Sydney news

First manufactured in the 1890s, Metters wood stoves remain cherished possessions for a small number of passionate collectors.

Victoria is set for a very hot Christmas, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of severe heatwave conditions for much of the state on Friday and across the weekend.

The colour and taste of water in the Adelaide Hills and Barossa is under constant watch, as organic matter washed into the River Murray works its way through the river system, SA Water says.

A van filled with gas bottles explodes as it rams the headquarters of the Australian Christian Lobby, in what the managing director calls an "attack on free speech".

A police officer in Western Australia uses his investigative skills to play Santa's helper and find the intended recipient of a lost Christmas present found on a roadside.

The Hunter region is becoming increasingly attractive for filmmakers to work in, according to one local director.

A woman and her two children are left traumatised by a violent carjacking overnight in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, police say.

Six months on from Tasmania's devastating floods, many families are still struggling emotionally, a rural support agency says.

Adelaide Zoo's critically-endangered Sumatran orangutan named Karta is expecting a baby in January. But it is no normal pregnancy. The ABC follows the 34-year-old's journey, after six failed births.

Queensland landholders are planning to clear nearly 70,000 hectares of bush in Great Barrier Reef catchments in a move that will further damage the icon, according to a conservation group

The overwhelming and unexpected success of a project to cultivate rare "corpse flowers" forces the Adelaide Botanic Gardens to appeal for funds to help it create more greenhouse space.

Indian authorities investigate Adani companies for siphoning money offshore and artificially inflating power prices at the expense of Indian consumers.

Brisbane Heat survive a strong showing by Ben Dunk and Jake Weatherald to defeat the Adelaide Strikers by 10 runs in their Big Bash League clash at Adelaide Oval.

Severe thunderstorms rumble through towns west of Brisbane and headed towards the Sunshine Coast, skirting past the capital.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd joins 7.30 to discuss terrorism, Donald Trump, the threat of South Korea and the current state of the ALP.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd joins 7.30 to discuss terrorism, Donald Trump, the threat of South Korea and the current state of the ALP.

A tropical low off Western Australia's Pilbara coast officially develops into the first cyclone of the season, with forecasters saying could hit land over the Christmas weekend.

Human remains are discovered during a search for missing 30-year-old Timothy Moran at Bullsbrook north-east of Perth, four days after his father's body is found.

A Tennant Creek-based Aboriginal corporation has one month to explain why it should not be placed under special administration following an investigation into "allegations of serious non-compliance".

A small business says it has been left 'gutted' by an online credit card refund scam, prompting calls from retail groups to strengthen protections for business owners.

Pastoralists in the Kimberley are chuffed that a tropical low has bought more than 200mm of rain to some parts of their region in the past 24 hours.

Under the icy continent known the world over for its white landscapes, scientists discover a technicolour underwater ecosystem, and all by accident.

Contractors building Perth's new children's hospital appear no closer to solving the problem of high lead levels in the water supply, sparking opposition claims the Government has lost control of the project.

There are fears a humpback whale and her calf, which have stayed inside a reef at the Rowley Shoals rather than migrate to Antarctica, are starving to death.

Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge is among a handful of AFL players who quickly made their disapproval clear after the AFL banned the third man up at ruck contests.

A 21-year-old Sydney man is accused of supplying a gun to terror suspect Talal Alameddine, four days after the shooting of police accountant Curtis Cheng.

The Rugby League Players Association is eager to ensure the players receive their fair share of the extra funding provided to clubs in the new deal.

Seven-year-old Sadie Aird is one of hundreds of patients relying on blood transfusions, but the Red Cross says the number of donors this festive season is 'worryingly low'.

Three members of a South Australian family who went missing during a fishing trip off the state's south-east coast have been fondly remembered as pillars of their community at a memorial service in Kingston.

A severe storm warning is issued for Brisbane and towns west of the Queensland capital, with hail stones up to three centimetres wide already hitting some areas.

Ever wondered how you would live on a boat? The ABC's Patrick Galloway went aboard a Sydney to Hobart yacht for two days to find out, and discovered why bananas aren't allowed.

Australian citrus exports have reached a new record high of $315 million.

Cricket Australia withdraws its support for Andre Russell's black bat after learning it left marks on the ball in Sydney Thunder's loss to the Sixers.

Cricket writer and prominent transgender figure Catherine McGregor succeeds in her bid to be removed from the Australian of the Year honour roll, after a spat with national recipient David Morrison.

Tasmanian man Angus Auton is sentenced to almost six years in prison for his hit-and-run killing of Kwementyaye Chaddum in Darwin in 2015.

A mass die-off of dozens of dolphins in South Australian waters that left marine biologists mystified three years ago has now been linked to a virus related to the measles.

Australia's two newest Indigenous doctors say they have overcome significant obstacles to complete their degrees, but were driven by a passion to help their people and a desire for equality.

The Christmas season ignites memories for the community of Barnawartha, a year after homes and property were lost in bushfires.

A Perth man who attacked twohomeless men for a "thrill" as they lay sleeping in doorways, killing one of them, is sentenced to life imprisonment with a 26-year minimum.

Residents living near Sydney's NorthConnex road project slam a decision to move the new highway 10 metres closer to their homes, saying the change will significantly devalue their properties and the only compensation they have been offered is free movie tickets.

Vendors at Canberra's polarising Westside container village will close ahead of the quiet winter season, after coming to an agreement with the ACT Government to pay next to no rent after January 1.

Thieves use a weapon similar to a box cutter to attack a woman during "a horrendous" armed robbery in North Melbourne, leaving police shocked by the vicious nature of the attack.

The introduction of parking meters in Palmerston is "ridiculous" according to a local business owner, who says retailers have been asking for a multi-storey carpark for several years.

Despite the development of state-of-the-art techniques to spot and map bushfires, old-fashioned approaches are still in use, with fire watchers perched in four towers across Canberra's surrounding bushland.

Ambassadors and foreign officials on postings to Australia this Christmas describe what the festive season means to them.

A proposed restructure of the NSW Local Land Services has met with an angry response from a number of landholders.

Melbourne defender Heritier Lumumba retires from the AFL after struggling with concussion, and a dispute with the club over the handling of his condition

Despite public perception of China being a major foreign investor, it is in fact the US, so AmCham is launching a study to provide data to media, governments and commentators.

Distracted by wombats, quolls and snow, cartoonist Jon Kudelka continues to comment on national affairs.

Formula One ace Daniel Ricciardo rules out filling the "damn good" seat at Mercedes next season, saying he is committed to Red Bull for the next two years.