A baby whale carcass has washed ashore at Lurline Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, and Randwick City Council has shut nearby beaches as a precaution. The council is consulting the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Gamay Rangers on a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach. The carcass is not being removed for now. Its rocky, cliff-lined location makes access difficult, and the council is considering closing the surrounding area and rock shelf walkway. Mayor Clare Willington said the whale is an important totem animal to the local Bidjigal people.
Two busy Sydney beaches, Coogee and Maroubra, have been closed until further notice after a decomposing whale carcass washed up at nearby Lurline Bay. Randwick Council said the closure protects swimmers and surfers, as whale carcasses can attract sharks. Council has no plans to remove the animal. Staff are working with the Gamay Rangers on a culturally sensitive approach, and the carcass is believed to be a juvenile humpback. Residents are asked to avoid the area and follow directions from lifeguards and authorities.
Randwick City Council has closed Maroubra and Coogee beaches after a whale carcass washed up on rocks between them. The carcass lies at Lurline Bay, just over two kilometres from either beach. Council is working with the Gamay Rangers and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The carcass will stay in place for now, as discussions continue about a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach. Council is also considering closing the surrounding rock shelf walkway. Council urges people to avoid swimming at both beaches, as carcasses can attract sharks.
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A baby whale carcass has washed ashore at Lurline Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, and Randwick City Council has shut nearby beaches as a precaution. The council is consulting the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Gamay Rangers on a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach. The carcass is not being removed for now. Its rocky, cliff-lined location makes access difficult, and the council is considering closing the surrounding area and rock shelf walkway. Mayor Clare Willington said the whale is an important totem animal to the local Bidjigal people.
A baby whale carcass has washed ashore at Lurline Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, and Randwick City Council has shut nearby beaches as a precaution. The council is consulting the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Gamay Rangers on a culturally and environmentally sensitive approach. The carcass is not being removed for now. Its rocky, cliff-lined location makes access difficult, and the council is considering closing the surrounding area and rock shelf walkway. Mayor Clare Willington said the whale is an important totem animal to the local Bidjigal people.
Beaches at Coogee and Maroubra in Sydney's east have been closed to swimmers after a whale carcass was spotted floating against the coastline. The dead whale, suspected to be a young humpback, was seen at Lurline Bay on Thursday morning. Randwick Council says the beaches will stay closed until further notice while the whale is removed. Whale scientist Vanessa Pirotta says the animal is likely a young adult or teenaged humpback and has advised against swimming in the area.
A fire-damaged three-bedroom home at 19 Robertson Street, Merrylands, sold for $1.061m at auction, above its $1.050m reserve, despite buyers being unable to enter the property. Six bidders registered, with two active in the bidding. Auctioneer Ben Mitchell said registrations across Sydney have fallen, with many homes passing in. Agent Soon Tee said the 682 square metre block drew buyers, and the successful buyer plans to build a house and granny flat. In Randwick and Bronte, two other homes also sold above their price guides or reserves.
The 2026 Everest will start at 4:15pm AEDT on Saturday, October 17, at Royal Randwick in Sydney. The race is the seventh of ten on the day's card. Last year's winner, Ka Ying Rising, returns from Hong Kong and is the short-priced favourite for the 1,200-metre Group 1 race. Local runners, led by Tempted, last year's second-place finisher, hope to beat him. Wet weather in Sydney and a rain-affected track add uncertainty to the 12-horse field.
The Everest, a $20 million race run at Royal Randwick, is drawing more racing attention than the 150th Caulfield Cup in Melbourne. Both races run on the same afternoon, 60 minutes apart. Jockey Jamie Melham, who rode Half Yours to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double last spring, will ride Blue Door in The Everest instead. Melbourne traditionalists say the race has pulled the spotlight from classic staying events. Its supporters argue it has energised spring racing.
The South Burnett Race Club will hold its annual Caulfield Cup race meeting at Wondai Racecourse on Saturday, October 17. The meeting coincides with The TAB Everest at Randwick, and interstate races will be shown on screens at the course. The five-race card starts at 1:35pm, with the feature Roy and Glenis Radunz Wondai Cup at 4:05pm. The fashion theme is Country Meets Couture. Admission is $10, and cash is required because there is no EFTPOS on site.
Canberra venues are hosting a range of Melbourne Cup celebrations on 3 November. The Hyatt Hotel Canberra has a garden party from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm for $200 per person, with a seafood bar and live tiramisu bar. Thoroughbred Park offers Cup day racing with general entry from $20. Free options include the Canberra Labor Club, The Dock in Kingston and Mercure Canberra, which will show the races on multiple big screens.
A man who survived being allegedly set alight at a Sydney hospital says he is glad he was targeted instead of someone who could not defend themselves. Radovan Banic, 54, was one of three people allegedly doused in petrol at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick on Tuesday night. He said he thought the liquid was water before he realised he was alight, and he has minor burns. Police allege Raymond Dungay, 48, tried to set two other patients alight. Dungay has been charged with attempted murder and did not apply for bail in court.
A patient at Prince of Wales hospital in Randwick has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly setting a fellow patient on fire. Police allege Raymond James Dungay, 48, poured petrol on three patients on Tuesday evening before igniting one of them. Hospital staff quickly put out the fire. The 54-year-old victim suffered minor burns, while two others were treated for minor injuries and are in a stable condition. Dungay is expected to face a bail hearing. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park apologised and ordered a departmental review.
Mid-century apartments built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s are attracting home owners and investors who once overlooked them. Developers built many of these modest blocks for renters, offering good light, breezes and balconies. Property experts say buyers value their solid construction and lower strata fees, since they lack extras such as pools and gyms. One Randwick owner plans to sell his three-bedroom apartment, which is guided at $1.35 million, and an agent says these homes are more popular than ever.
Sydney will host the 2027 Super Netball Grand Final for the first time since the competition began. The event is expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors and inject more than $4 million into the NSW visitor economy. The match will be played on Saturday 31 July at Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, and is proposed rather than confirmed. Netball Australia chair Liz Ellis said the event would celebrate the sport's passion across New South Wales. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state would invest more in netball, one of its biggest participation sports.
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An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
The NSW Government has committed $6.8 billion to electrify the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Bomaderry and to double tracks at key bottlenecks. Construction is expected to be complete by the mid-to-late 2030s, with detailed planning starting in 2027. The announcement follows the government scrapping timetable changes that were due to take effect in November after community concerns. Premier Chris Minns said the upgrade would deliver faster, more reliable trains. An immediate $621 million will fund upgrades to power, signalling and flood protection ahead of the main works.
Police are searching for a man in a balaclava after a suspected arson attack on a house in Abbotsford, in Sydney's inner west. Four people were taken to hospital. An 88-year-old woman was rescued by a 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder. A neighbour confronted the man while he was allegedly setting the house alight. Police believe he fled in a red Holden Astra and had suffered burns. About 40 firefighters attended the blaze, which spread to an adjoining house.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been hired as a professor of practice at the University of Sydney. The 46-year-old joins the faculty of medicine and health, where the role will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern will explore ways to address global health challenges, inclusion and wellbeing, and will lead guest lectures and masterclasses. The university says the position is not a full-time teaching role. Ardern and her family moved to Australia in February, reportedly buying a $5.3 million home on Sydney's northern beaches.
Will Lee has served 56 years with the NSW Rural Fire Service, which he began after helping fight a major fire in the northern Illawarra in 1968. He joined the Austinmer Bushfire Brigade in 1970 and went on to hold several leadership roles, including Group Captain. He was recognised with a National Medal with a fourth clasp at a recent ceremony, where his daughter Belinda Lee also received a 40-year Long Service Medal. Will now focuses on training young firefighters. He says the job of an old firefighter is to teach young firefighters to become old firefighters.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern will lecture and mentor at the University of Sydney, beginning this month. Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Based in the school of public health, she will host guest lectures and masterclasses, although the university says it is not a full-time teaching role. Vice-chancellor Mark Scott praised Ardern's leadership, saying empathy and resolve can strengthen each other. Ardern moved to Australia earlier this year.
Local Government NSW is calling for a $5 billion interest-free loan scheme to help councils build roads, drainage and other infrastructure needed for housing. Councils would repay the loans through developer contributions as development progresses. The peak body says thousands of homes are being delayed by inadequate infrastructure, particularly in outer metropolitan Sydney and regional areas. LGNSW president Darcy Byrne urged all political parties to back the proposal ahead of the state election. The plan also includes $3 billion in upfront state and regional infrastructure funding and allows developer contributions to fund community facilities.
The Rotary Club of West Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook is running its Trees of Joy campaign again this year, aiming to deliver more than 1,000 Christmas gifts. Shoppers choose a gift from a bauble bearing a person's story and wish, then return it to a drop-off point. The club works with more than 10 local charities to reach children and adults who may otherwise go without. Trees are at four shopping centres in Cherrybrook, Westleigh, Pennant Hills and Thornleigh from 2 November until 10 December. Rotary asks people to return gifts early to ease distribution.
A man in a balaclava may have set himself on fire while torching a home in Sydney’s inner west, leaving four people hospitalised. Police believe the offender, who fled in a red Holden Astra, acted alone. A 49-year-old resident and police officers rescued an 88-year-old woman from the flames. The house on Weddle Ave was destroyed, and the hunt for the offender continues.
