Director Scott Hicks has released his autobiography, Shine: Persistence of Vision, about the film Shine, which told the story of pianist David Helfgott and starred Geoffrey Rush. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996 and earned seven Oscar nominations, including one for best director. Hicks, who studied film at Flinders University, still lives in Adelaide. To mark the film's 30th anniversary, Shine will screen at the Adelaide film festival in a new 4K digitally remastered print. The book is published by Wakefield Press.
A first Australian study of its kind found women with postpartum psychosis contacted health services an average of seven times before getting the care they needed. Flinders University researchers interviewed 15 women, many of whom said their concerns were dismissed or put down to ordinary post-birth experiences. Elise Howie, who was treated for the condition after her first baby, said her second episode was much worse. An estimated 300 to 600 Australian women experience the condition each year. Study author Donna McMahon said the condition is treatable and early detection is critical.
Australian women with postpartum psychosis often contact health services several times before receiving treatment, a new Flinders University study has found. Researchers interviewed 15 women, who sought help an average of seven times. All said they sensed something was wrong soon after childbirth, but felt their concerns were minimised. Lead author Donna McMahon said healthcare staff should listen more closely to women and families and ask more follow-up questions. Its small sample was recruited through social media support groups, so its findings are specific to Australia.
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Nightlife venues in central Queensland are moving away from relying on alcohol sales. Young people are drinking less, and spending less at the bar, according to Queensland's night-life economy commissioner, John Collins. Rising insurance, supply and wage costs are also squeezing venues. Pub owner Stephen Roberts says his venue now hosts a weekly run club and attracts a younger crowd. University of Queensland consumer behaviour expert Felix Septianto says people buy experiences, not just drinks, and that memorable events can bring customers back.
A new paper led by Flinders University argues that training doctors in rural and remote communities could strengthen healthcare access and improve health outcomes. Published in the British Medical Journal, the research says medical schools should prepare doctors to deliver locally relevant, culturally responsive care. Lead author Professor James Smith says students who spend time in rural areas are more likely to build careers there. The paper calls on medical schools to support First Nations students, strengthen First Nations leadership and embed cultural safety in training.
Adelaide University is offering staff over 55 with five or more years of service the chance to apply for an early retirement scheme. The university says the scheme is voluntary and is not a redundancy process, though redundancies may be considered in future. It faces a projected revenue shortfall of around $90 million, which it links to falling international student enrolments and federal government policy changes. The university says it is not considering compulsory redundancies before the employment guarantee expires in mid-2027. Expressions of interest close on October 27.
A NSW parliamentary inquiry has found that universities failed to pay staff correctly, calling it a systemic governance failure. Universities at least $380 million in underpayments across 30 public institutions in June 2024, according to the National Tertiary Education Union. The Fair Work Ombudsman found UNSW underpaid staff and ignored 2018 advice on fixing timesheets. Inquiry findings also say casual academics faced reprisal fears and unpaid work. Consultants were paid heavily, and the committee urged personal liability for senior executives.
Australia’s oldest underwater archaeological record reveals how First Peoples lived, transported goods and used different places within a vast cultural landscape that was submerged when rising seas transformed the continent after the last Ice Age. The discoveries, including stone artefacts associated with an ancient freshwater spring, provide insights into a world that existed before rising seas reshaped Australia’s coastline. The research was conducted by a partnership between underwater archaeology researchers and the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, with Rangers trained as scientific divers contributing to the findings.
Cancer survivors often struggle emotionally after treatment ends, experts say. Carly Gogel, from Naracoorte in South Australia, said she felt lost after being told she was in remission, and found returning to normal life hard. Breast Cancer Network Australia chief executive Kirsten Pilati said mental health should be a central part of cancer care. Flinders University psycho-oncology expert Lisa Beatty said online support services reached many people in rural areas, but more funding is needed to develop them.
Flinders University has acknowledged underpaying 1,405 casual staff by $965,827 over five years, averaging $687 per person. The university attributed the issue to a failure to apply a three-hour minimum engagement clause for some staff. Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling apologised and confirmed affected employees would be reimbursed with interest and superannuation. The National Tertiary Education Union described the underpayments as a 'massive breach of trust', particularly impacting low-paid, predominantly female staff. The university disputes this characterisation but accepts responsibility for the error.
New research led by Flinders University has found that nearly one in five women who took the AMH fertility test received a low result. Among those who repeated the test after a low result, about one-third later received a normal result. Testing rose more than 13-fold between 2011 and 2021, according to the researchers. Experts say the test cannot predict whether a woman can get pregnant. They warn it can cause anxiety and lead to costly treatment, and say women should seek accurate information from their GP or reliable sources.
A Flinders University study of more than 23,000 Australians found Gen Z is nearly 20 times more likely to abstain from alcohol than Baby Boomers. The effect held after accounting for age and other demographic differences. Millennials and Gen X reported more drinks on a typical drinking occasion than Boomers, while the Silent Generation recorded the highest weekly consumption among drinkers. Lead author Dr Gianluca Di Censo said the change appears sustained rather than a phase. Alcohol brands are adapting to social occasions where drinking is not the norm.
