Get the appSunshine, NSW 2264 · 6 stories this week
Nearby: Eraring · Mandalong · Mirrabooka · Morisset · Morisset Park · Myuna Bay · Windermere Park · Yarrawonga Park
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Sunshine has recorded back-to-back wins to open the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Isaacs Howarth Shield season. The Crows beat the Druids on Saturday after an opening win over Footscray United. Captain-coach Troy Stone said the side never felt fully in control. Dilum Weerarathna took 5-26 for the Crows, and Avishka Chenuka top scored with 43. Sunshine will next face Williamstown CYMS this Saturday.
Fire Rescue Victoria crews were called to a building fire in Anderson Street, Sunshine, shortly before midday on 17 October. Firefighters found a single-storey brick home well alight and tackled the blaze with hoselines. They searched the home for occupants but found no one inside, as it appeared to be unoccupied. The fire was under control at 12:06pm, 11 minutes after crews arrived. Fire Rescue Victoria will hand the scene to Victoria Police because the circumstances are suspicious.
Australia's first Vietnamese museum has opened in Sunshine, in Melbourne's west, on Saturday 17 October. The Vietnamese Museum Australia aims to preserve the history and experiences of Vietnamese Australians, including those who arrived as refugees. The project received $9.7 million from the federal government and $8.6 million from the Victorian Government, plus community fundraising. Brimbank City Council also opened Wominjeka Plaza, a public space honouring Traditional Owners and the area's multicultural communities. The museum's chief executive, Tammy Nguyen, said it would help preserve the stories of more than 350,000 Australians of Vietnamese origin.
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Get the appAustralia's first museum dedicated to Vietnamese-Australian history has opened in Sunshine, Melbourne. It was built on a council car park and marks the end of a decade-long campaign by the community. Chief executive Tammy Nguyen said the museum honours refugees who left Vietnam by boat seeking freedom. Victorian Premier Ben Carroll opened the centre, and both federal and Victorian governments contributed funding. University of Melbourne professor Lan Anh Hoang said public attitudes to refugees in the 1970s and 1980s were mixed.
Police have charged a 24-year-old Deer Park man and an 18-year-old woman over an alleged assault in Sunshine earlier this month. Detectives executed a search warrant in Deer Park and arrested the pair. The man faces charges of intentionally causing injury, affray and unlawful assault, while the woman faces an affray charge. Both have been bailed to appear at Sunshine Magistrates’ court on 4 February 2027. A 27-year-old Mickleham man was found unconscious on Hampshire Road on 1 October and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Sports grounds on either side of Ballarat Road in Braybrook could receive $2.5 million in upgrades if the state government is re-elected on 28 November. Laverton MP Sarah Connolly announced the commitment. The bulk, $2 million, would go towards a major redevelopment of Pennell Reserve, home to the Braybrook Sporting Club and St Andrews Cricket Club. A further $500,000 would refurbish the pavilion at Kinder Smith Reserve, home of the Sunshine Kangaroos. Star Weekly contacted the Liberal Party asking whether it would match the commitments, but received no reply.
A 12-year-old boy faced no further action after charges were dismissed in a children's court over the alleged fatal assault of Melbourne grocer Van Viet Truong, who died days after intervening in a dispute.
Charges against a 12-year-old boy have been dropped in the case of the alleged fatal bashing of Sunshine shopkeeper Van Viet Truong. Prosecutors conceded they could not prove the boy was criminally liable due to his age. Three other teenagers still face charges over the alleged attack in August. Mr Truong, 60, died in hospital after coming to the aid of a fellow retail worker. Community members have laid flowers outside his store in Sunshine.
A 12-year-old boy accused of involvement in a group assault that left a Melbourne grocer dead has had all charges dropped due to his age. Van Viet Truong, 60, died from head injuries after allegedly being attacked by a group of teenagers in August. The boy was among five teenagers charged over the incident, with one 15-year-old facing manslaughter charges and two 14-year-old girls facing lesser charges.
Screen Australia has allocated $5.7 million to fund 48 documentaries, including a feature exploring the life of Australian artist Leigh Bowery. Leigh Bowery: Eternal Sunshine will examine the Melbourne-born performer's influence on London's 1980s underground scene. The film is directed by Ilinca Calugareanu and produced by Elinor Hughes, Vee Shi, Michael McMahon and Ned Williams. Screen Australia says 71% of Australians have taken action after watching local screen content, highlighting documentaries' role in social change.
Parramatta Lanes recorded its biggest year yet, attracting more than 386,000 visitors over four nights from 21 to 24 October. The free festival used the city centre's streets, laneways and car parks for more than 400 performers, 70 food vendors and 10 stages. Lord Mayor Cameron MacLean said the event showcased the city's cultural diversity and its growing appeal in Western Sydney. The City of Parramatta said the festival was funded by the council and the NSW Government, with a $350,000 Open Streets grant to help deliver the event over three years.
Brendon and Emma Reynolds have put the historic Junee Hotel on the market so they can move closer to family. The couple took over the lease in 2023 and later bought the property, restoring its rooms, bathrooms and bar. They have added community events, including a singles night that Emma says led to five relationships. Emma criticised government taxes on regional pubs and staffing rules that limit backpacker workers. The couple plan to live in the hotel while a sale progresses, which they say can take six to 12 months.
Blacktown pilot Aglaya Papadokokolakis flew the first commercial aircraft out of Western Sydney International Airport on Sunday. She said the milestone was a career highlight, launching operations in her home region. Her father is also a pilot, and she encouraged young women to pursue aviation despite its male-dominated reputation. The airport opened after about eight years of construction and is set to run around the clock. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened it at a Sunday morning ceremony, and its first international flight arrived on Monday.
As part of Small Business Month in October, three New England and North Coast businesses are being highlighted. Steve Shaw runs GH Innovations in Thrumster, helping local firms attract customers through online search and sales improvement. Di Wade runs Rawspice Boutique in South West Rocks, offering independent fashion and lifestyle products. Meagan Hudson and Rory Taylor run Beardy Downs in Emmaville, making small-batch tallow and beeswax products through BD Collection.
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Get the appDrivers travelling between Armidale and the coast on Waterfall Way should allow extra time from Monday, 26 October, to Sunday, 8 November. Transport for NSW says a string of maintenance jobs and projects may cause cumulative delays, with some sections of up to 10 minutes. Vehicles wider than 3 metres face restrictions on parts of the route, and a permit is needed. Motorists can follow signs and directions from traffic controllers, or use alternative routes including the Oxley Highway, Gwydir Highway or New England Highway.
A black-and-white cat named Max has been reunited with his family in Cherrybrook after two anxious weeks. His owner, Katy, put up 200 missing posters and searched local streets, reaching out to schools, daycares and students. After Max was sighted, animal rescue volunteer Jen safely captured him and returned him to Katy within 24 hours. Katy then posted Found posters to thank the community for its kindness and teamwork.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has taken up a part-time professor of practice role at the University of Sydney. She will guest-lecture, run masterclasses and mentor students and researchers in the school of public health. Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern, who led New Zealand from 2017 to 2023, said she has been focused on leadership since leaving office. University vice-chancellor Mark Scott said her leadership showed that empathy and resolve can strengthen each other.
A 28-year-old man has been charged after an alleged fight on Banna Avenue in Griffith. Police allege he threw punches at another man in the middle of the street at about 2 am on Sunday, October 25, after being refused entry to pubs. Officers had earlier told him to leave, and police say he later swore at them and kept approaching despite being directed to leave. He was arrested, charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, and granted bail. He is due to appear before Griffith Local Court on November 18.
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.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
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.
A whale calf carcass has washed ashore at Malabar Beach in Sydney, the third landing spot for the same animal. Randwick Council workers moved the remains up the sand, roped off the area and closed the beach on Tuesday. Council said strong currents moved the carcass from Lurline Bay and that it will be removed and disposed of on Tuesday 27 October. Earlier, Coogee and Maroubra beaches were shut after the carcass became stuck against rocks at Lurline Bay.
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.