Australia
Reporting, voices, contributors and opportunities connected to Australia.
Stories from Australia
Women’s Monthly Heart-Rate Patterns Are a Research Clue, Not a Diagnosis
An analysis of long-term smartwatch records found multiday heart-rate rhythms in 70% of participants, with monthly patterns more common among women. The finding could guide future research, but it does not prove a menstrual cause or justify treatment based on a wearable graph.
Mary Gaudron Changed Who Could Interpret Australia’s Constitution
Mary Gaudron, the first woman appointed to Australia’s High Court, has died aged 83. Her career linked a breakthrough for women in law with decisions on Indigenous land rights, discrimination and the dignity of work.
A Tesla App Became an Instrument of Coercive Control in an Australian Conviction
Court records show a Sydney woman’s former partner remotely restricted her car’s speed, changed its temperature and controlled access after separation. The case exposes a safety gap in connected products designed around a single powerful account owner.
Australia’s ‘My Feed, My Way’ Plan Would Make Algorithmic Recommendations a Choice
Draft legislation would require platforms to offer users a non-personalised feed and to assess foreseeable harms. The plan could reduce exposure to misogyny and eating-disorder content, but its effectiveness will depend on defaults, enforcement and limits on ministerial power.
Melissa Donnelly Wants Workers Inside Australia’s AI Decisions
Australia’s new top union official says employees deserve a voice in how and when artificial intelligence enters their workplaces. Her position rejects both a managerial free-for-all and a blanket veto, placing negotiation at the centre of technological change.
Australia’s September Payment Rise Helps Single Parents—but Deeming Rates Also Climb
Parenting Payment Single will rise by A$20.90 a fortnight from 20 September as benefits are indexed. Higher assumed investment returns may offset part of the gain for some recipients with savings.
Australia’s Women Start Businesses—Then Hit a ‘Scaling Cliff’
A new national index says women lead 42% of sole-trader businesses but only 7% of large companies. The gap shifts the policy question from starting firms to gaining the capital, customers and networks required to grow them.
Anaya Bangar Says Australia Gave Her Back a Cricket Future
Cricket Australia has opened a conditional route for transgender Indian player Anaya Bangar to pursue elite women’s cricket. Her case exposes sharply different international rules—and the need to discuss competitive fairness without stripping an athlete of dignity.
Australia’s Smart-Glasses Warning Makes Consent a Design Requirement
Australia’s online-safety regulator wants smart-glasses manufacturers to blur bystanders automatically and make recording signals tamper-resistant. The proposal responds to technology that can turn women’s ordinary public presence into content without meaningful consent.
Nicole Kidman to Receive Australian Women’s Film Festival Trailblazer Award
The award recognises Kidman’s influence not only as an actor but as a producer helping women-led stories reach global audiences.