Sydney news

Nuffield Scholar Jock Graham explores the best way to communicate on the farm.

An antiseptic that has been out of use for more than 50 years could help fight superbugs, as well as viral infections, and prevent future pandemics, Melbourne researchers say.

A 3-year-old girl dies after a stone war monument fell on her at a bowling club near Taree on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

Adam Grossetti's great uncles were detained as foreign-born Australians during World War II. It stripped them of their dignity and left them with broken hearts.

A fatal collision between a truck and a motorbike brings traffic on Melbourne's West Gate Freeway to a standstill, with motorists told to expect "long delays".

Farmhouse cheesemakers say new software will help them navigate the tricky food safety regulations governing raw milk cheese production.

The painter Donald Friend was lauded by his admirers as a "legendary figure". But he could just as easily be described as Australia's most celebrated paedophile.

A man allegedly fired several shots from a house at police before they were able to talk him out peacefully after an overnight standoff in Hobart following a dog attack.

One Nation's Pauline Hanson says she is meeting with the Federal Government today to discuss a 12 per cent compromise to the backpacker tax.

Bonuses have been paid to six executives at State Government-owned power company Stanwell Corporation while sub-contractors at two power stations remain unpaid, an Opposition MP says.

A child abuse survivor says his biggest fear is that the momentum generated by the child abuse royal commission will dissipate, stopping any meaningful reform.

West Australian business leaders flag concerns with the state's Premier that negotiations over a direct Qantas flight from Perth to London are stalling.

A family-owned Queensland grazing company expands into the Northern Territory, buying Manners Creek Station in the hopes of accessing the Darwin and Townsville trade.

Great Southern farmers team up with local police to tackle the rising number of farm burglaries.

A south-west guide dog owner believes entry refusal is on the increase, despite guide dogs being legally allowed to enter all public places.

The owners of South Australia's electricity network are taking their fight to charge customers more to the Federal Court, with South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis seeking legal advice over the move.

An off-duty policeman is hailed as a hero after kicking a hole in a fence to help two women escape a huge house fire at Essendon in Melbourne's north-west.

Newly minted Australia opener Matt Renshaw takes great satisfaction from his grinding second-innings knock in the Adelaide Test, which lasted 137 balls and yielded 34 runs.

Mundulla's Vida Maney is determined to enter as many contests at the local show as years she has been alive, and welcomes competition from the younger generations.

Hundreds of ASC workers are holding a two-day strike in South Australia following stalled negotiations over an enterprise bargaining agreement, and focusing their protest on Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne.

A standoff that began Sunday afternoon and appears to have been sparked by a dog attack in Hobart continues, with Tasmania Police saying a 47-year-old man has barricaded himself inside a house.

When it comes to ending Indigenous disadvantage, these women know kids' first years count for everything.

A 47-year-old man who allegedly pushed four women, including three aged in their 70s and 80s, onto train tracks in Melbourne is charged with attempted murder and making threats to kill.

Two pygmy marmosets are recovered after being taken from a wildlife park south of Sydney and two men are charged, but a third monkey is still missing.

The gothic-looking gate has been untouched for decades and sticks out in an otherwise quiet country town.

Scientists are stunned by the success of a crowdfunding campaign to help save the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot that has raised more than $120,000.

Julian Scharf was devastated when he rapidly lost hearing and was left "pretty much totally deaf". But this papa's got a brand new baga cochlear implantand he threw a party to celebrate the music that shaped his life.

Claims Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson bullied senior Queensland Government staff, calling one of them a "maggot" and "bucket of shit", highlight a strained relationship between the two parties.

A man who was pulled from the ocean south of Perth on Saturday dies in hospital, bringing the number of people who died after getting into difficultly off the WA coast over the weekend to three.

Usman Khawaja's match-winning batting display in Australia's third Test against South Africa shows that at least outside Asia, he has arrived as a senior player to be counted on, writes Geoff Lemon.

Two monkeys have been found after being stolen from a wildlife park south of Sydney, but one other pygmy marmoset is still missing.

Australia's women's cricket team forces a dramatic ODI tie against South Africa, thanks to a last-ball run-out in Coffs Harbour.

Steve Smith says the new faces in Australia's winning XI brought a new energy to the ailing side following an excellent consolation victory over South Africa in Adelaide.

Australia wins the third Test against South Africa by seven wickets after a disciplined bowling effort and brisk chase in Adelaide.

Australia cruises to a seven-wicket consolation win over the Proteas in Adelaide. Look back at how the action unfolded in our live blog.

Melbourne City will head into the FFA Cup final full of steam after seeing off Wellington Phoenix 2-1 at AAMI Park.

WA's Premier and Attorney General dismiss calls for a parliamentary inquiry into claims of a secret deal relating to the decades-long Bell Group liquidation.

A baby monkey has been found after being stolen from a wildlife park south of Sydney, but two other pygmy marmosets are still missing.

Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen combine to win a first-ever golf World Cup for Denmark with a four-shot triumph at Kingston Heath.

A Cirque Du Soleil performer escapes serious injury after falling 3 to 5 metres and landing on her head during a show in Brisbane.

WA Health Minister John Day has confirmed a worldwide shortage of meningococcal vaccine has caused wait times to blow out in Western Australia.

Alice Springs-born director Warwick Thornton, famous for his work on Australian film Sampson and Delilah, is back in Central Australia with acting greats Sam Neill and Bryan Brown to tell the nation a tale of frontier-era violence.

WA Premier Colin Barnett says he is "extremely disappointed" by the City of Fremantle's decision to abandon its Australia Day celebrations in favour of an alternate event two days later, calling the move "a disservice to our country".

A Cirque Du Soleil performer is taken to hospital after being injured in a fall during a show in Brisbane.

Australia has bowled South Africa out for 250 in the first session of day four. The hosts will need 127 runs to win the third Test at Adelaide Oval. Follow our live blog.

Three women aged in their 70s and 80s have serious injuries after being pushed onto train tracks in Melbourne's south-east by a knife-wielding man, in an attack one witness describes as "crazy".

A local company left out of pocket when a key contractor for the Clipsal 500 car race went into administration is refused payroll tax relief by the South Australian Government.

Bowling coach David Saker says Australia may need to call on forgotten pacemen James Pattinson and Pat Cummins sooner rather than later.

Hundreds of new paramedics will be hired as part of a $500 million plan to improve Victoria's ambulance service and better response times.

There are claims administrative problems within northern Tasmania's largest in-home care provider are causing sick, disabled and elderly Tasmanians to miss out on vital care.