Three generations of the Notaras family have shaped Canberra's cafés since the 1920s. Greek migrant Harry Notaras opened the Highgate Café in Kingston three weeks before Parliament House opened in 1927, serving more than 4000 meals on opening day. The family's Australian roots reach back to a 1909 naturalisation certificate still held by Eleni Notaras. Sophia Notaras, now 81, recalls home life that mixed Greek customs with Australian customers, including scarce olive oil. Highgate Lane now carries the family name, while the café itself has closed.
Women make up only about six in every 100 Australian truck drivers, and just four in 100 among heavy vehicle operators, despite a shortage of roughly 28,000 drivers. A new Women in Trucking report, launched at Parliament House in Canberra, argues women are being pushed out rather than leaving by choice. Its national survey of 489 drivers found 86 per cent saw opportunity for women, yet only 72 per cent said they were welcome.
Far North Queensland tourism leaders and Leichhardt MP Matt Smith plan to travel to Parliament House in Canberra to propose changes to the proposed Working Holiday Maker visa program. The government has announced that visa holders seeking a second or third year would enter a ballot for limited spots. Smith says the government's changes should consider the importance of foreign workers in regional areas. Opposition Senator Susan McDonald said the changes would reduce the supply of workers who pick crops and support regional tourism and hospitality.
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Mining billionaire Nicola Forrest has given $500 million from her personal fortune to her own charities, which focus on early childhood development, women and First Nations people. Ms Forrest said she believes Australia should be a fairer nation, warning that the gap between people with opportunity and those without is widening. She said her children did not want to inherit great wealth and that much work remained to be done.
Dawn Grant-Skiba, principal of Warrah Specialist School, received national acclaim as one of 13 educators honoured in the 2026 Schools Plus Teaching Awards. The ceremony, held at Parliament House in Canberra, celebrated innovative educators enhancing learning and wellbeing for students. Grant-Skiba, whose school supports students with significant intellectual disabilities, dedicated the win to her team. The award includes a $20,000 fellowship to develop a student-centred initiative. Warrah Specialist School is located in Dural, New South Wales.
Property records show the Henley Beach home of MasterChef star Laura Sharrad and her husband Max has sold for $1.891 million. The buyers paid $97,835 in stamp duty. The circa 1915 character home at 17 Anthony St had a price guide of $1.8 million when it went on the market in July. The couple, who co-own two Adelaide restaurants, plan to move to the Adelaide Hills. The home went under contract after the scheduled August auction was called in early in favour of best and final offers.
Adelaide's Deepavali Festival will return to the Adelaide Showground at Wayville on Saturday 7 November. The event, organised by the Hindu Council of Australia's South Australian chapter, runs from 12.30pm to 10.30pm. The program includes cultural performances, a Ram Leela presentation, a Lakshmi Ganesh Maha Aarti and the burning of a 35-foot Ravan effigy with fireworks. Entry costs $20 per person, while children under 12 and seniors attend for free. The festival is supported by the South Australian Government and is open to people of all backgrounds.
A three-bedroom property at 20 East Ave, Northfield, failed to sell at auction last week despite earlier valuations above its $900,000 price guide. Selling agent Andrew Simpson of OC Real Estate said few inquiries came in and developers now think the Northfield market has become too hot. He said the number of people attending open homes has dropped sharply and buyers are cautious about whether prices have bottomed. The house was extensively damaged by vandals and squatters, whom police had to evict. The property is now back on the market via private treaty at $900,000.
Farmers and residents in the Adelaide Hills are fiercely opposing a proposed multibillion-dollar data centre at Tungkillo, east of Adelaide. Developer Quantum DC plans a 1200-megawatt facility across a 220-hectare site, with infrastructure on about 120 hectares and the rest kept for grazing. Locals fear harm to livestock, pollinators and the natural environment. They object to the proposed 15-day public submission period under the state's Essential Infrastructure assessment process and have started a petition. Quantum DC says environmental and heritage studies are underway to minimise impacts.
Adelaide businessman Rob Cammarano says organised crime figures are trying to force him out of Career Boss, a labour-hire firm recruiting workers for the $15.4 billion Torrens to Darlington project. He says his home was shot at and his businesses were targeted in arson attacks. Police taskforce Operation Endurance is investigating, with detectives believing those responsible took direction from senior underworld figures. The allegations were referred to the project team, which found no evidence of criminal involvement. The state's anti-corruption commission will evaluate the Infrastructure and Transport Department.
Long-held Australian properties are reaching the market for the first time in decades as senior owners sell or pass homes to family. Raine & Horne Group executive chairman Angus Raine said intergenerational wealth transfer is creating rare buying opportunities. In Adelaide, a 92-year-old woman's Devon Park home sold at auction this month. A Parafield Gardens property on a 2313sqm block was listed for the first time in more than 60 years. Two country estates in NSW, owned by one family for over 30 years, have also been listed for sale.
Every murder-suicide examined in South Australia over a 20-year period occurred within a domestic relationship, new Adelaide University research has found. Women made up eight of the 10 victims. Researchers reviewed 363 adult homicide cases recorded between 2003 and 2022, and nine of the 10 victims were killed by an intimate partner. Researchers say the findings raise questions about how authorities identify and respond to warning signs. The researchers caution that the small number of cases limits the conclusions that can be drawn across the state.
The South Australian government has referred its $15 billion Torrens to Darlington road project to the state's corruption watchdog. Premier Peter Malinauskas said the move follows reports that an outlaw gang member tried to take an interest in a suspended company contracted to work on the project. He said he has seen no evidence that organised crime has gained access to the project. The Independent Commission Against Corruption will decide whether to investigate. The government said the step is a precaution to protect taxpayer funds.
Strong winds of almost 100 kilometres per hour have battered South Australia since Saturday, with Port Augusta among the worst-hit areas. The State Emergency Service was called to about 60 jobs in 24 hours, mostly involving fallen trees and damaged roofs and fences. In Hyde Park, a tree limb crushed the back of a parked car at a cafe. SA Power Networks said about 12,000 customers lost power, with around 500 still without electricity on Sunday morning. Wild weather is expected to ease as the system moves east.
Music students from 14 schools across the Mid North and Southern Flinders Ranges performed together at the Peterborough Town Hall with members of the Adelaide Youth Orchestra. The concert has grown from 50 students in 2023 to 100 this year. Music teacher Kate Mawson, who started the event, previously taught instruments online to students at nine regional schools. Students at Orroroo Area School have regained in-person instrumental lessons this year. The Department for Education's Instrumental Music program brings teachers to schools weekly, with the concert giving students a rare chance to play together.
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During Dwarfism Awareness Month, Julie Dickson answers five questions people often ask her about living with dwarfism. She says children are usually curious and that parents can use these moments to teach them about difference. Dickson, who was born with hypochondroplasia, says most people with dwarfism are born to average-height parents. She prefers person-first language and asks people to avoid the word midget, which she says is offensive. She says she lives a full life, with adaptations such as a step stool at work.
Agents in South Australia's South East say more than half of their recent property sales have gone to Victorian buyers. Mount Gambier director Jason Malseed said such sales were rare 15 to 20 years ago. He linked the rise to frustration with the Victorian government, including its land taxes. Ray White Mount Gambier principal Tahlia Gabrielli said retirees make up most Victorian arrivals. A recent survey ranked the Victorian Labor Party as the worst state government in the country.
Owners of the $2,000 iPhone Duo say their screens are failing, with unusual resistance and a clicking sound when the device closes. Teardown work using CT scans by iFixit points to a narrowed section of the hinge below the ribbon cable. The support bar there may stop the hinge dropping far enough, stressing the OLED panel. Apple has not yet commented. Samsung faced similar early display damage with its original Galaxy Fold in 2019, which it addressed by redesigning the hinge.
Singapore Airlines has increased its direct services to Adelaide to 12 flights a week, adding 1,328 seats. The expanded schedule began on 25 October, making the airline the international carrier with the most weekly year-round flights to Adelaide, according to the South Australian Government. The extra flights will also expand air freight capacity for exporters shipping seafood, meat and other premium produce. Minister for Tourism Chris Picton said the service would give visitors more seats and local businesses greater freight capacity. The actual benefits will depend on demand and how the added capacity is used.
Motorcyclists are warning that worsening potholes on South Australian roads are creating serious safety risks. Hundreds of riders are expected at an Adelaide rally on October 31. Adelaide rider Dylan Thorp counted at least 80 potholes in 500 metres on Ridley Rd between Sedan and Mannum. Riders say the holes can upset bike stability and force them to watch the road surface instead of looking ahead.
A 21-year-old farm worker from regional South Australia says her identity was stolen and used to make and sell AI-generated pornography online. Beth Richards says links to the material were posted from her hacked Facebook account and led to a private chat group selling explicit videos for about $90 each. Facebook has deactivated her account, but the links remain active. Police are investigating but believe those responsible are operating overseas. Premier Peter Malinauskas described the alleged conduct as criminal. Richards says she wants the material removed and those responsible held to account.
