as deliciously unpredictable. The store has built a loyal following since opening, offering shoppers a chance to save money while tackling food waste head-on. You can find everything from premium snacks and coffee beans to pantry staples and fancy cheeses - all rescued from going to waste. Founder Maggie Quach says the move marks a new chapter. “We’ve had such incredible support from the Newtown community — people really get what we’re about. This new space means more room for rescued food, and more ways to make sustainable shopping the norm.” Beyond Best Before isn’t just a store; it’s a social enterprise on a mission to change how Australians think about expiry dates. Since opening, the business has been featured on The Guardian, The Today Show, SBS, ABC Radio, and Channel 9 News for its creative approach to fighting food waste - and was recently recognised on the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list. Earlier this month, sisters Maggie and Katie travelled to Bangkok to attend the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 Summit, where Beyond Best Before was invited to take part in a sustainability panel alongside leading startups from across Asia. “It was inspiring to share what we’re doing here in Newtown with others tackling similar challenges in their own countries,” Maggie says. “It showed that tackling food waste isn’t just a local issue — it’s something we can all take part in, no matter the scale.” The new shop at 545 King Street keeps the same laid-back, community vibe Newtown loves — just with more space to browse and discover hidden gems. Shoppers can expect rotating stock, surprise finds and plenty of reasons to pop in often. So if you haven’t been by yet, swing past their new digs, say ‘hi’, and see what treasures you can rescue this week. Beyond Best Before 545 King Street, Newtown Open 7 days a week, 11am - 6pm www.beyondbestbefore.com.au

Eliza Donnithorne is the Newtown recluse whose tragic tale became linked to Dickens’ Great Expectations By Matt Murphy Contact via Instagram @mattmurphy8 More on Newtown Eliza Donnithorne is one of the most famous people in Newtown’s history and the controversy about her life and its influence is worth investigating. Her story is not only contained in the pages of books or chapters concerning Newtown’s past but can often be seen in ‘historical features’ in metropolitan Sunday papers. There is even an opera named after her, Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot (a maggot being a kind of solo dance), which was first performed as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1974 and has recently been shown to audiences in London and Berlin. Her tragic life also featured in a 1987 children’s book (L. Gleeson’s I am Susannah), and she even scores a column in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, a series of tomes usually reserved for those having an impact on Australia’s history. Additionally, punching her name into Google reaps a bounty of matches. But what of her real story? Eliza was the daughter of James Donnithorne, an East India Company Judge and Master of the Mint in Calcutta. In 1836 he arrived in Australia, bringing Eliza with him; his wife and other daughters having died of cholera. His two sons, both of whom had established military careers, stayed in India. James and young Eliza settled in Cambridge Hall on King Street (between present-day Georgina and Fitzroy Streets) and renamed it Camperdown Lodge. James Donnithorne built up a sizeable estate which Eliza inherited upon his death in 1852. It is about this time that the story starts to get a bit sticky. Eliz'a Wedding Most sources agree that in 1856, at the approximate age of 30, Eliza prepared to wed. As Eliza was one of Sydney’s social elite, her wedding was to be a celebrated occasion. The banquet was laid out, the guests assembled, the coaches prepared to escort her the short distance to St Stephen’s church and a crowd had gathered to be entertained by the spectacle. But the groom never appeared. In one version from the 1930s he had a name, George Cuthbertson, but in earlier versions he is anonymous. Some versions, which keep Eliza’s father alive for a few more years than his headstone attests, insist that James did not approve of his only daughter’s marrying so beneath herself and either paid off or warned off the intended groom. Another version, again written many years later, has it that the groom fell off his horse on the way from Parramatta and yet another states that, as an infantryman, he was urgently shipped out to India. From here on, the various versions of the story roughly merge again. The invited guests and the throng of onlookers slowly dissipate and the bride-to-be is left in the house alone, except for two faithful servants and the prepared wedding feast. The story goes that she insisted that the banquet and the house remain in readiness for the arrival of her beloved. The door to the grand house remained ajar, held in place by a loose chain from where people could see in and Eliza could see out awaiting her fiancé’s arrival. But he never appears, the wedding table is never cleared and she remains in her wedding dress until her death in 1886. Eliza Donnithorne has since been credited with posthumous fame as the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, whose tragic story is eerily similar, with four different versions about how Dickens heard her tale. The four options are: 1. Charles Dickens’ sons are in Australia and mention the story to their father in their despatches. This cannot be true as Great Expectations was published well before they arrived. 2. Caroline Chisholm, in one of her many letters to Dickens, mentions Eliza’s tragic tale. It is true that Chisholm was a friend of Dickens and after returning to Australia from England did keep in regular contact with him during the 1840s, but by the mid-1850s she suffered terribly from a debilitating illness which prevented her from picking up a pen, and while many letters she wrote have been preserved there are none from this time. 3. Dickens read about it in the English press. This is not really a plausible option as no press articles have been found in Australia, England or anywhere, that tell the tale until after Eliza died 30 years later. 4. Dickens heard the story from Eliza’s brothers who lived in the same town. While Eliza’s brothers were known to be longtime residents of Twickenham, Dickens only lived there briefly in 1838. This was long before the alleged nuptials in Newtown were to have taken place. The most logical story is in Eliza’s biography in the Australian Dictionary of Biography which suggests that after reading Great Expectations, many Sydneysiders identified Eliza as being similarly wealthy and reclusive as Dickens’s fictitious Havisham and that over time the story of who influenced who has been overturned. Eliza's Death It wasn’t until Eliza’s death that the story of her supposed wedding started to be gossiped about and appear in the press. Even Dame Mary Gilmore waded into the story saying she had visited Eliza Donnithorne in 1889 (which is three years after Eliza had died) and that her father had known the intended groom well and that his career as an army officer was ruined by the ordeal. But what of the groom? While one telling of the story almost 75 years later refers to him as George Cuthbertson, in all the other accounts he remained anonymous. The births, deaths and marriages records have never heard of Cuthbertson. Where did he come from, and where did he go? All stories write that Eliza worshipped at St Stephen’s. Both Eliza and her father are buried there and she donated money towards the building of the magnificent Blacket-designed edifice that replaced the original church in 1874. In view of this, it is a pretty safe assumption that her wedding, if there was to be one, was to take place there as well. The old St Stephen’s parish records are housed in the Anglican Diocese Archive in Sydney and, much to the surprise of the archivist, St Stephen’s was one of the very few parishes that actually kept a record of marriage banns. Marriage banns were formal announcements made to a congregation about an intended wedding. By law, the minister had to announce the wedding at least three consecutive weeks prior to the marriage, to give any who opposed the marriage an opportunity to have the nuptials cancelled. The St Stephen’s marriage banns register has a list of intending brides and grooms followed by three columns in which were written the dates that the banns were read out. A curious number of intending marriages were crossed out after one or two church announcements. But from 1845 to 1865 neither the name Donnithorne nor Cuthbertson appear. 1856 was also the first year of civil registrations of marriage in New South Wales but again neither of these surnames appear. In my opinion, there was no groom, there was no wedding. There was just a spinster, possibly eccentric, possibly living with her faithful servants. If the sources can be believed, she was an avid reader, as with the exception of the local clergy the only people she met at the front door were those selling books. Eliza's Enduring Legacy In her will, she left everything to her maids, her church and her pets. Her three-line obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald mentions only that she was the daughter of Judge James Donnithorne and says nothing of her allegedly tragic life. More tellingly, no mention can be found in any newspaper of the intended upcoming upper-class nuptials, nor any gossip – at least not for the next 30 years - of the tragedy of Eliza being jilted. Eliza Donnithorne’s grave at St Stephen’s is still the most sought after. In 2004, her headstone was broken (or vandalised), which made international news with England’s Dickens’ Society making a financial contribution to the National Trust of Australia to assist with its repair.

Reflecting on a season of resilience and renewal for Sydney’s beloved AFL team - The Sydney Swans. As the 2025 AFL season draws to a close, the Sydney Swans find themselves at a pivotal juncture. Emerging from the shadow of a disappointing Grand Final loss in 2024, the 2025 season was a journey of introspection and rejuvenation. Under the guidance of new head coach Dean Cox, the Swans aimed to recalibrate and rebuild. A Season of Challenges & Triumphs The season began with cautious optimism, tempered by an awareness that consistency is key. Early rounds revealed both promise and areas needing improvement, with defensive lapses leaving the Swans vulnerable. A heavy loss to the Adelaide Crows in Round 12 served as a stark reminder that refinement was needed. Yet the Swans’ resilience shone through. In Round 13, Sydney delivered a commanding 44-point victory over Richmond at the MCG, keeping the Tigers goalless for over a half and demonstrating their ability to respond under pressure. This win not only built confidence, but reinforced the team’s ability to compete at the highest levels. Across the season, individual brilliance seemed to supersede collective effort. Midfield stalwarts Luke Parker and Callum Mills consistently drove the Swans’ engine, while young talents Errol Gulden and Chad Warner began cementing themselves as emerging stars with the skills and composure to shape the team’s future. The experience and stability of seasoned ruckman Brodie Grundy proved invaluable, anchoring contests and providing a steadying presence in key moments. A New Chapter: Charlie Curnow's Arrival One of the season’s most talked-about developments was the acquisition of two-time Coleman Medallist Charlie Curnow (who left Carlton). Curnow’s move to Sydney brought a potent scoring weapon to the Swans’ forward line, adding both depth and a new dimension to their attacking structures. His decision to join the club, seeking a fresh start and the opportunity to contribute to a side on the rise, reflects a broader culture shift within the team. Curnow’s integration was smooth, with his impact felt immediately. Paired with established forwards and supported by the creative midfield, Sydney’s forward structures became more dynamic and unpredictable, keeping opposition defenses on constant alert. Looking Ahead As 2025 winds down, reflection is inevitable. While the Swans fell short of their ultimate goal - a premiership - the season provided encouraging signs that the club is on the right path. The blend of experience and youth, the guidance of head coach Dean Cox, and the lessons learned from both setbacks and triumphs have all contributed to a more cohesive, resilient unit. The foundation laid this year bodes well for the future. Fans can be confident that the Swans are not only learning from 2025’s challenges but also building toward a stronger 2026 campaign. With emerging stars ready to step up, proven leaders providing direction, and exciting new additions like Curnow strengthening the squad, Sydney is poised to remain a force in the AFL for years to come. For more insights and updates on the Sydney Swans, visit the official Swans website: sydneyswans.com.au