By Lyn Maccallum
Aussie bloke of screen
Bill Hunter 1940-2011. Stanley Kramer's film On the Beach (1959) "set a new direction for a fit young bloke from Ballarat by the name of Bill Hunter. It wasn't raw acting ability that got the 19-year-old noticed by the film's casting agent, but his talent as a swimmer. Anthony Perkins needed a stunt double and Hunter was a state freestyle champion and until very recently, an Olympic Games hopeful."
Call to can "dunny"
Some say it looks like an outdoor toilet and others like a backyard shed. For 23 years a humble steel structure has showcased contemporary Australian art at the Venice Biennale, but momentum is building to have it torn down and replaced. "It gives people the impression that we are a backyard group of hillbillies working out of a dunny", said Norman Day, an architect. "It's not a big site but it could be elegant."
Bill Hunter starring in Newsfront, 1978.
Pregnancy power shift
"When a couple disagrees on whether to have a child or more children, the woman's wishes usually prevail. But a new study that tracks thousands of Australians over six years shows the introduction of the $3000 baby bonus gave more power to the partner who wanted more children – even if that was the man." Couples aged 18 to 41 were tracked from 2001 when they were first asked questions about desired family size.