Melbourne
New doco rides the roller coaster of St Kilda’s boom-bust history
After 40 years living in Melbourne’s bayside playground, Marianne Latham has made a film about its complex and colourful past.
- by Carolyn Webb
Latest
The polar vortex bringing icy temperatures across southern Australia
A destabilised weather pattern has pushed the polar vortex high above Antarctica off course, pushing freezing winds into southern Australia. When will it end?
- by Bianca Hall
★★★★
Hotel reviews
Freshly revamped, Melbourne Airport hotel is an oasis in a concrete jungle
Here’s an excellent place to stay before or after a flight, or during a long stopover at Melbourne Airport.
- by Jim Darby
Dazzling aurora australis light show possible in Victoria tonight
“Several coronal mass ejections” from the sun could trigger a geomagnetic storm, the weather bureau said.
- by Lachlan Abbott
Review
Society
After a troubled birth, Society has found its groove (and regained a hat)
It’s not all caviar-topped ice-cream sundaes and luxe seafood. Society has morphed into a very good restaurant.
- by Besha Rodell
Neighbours star Janet Andrewartha dies at 72
Andrewartha will be best remembered for playing Lyn Scully in Neighbours and Reb Keane in Prisoner.
- by Rachael Ward
At 4pm, it’s feeding time: The ruthless efficiency of Melbourne’s tow trucks
As the peak-hour traffic builds, a platoon of trucks rumbles over the horizon looking for easy prey. Back at the impound yard, Queen’s song Another One Bites The Dust blares on the radio – and it could not be more apt.
- by Tom Cowie
Exclusive
Victorian budget
The multibillion-dollar blow primed to hit Victorian taxpayers and the budget
Government agencies will fork out $15 billion a year for insurance claims by 2028, a 36 per cent surge that threatens to rock the state’s already struggling finances.
- by Kieran Rooney
‘Pain and fear’: 22 cows die after truck crashes into South Yarra bridge
The cows were either killed or had to be euthanised. An animal rights group says the surviving cows should be sent to a sanctuary.
- by Patrick Hatch
Exclusive
City life
The asbestos clean-up in Melbourne parks has begun. It will cost ratepayers more than $500k
Residents of Hobsons Bay City Council are on the hook for over half a million dollars to replace asbestos-contaminated mulch, first found by a local father in April.
- by Rachael Dexter
Melbourne in the grip of baby drought as rent becomes ‘a great contraceptive’
A plunge in birth rates in parts of Melbourne is being blamed on a lack of affordable housing and other cost-of-living pressures.
- by Josh Gordon