Tag Archives: oceania

Amber Haigh's alleged murderers face judge-only trial

A couple accused of murdering teenage housemate Amber Haigh more than two decades ago will face a judge-alone trial next year.

Robert Samuel Geeves and his wife Anne Margaret Geeves, both 62, pleaded not guilty to murdering the 19-year-old when they faced NSW Supreme Court on Friday via audio-visual link from the Goulburn and Silverwater correctional centres.

Their joint two-month-long trial will take place at the NSW Supreme Court in Wagga Wagga from June 17, 2024.

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Amber Haigh, mother to a six-month-old son, vanished from NSW almost 20 years ago.

Haigh was reported missing on June 19, 2002, after failing to return to her home at Kingsvale in southern NSW, where she and her six-month-old son had been living with the couple.

Police were told the pair dropped the young mother at Campbelltown station on June 5 where she intended to travel by train to Mt Druitt in western Sydney to visit her sick father in hospital.

Later that night, money was withdrawn from her bank account at a Campbelltown ATM.

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Haigh was reported missing on June 19, 2002, after failing to return to her home at Kingsvale in southern NSW.

Her body has never been found.

A 2011 inquest found Haigh died as a result of homicide or other misadventure in June 2002.

The case remained largely untouched for another decade until 2020, when Strike Force Villamar II launched a new investigation.

NSW Police increased the reward for information from $100,000 to $1 million in April.

The pair were arrested and charged at a property in the Riverina town of Harden in May.

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Stabbing suspect says he was driving around time of the slayings

The man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death late last year was on a long drive by himself around the time of the deaths, his defence attorneys wrote in new court documents filed this week.

Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths at a rental house near the Moscow, Idaho, university campus last November.

He has exercised his right to remain silent during the court case, so a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf earlier this year.

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FILE - Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. On Wednesday, Aug. 2, attorneys for Kohberger, accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death last year, said he was on a long drive by himself around the time of the slayings. (Zach Wilkinson/The Moscow-Pullman Daily News via AP, Pool, File)

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he intends to seek the death penalty, and the case is scheduled for trial this fall, though it could be postponed.

The court document filed Wednesday is the first time Kohberger has said anything about his whereabouts on the night of the stabbings.

His defence team submitted it after prosecutors asked the court to force Kohberger to reveal if he intends to offer an alibi.

"Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone. Often he would go for drives at night," his defence attorney, Anne Taylor, wrote in the document.

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Victims Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. (Instagram)

"He did so late on November 12 and into November 13, 2022."

Kohberger isn't claiming to be in any specific location at any specific time, according to the document, and may have witnesses who can corroborate that he wasn't at the home where the students were killed.

His defence team is still going over transcripts of grand jury testimony and other evidence from the investigation, his attorneys wrote, so it is too soon to detail exactly who those witnesses might be and what they might be able to testify about.

"The defence has stated all that can be firmly stated at this time," Kohberger's attorneys wrote.

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Bryan Kohberger enters courtroom for his arraignment hearing.

Idaho law requires that defendants notify the prosecution if they intend to present an alibi defence, which is generally a claim that they were somewhere other than at the crime scene and have witnesses who will verify that.

The bodies of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found November 13, 2022, at a home across the street from the University of Idaho campus.

The slayings shocked the rural Idaho community and neighbouring Pullman, Washington, where Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University.

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Wife who laced husband's soup with fatal overdose eligible for parole

Judith Ann Venn laced her husband's soup with prescription medication, causing him to overdose, believing it was the only solution to an intolerable situation.

The 69-year-old, who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of husband Lance Hilton Venn, was sentenced to jail on Friday but is immediately able to apply for parole after nearly three years behind bars.

Venn was not coping as carer of her husband, whose bipolar disorder and manic depressive illness had worsened significantly over the previous 18 months and made him become agitated and aggressive toward others.

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Judith Ann Venn, who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her husband.

On the morning of August 14, 2020, Venn was hopeful of some relief in managing her husband of about 40 years as he was due to see a psychologist that day.

But 64-year-old Mr Venn ended up at their daughter's house in the early hours of the morning during one of his nocturnal outings.

Venn cancelled the appointment and when he returned to their home at Alexandra Hills, southeast of Brisbane, overdosed him with a portion of vegetable soup she had made the previous day in which she dissolved 50 prescribed pills.

She cut his wrist when he was unconscious but his cause of death was found to be due to the overdose.

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The scene after Lance Hilton Venn was found dead.

Venn wrote a letter saying she did not want her family to live with the stress she experienced and that Mr Venn had pushed her over the edge.

She attempted to take her own life, later telling police she did not want anyone else, particularly their daughters, to have to care for Mr Venn.

Psychiatrists found Venn was suffering from a major depressive disorder, excessive stress and distortions of thinking.

This contributed to last-resort thinking and desperation around the time of the offence.

The court heard Venn minimised and concealed her husband's physical aggression towards her, probably due to shame, loyalty to him and a wish to spare her children from more concern.

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The worsening of Venn's cognitive distortions characterised by all-or-nothing catastrophic thinking restricted her ability to problem solve or make rational decisions, Brisbane Supreme Court Justice Frances Williams said.

"It was in these circumstances that you were led to believe the only solution to an intolerable and hopeless situation was for you and the deceased to die."

Williams sentenced Venn to eight years and six months behind bars, ordering she be immediately eligible to apply for parole.

The sentence took into account that Venn posed no risk to the community and had suffered physical, verbal and emotional abuse.

"The particular circumstances of the offending arose out of a tragic chain of events including the deceased's mental illness which led to your own mental illness and that you have taken considerable steps towards rehabilitation," Williams told Venn.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).

Aussies could soon get a national digital ID. This is what that means

Verifying your identity is something we all have to do fairly regularly, but it soon could look very different under a new voluntary national digital ID.

You need to prove who you are when applying for a new credit card, rental tenancy, passport, phone service or insurance product – but sharing your identifying documents with multiple companies brings risk, as was exposed in last year's Optus and Medibank hacks.

A national digital ID would – if implemented properly – clamp down on those risks. Here's what you need to know about it.

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What is the Australian national digital identity and how would it work?

A national digital identity is a project that was first proposed – but not implemented – by the previous federal Coalition government, and is something the current Labor government is looking to introduce.

In short, it's a system that would allow Australians to quickly and easily identify themselves without needing to provide "points" of identity through existing documents like passports, licences and bills.

"A digital ID would usually be an application in a phone or computer that stores a mathematical representation of an individual that uniquely identifies them, without the possibility of reverse engineering their personal information, such as an address or date of birth," Dr Philip Bos, a security expert and founder of privacy protection software company BlueKee, told 9news.com.au.

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"One way the scheme would work is via an app that is opened using the person's biometrics and sending an ever-changing, long mathematical code that identifies one to the other – the user and the business/government agency.

"No personal data would ever need to be transmitted or stored."

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher said the system will initially be regulated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) before a government body specifically focused on digital regulation is introduced.

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Katy Gallagher at the AFR Government Services Summit

Why create a national digital identity? What are the benefits?

In short? Security.

"The current system is plagued by identity theft, fraud, and a lack of control over personal data," Bos said.

He said current methods of proving identity, in which businesses and other service providers demand too much information, create a "honeypot of data" for hackers to target.

"Currently, when a business requires only proof of age, they ask for much more, such as an address and copying your physical driver's licence," he said.

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"This 'oversharing' is an unnecessary privacy breach, and dangerous regarding identity fraud, and even physical security.

"Why risk divulging your address to unknown parties, who don't need it for the business transaction being undertaken?"

Conversely, by proving your identity through a digital ID instead of by providing licence and passport details, it means organisations wouldn't be storing that information – so if there is a data breach or hack, you wouldn't be at risk of identity theft.

Gallagher said a digital ID would give Australians more control over their private information.

"What we are doing is citizen-centred," she told the AFR Government Services Summit in late July.

"It is about securing your information and protecting your information, and ensuring that when that information is shared, it's done under a regulated system."

Former NSW Customer Service and Digital Government Minister Victor Dominello is pushing for the introduction of a digital ID in his new role on the Tech Council of Australia board, again citing security benefits.

"[A] fit-for-purpose digital ID would give more control to the individual on what information they share and for how long, significantly enhancing privacy and security settings" he wrote on LinkedIn.

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Victor Dominello, Former Minister for Customer Service NSW at the AFR Government Services Summit.

When will the national digital identity be introduced?

Gallagher is hopeful the system will go live midway through 2024.

"Potentially mid-next year," she said when pressed for a launch date at the AFR summit.

"In many ways, what we're doing is enshrining in legislation a system that's unregulated now.

"We've got over 10 million people using myGov ID, states and jurisdictions are developing their own systems as well.

"So I think from the everyday person's point of view, we've got the system it's just not regulated and not in a shape that will allow us to drive it forward and give the interoperability and the economy-wide benefits that come from having a national system.

"But we're very committed to it."

She the project already has cabinet approval and hopes to have an exposure draft in September before a bill is put to parliament by the end of the year.

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A driver presenting their digital licence app to a Queensland police officer.

Would the national digital ID be compulsory in Australia?

No. Gallagher said the system will be voluntary.

"It's really about you having control as citizens," she said.

"Control of their information that allows them to access government systems in a very easy, secure, voluntary and efficient way."

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Warning as meningococcal B cases rise

Australians are urged to be on the lookout for symptoms of meningococcal disease as calls for the strain B vaccine to be made free across the country grow.

New South Wales Health issued a warning on Friday after 25 cases of meningococcal disease – mostly strain B of the infection – have been reported this year.

Meningococcal is a rare but serious and sometimes fatal infection with babies, toddlers, teenagers and young adults most at risk.

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New South Wales central coast residents are asked to be on alert for symptoms of meningococcal disease.

"While vaccination of these age groups has reduced the number of infections each year, the vaccines do not protect against all strains of meningococcal bacteria and people of all ages can be infected," NSW Health said.

"All people should be aware of symptoms so they can act fast."

Symptoms include:

  • Sudden fever
  • Headache
  • Neck stiffness
  • Tiredness
  • Joint or limp pain
  • Sensitivity to bright lights
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • High-pitched crying in babies
  • A rash of red-purple spots or bruises, which may appear after the other  symptoms or late in the disease progression

If these symptoms occur, Australians are urged to seek medical assistance as the disease can be fatal within hours if left untreated.

A vaccine for meningococcal B, the strain detected in most NSW cases this year, is free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with certain medical conditions in NSW.

A vaccine for meningococcal ACWY is provided for free for babies at 12 months and a second dose is provided to teenagers in year 10.

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Meningococcal B is now the dominant strain of the disease.

But now Queensland is making meningococcal B vaccines free for Queensland babies, children and teenagers.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the vaccine would be free and available as part of routine childhood vaccines and in the school immunisation program.

"This is the single biggest investment in a state-funded vaccination program in our State's history," the state's health minister Shannon Fentiman said.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcomed the free vaccination announcement.

"Meningococcal B must be taken seriously. This is a rare but terrible disease that without urgent care can result in death or disability. Just a few years ago, a two-year-old died from meningococcal B at my practice and it is something that you never forget," RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins said.

https://twitter.com/ShannonFentiman/status/1687227202029412352

"The B strain is the most common cause of invasive meningococcal disease in children, adolescents, and young adults."

Higgins said there's evidence the b strain is emerging as the more common cause of death and called for the vaccination to be added to the national immunisation program to be made free across all states and territories.

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Another government pulls pin on hosting Commonwealth Games

Less than a month after the Victorian government announced it was backtracking on its commitment to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a Canadian province has pulled the pin on its bid to host the 2030 event.

Alberta had been exploring a bid with hosting duties split between the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, as well as the indigenous Tsuut'ina Nation and other areas of the province.

However, the provincial government decided against continuing that bid, with Commonwealth Sport Canada pointing some of the blame at Victoria for the decision.

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"Commonwealth Sport Canada has been informed by the Alberta Government that they have decided to discontinue the exploration of a 2030 Commonwealth Games bid," the governing body said in a statement.

"We believe the recent decision by the Victorian government to withdraw from the 2026 Commonwealth Games was a significant factor in Alberta's decision, as well as an over-dependence on taxpayer's support for the planning and delivery of the Games."

Local media has reported unfeasible financials for the proposed event – similar to the cost blowouts cited by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews – is behind the decision.

"Alberta has a successful history of hosting major, international multi-sport games in our province and any proposal to host major games is considered with the interests of Alberta taxpayers at top of mind," Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow told Canadian outlet Global News.

"We promised to remain transparent with Albertans about the costs of hosting international sporting events and clearly demonstrating a return on our investment for the people and communities of Alberta.

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"In the case of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the numbers just didn't add up for our government to commit taxpayers' money with the Games estimated to cost $2.68 billion.

"The corporate sponsorship model and limited broadcast revenues for the Commonwealth Games would have put 93 per cent of financial burden and risks on Albertans."

Alberta's bid would have seen the Commonwealth Games hosted in Canada to mark the 100th anniversary of the inaugural event, which was held in Edmonton under the banner of the British Empire Games.

The province's decision to pull out of the running for the Games further highlights their uncertain future, with financial concerns causing a number of hosting headaches in recent times.

Well before Victoria and Alberta pulled out, the South African city of Durban was stripped of hosting rights for the 2022 Games after a review found a "significant departure from the undertakings" in a number of the original bid's commitments, including funding.

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A view of fireworks during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony at Alexander Stadium on August 08, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

The 2022 event was eventually held in Birmingham.

After Victoria's withdrawal, every other Australian mainland state poured cold water on the idea of playing host in 2026, as did New Zealand.

In a statement following Alberta's withdrawal, the Commonwealth Games Federation said it hoped the province will host a future instalment.

"The Commonwealth Games Federation is sorry to hear that Alberta is no longer developing its bid proposal for the 2030 Commonwealth Games," it said.

"We thank all those who worked on Alberta's inspiring and comprehensive plan and we believe the province could be a fantastic host for the Commonwealth Games in the future.

"We had already been reviewing our selection timeline as a result of the recent Victorian Government decision.

"The dialogue with other potential hosts is ongoing."

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Samsung predicts everyone will be using foldable phones

Review: Samsung executives are on the record saying they think not only will foldable phones outsell their traditional premium smartphones within a few years, but that we'll all be using foldable phones in two to three years.

Leaving aside the absence of Apple from this market, there's little doubt Samsung has the edge on this as the first mover, so for the last week I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5.

While the larger "Fold" device gets a lot of attention, I'm personally convinced it's a niche product for either the hardcore "S Pen" user (Samsung's stylus for writing on the screen) or for people who are keen to be carrying around the biggest screen possible in their pocket.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review

A Galaxy Z Fold5 will set you back at least $2,599 so at $1,649 the Flip5 is a far more achievable smartphone for most people.

In fact, that's less than $100 more than Apple's "Plus" sized iPhone 14 – and I intentionally compare this to Apple iPhone because in reality the Flip design is the most likely to entice an Apple user over to Samsung than any other device in their range.

Switching from iPhone to Samsung has never been easier also.

I switched from iPhone 14 Pro to the Galaxy Z Flip5 in my hotel room in Korea just hours after the Flip5 was announced, and using a cable from my iPhone to the Flip5 information about my apps, a large amount of my data were all carried over to the Flip.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review

This means I haven't been to the Google Play Store (App Store equivalent) at all, as all my apps were pre-loaded.

At worst I've had to remember passwords for apps or social networks to get them working – it was literally a breeze.

Before I get to the physical differences with the Flip5 this year, let me talk about usability. In the last week the battery life has impressed me greatly, proving itself to be an all-day device, pushing 16-18 hour days with only a touch of low battery anxiety toward the end.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review

While this is less than you'll get with pretty much any traditional smartphone, it's far better than previous generations and some other flip phones on the market.

Everything just works, it's a distinctly premium experience and other than the fact you can literally fold it shut when you're done – there's nothing unusual or limiting about the Flip5 as a smartphone experience.

However, the camera could be better.

It's great, but it's not in the class of even iPhone 14 or Samsung's S series phones. It may have the same "sensor" but the lenses are different.

In general use you won't notice this, but in properly low light scenarios, I found it left me wanting better results.

Flipped shut, the design is now as you would expect from a premium priced device. It folds shut.

While this is the Flip5, it is actually only the 4th design, with the 2nd Generation just getting 5G.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review

That said, the ugly hinge gap from previous years has gone, and Samsung has achieved what Oppo and Motorola brought to market before them with their flip phones – a flat closure.

It makes a difference.

But the real standout on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is the cover screen.

Samsung calls it the Flex Window – it's a cover screen, and measuring 3.4 inches it's a huge improvement on previous generations.

It should be noted that Motorola pips them with a 3.6 inch screen which covers the entire front of the phone with the cameras encased within it, but Samsung opted to put their screen around the cameras.

I've used this screen probably 30 per cent of the time I've used the phone.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review

Those moments when you just need to see the detail of that notification, even reply to a text message. Easy.

When you're playing music the small tab at the bottom of the screen represents that for you, you can pinch to zoom out to see all your Flex Window pages, from Calendar, to Timers and quick dial contacts, it's all there.

If you're someone who pairs your headphones to make calls, or even uses speakerphone a lot, your use time for the cover screen will be even higher than mine.

That simple little screen has made a radical difference to the Flip phone form factor, I saw it first impress me in March with Oppo's flip, then Motorola and now it's confirmed with Samsung's effort.

While it could be bigger, I get why Samsung have done what they have here and I have no complaints about how it works as an interface to your phone.

All in all, Samsung have stepped up their game with the Galaxy Z Flip5 – at $1649 the entry price is higher than last year, but the lower capacity memory configuration is no longer in the market so it's actually the same price as Flip4 in 2022.

I may be drinking the koolaid, but I also believe we'll all be using flip and foldable screen phones in the not too distant future.

When Apple do it, the world will wow them – like they did with Wireless Charging and 5G – which are technologies Samsung and others had many years before Apple.

Though I expect Samsung won't really mind, because if Apple ever go foldable, Samsung's sales of flip phones will grow within their own market share.

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'My wife is crying': Two winning tickets claim $100 million Powerball jackpot

A Melbourne mum found out she won $50 million while at work this morning after two tickets won the $100 million Powerball jackpot drawn on Thursday night.

The other winners were a syndicate who have picked up $5m

The mum from City of Melton bought a single ticket online while the other $50 million will be split between 10 Sydney residents who were part of a syndicate.

The Victorian received the call that she had won the $50 million, which triggered her colleagues to clap and cheer.

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"I've won $50 million? Oh, my goodness," she yelled at her work.

"I've gone to work as per usual this morning and you've called to tell me that I've won $50 million?

"You wouldn't believe this. I purchased this winning ticket right before the draw closed."

She said she would "look forward to saying goodbye" to her job.

"This is absolutely life-changing. This will help me look after my kids. 

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"My kids mean the world to me, and I'll be able to set them up for the future."

The winning Sydney ticket was bought at a newsagency at Rosebery North, where another syndicate won second prize.

Another 61 person syndicate won $48,000 meaning they would all get $794.

Newsagent owner Wen Liu said she was so proud that her shop won the syndicate.

"Congratulations to my customers," Liu said.

A winner in the second prize syndicate said they would update their Hyundai i20.

A man who was part of the syndicate was watching football when he took the life-changing call from lottery officials last night.

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"Holy s—. Holy s—. Are you serious? I've won $5 million?" he said, according to the Lott.

"I'm in shock. You've changed my life.

"I'm watching football as we speak, and I had no idea who was calling.

"I can't wait to call my mum and tell her the news – she won't believe me.

"I'm going to buy a house and look after my brother and sister. They're my priority."

Another member of the group said he was "dumbfounded".

"This is unbelievable," the Sydneysider said.

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"It's unbelievable. My wife is crying.

"I don't have a mortgage anymore and my retirement will be much easier."

In addition to winning division one, the syndicate's entry also won division two 19 times, 

bolstering their total prize to $50,776,737.10.

Because the winning Victorian entry was bought online, officials haven't been able to make contact with the ticket holder.

The winning numbers of draw 1420 on Thursday, August 3 were 13, 7, 18, 1, 23, 25, 33, and the Powerball was 7.

There are many different ways to get help and information about gambling. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858; use online counselling; find information about help services in your state or territory; get information and support for family and friends; get information about how to talk with someone about their gambling; or contact Gamblers Anonymous.

All services are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Send your message of support to the Matildas

We are into the business end of the FIFA Women's World Cup, with the Matildas set to take on Denmark on Monday night, bidding to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

It won't be an easy task against the European side, who are ranked 13th in the world, but following a sensational 4-0 win over Olympic champions Canada to reach the knockout stages Australia will be confident they can keep the dream alive.

Once again the whole country will be behind the Matildas, and we are inviting you to share your messages of support and tell us why the team mean so much to you. We will publish the responses on Monday ahead of the match.

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Abandoned NSW hotel and general store found near old mining site

Exclusive: An old, turn-of-the-century Victor piano with warped and weathered keys sits forever waiting in the front parlour.

In other rooms, a thick layer of dust covers beds that are still made up, while clothes hang long forgotten in wardrobes. 

The decaying, yet poignant scenes were snapped by New South Wales woman Jo Quigley, who stumbled across the abandoned hotel and general store while out with her husband and kids on a Sunday drive last month.

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Ravaged by time, the piano sits in the parlour of the abandoned NSW hotel.

Quinley, who lives near Bathurst, told 9news.com.au her family was playing an exploring game which led them to the site of the old hotel by chance.

"We have a little card game which gives you random directions to follow," Quinley said.

"You might be going down the road and if you see a paddock full of sheep, you've got to turn left. If there's cows, you turn right."

Turning down a back road, the crumbling building with a rusty corrugated roof was visible from the road and the family couldn't resist taking a peek.

One of the hotel bedrooms in the abandoned building.Another of the hotel bedrooms, with clothes strewn over the bed.

Quinley said the building was next to an old cemetery, and there was a disused mine shaft down the road.

Photos taken by Quinley show a snapshot in time. The building appears to have been abandoned for decades, with much of its contents remaining inside.

"In the part of the building where the general store was, there was a shop counter painted pink with a whole heap of box shelves behind it," Quinley said.

"And if you went around behind the counter, there was an open cellar. I was not expecting that, it looked a bit scary," she said.

The service counter of the general store.An open cellar found behind the counter of the general store.

In other rooms, Quinley found a record player, as well as an old-fashioned chrome and wood TV set.

There were about three or four rooms that had been used for hotel guests, Quinley said.

"It was really strange. There was all of this clothing still there, which is not something that most people would leave behind."

Quinley said the building was in terrible condition and appeared to be beyond saving. 

"I don't think it was from vandalism, it was just that it has been left for far too long," she said.

"The floor was very bouncy, it was obviously waterlogged."

A television from a bygone era in one of the hotel rooms.A record player found in one of the rooms.An old fashioned fridge found in the kitchen.

Quinley said the old hotel had left a lasting impression on her and her family.

"It made us sad, actually, because you can imagine there would have been so many happy times there and it's just been left – for whatever reason." 

9news.com.au has chosen not to reveal the location of the hotel and general store in order to protect the site.

However, historical records show the area had several zinc, lead and gold mines which were all closed down by 1915.

There are no shops operating in what is left of the old mining town. Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data from 2021 shows the area is home to less than 50 residents.

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