Tag Archives: oceania

Baby toys from online brand SHEIN recalled due to choking risk

Multiple baby rattles from Chinese online shop SHEIN have been recalled due to posing a serious choking risk.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said baby teethers and rattles sold by the online company pose a risk of serious injury or death by choking or suffocation if a child detaches and places the small parts in their mouth.

The products include a silicone animal-shaped baby teether, a handheld wooden rattle with rotating rings and a bell and a cloud-shaped wooden rattle with dangling beads.

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The ACCC added the products fail to meet the mandatory standard for toys for children up to and including 36 months of age.

Customers who purchased the toys that were sold from January 20 2024, until April 10 should to keep them out of reach of children and contact SHEIN for a refund.

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Trump’s company loses half a billion dollars in three months

Donald Trump's media company lost more than four hundred times more money than it made from January to March this year.

The quarterly report from Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) showed the company had $US870,000 ($A1.2 million) in revenue in the first three months of the year.

At the same time it reported a $US406 million ($A560 million) net loss.

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Donald Trump's company has lost more than $500 million in three months.

But despite the colossal losses, its interim CEO Kevin McGurn is bullish.

"Trump Media is using its strong balance sheet and positive operating cash flow to continue growing all our businesses and platform infrastructure," he said.

"Truth Social remains a bastion of free speech with innovative enhancements coming soon."

Most of the company's shares are still owned by President Trump himself.

The bulk of the losses come from massive purchases of Bitcoin for a "treasury" to be held by the company. 

TMTG bought $3.5 billion in Bitcoin midway through last year.

Since that time, the value of Bitcoin has crashed.

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Donald Trump demanded Fox News take Jessica Tarlov off the air.

The centrepiece of the company is Truth Social, the social media site created when Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook.

Truth Social was touted as a conservative alternative to other social media sites, but it has attracted few prominent users save for Trump himself.

Today's statement said the company is looking to expand into prediction contracts and more use of AI.

Video streaming platform Truth+ has also not connected with a wider audience.

The platform bills itself as showing "non-woke movies, live TV, Christian content, and more".

Today's report comes out weeks after CEO Devin Nunes suddenly left the business.

Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) was valued at $US10 billion ($14 billion) when it first went public in March 2024. 

Now it is valued at a fraction of that.

Donald Trump's media company has lost an extraordinary amount of money.

READ MORE: Trump celebrates decision that could secure his party's re-election

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Australia’s east to brace for a wet week

Part of Australia's east coast might be in for a wet week with a string of rainy days expected for parts of NSW and Queensland.

Despite a dry, yet cold start to the month, the drizzly conditions are due to roll in, potentially bringing multiple wet days to Sydney and Brisbane as onshore winds mix with abnormally warm sea temperatures.

Those conditions are set to change as a high-pressure system moves across the Tasman Sea, bringing easterly winds towards the east coast.

While the weather pattern is not expected to bring widespread rain or heavy conditions, it is expected to extend to parts of Queensland and NSW.

These conditions are caused by the warm water off the east coast, causing a higher chance of rainfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a hazardous surf warning for the Hunter Coast and Sydney Coast today, stating that surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for water activities such as swimming, fishing and boating.

Strong wind warnings are also in place today for NSW's Eden Coast.

In Queensland, strong marine wind warnings have been issued for the Peninsula Coast, Cooktown Coast and Cairns Coast.

Those warnings are set to remain in place until tomorrow.

The conditions come a week after a polar blast across the nation's south-east brought year-low temperatures and snow to several states.

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Pentagon won’t deny attack after massive oil slick spotted off Kharg Island

A massive oil slick spotted off Kharg Island has sparked speculation the US has targeted civilian infrastructure on the vital Iranian export hub.

Satellite imagery shows an apparent oil slick as big as the island itself.

But the Pentagon has declined to comment on whether it has targeted the island from which most of Iran's oil is exported.

READ MORE: Iran war has shed billions from world economy, but some are using it to get rich

This satellite image provided by European Space Agency shows an apparent oil spill in the Persian Gulf off the western side of Kharg Island.

With Iran and the US exchanging fire in the Persian Gulf, it is unlikely the spill will be cleaned up any time soon.

Because Iran's coastline is too shallow for massive tankers, 90 per cent of Iran's oil is exported via Kharg Island.

Oil is transported from the mainland to the island for supertankers to take out of the country. The terminal is able to load ten supertankers at once.

A military strike on oil infrastructure there would be devastating to the regime's economy.

It is about 660km away from the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the US has struck two Iranian oil tankers.

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Kharg Island is Iran's main crude oil export terminal.

In a statement, US Central Command said they had disabled the two vessels as they entered an Iranian port.

The ships were struck in their smokestacks by a F/A-18 Super Hornet.

"US forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran," Admiral Brad Cooper said.

"Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack.

"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure," Araghchi said in a statement.

"Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS (the President of the United States) into another quagmire?"

Araghchi said in his statement that Iran's missile inventory and launcher capacity was up 20 per cent from the beginning of the war.

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Donald Trump has called on more legislatures to dismantle black majority seats in Congress.

Donald Trump meanwhile has insisted the ceasefire remains in place.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has reported another missile and drone attack overnight.

The UAE's Defence Ministry said three people were wounded by three drones and two missiles fired from Iran.

READ MORE: Tiny gap in the ocean could become the world's most expensive tollbooth

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Jamie stood up to a $279b company. He won the battle

Communities around Australia are rebelling against the Golden Arches.

It is often a classic David vs Goliath battle when civic-minded residents decide to challenge the deep-pocketed fast food giant as it attempts to move into a new suburb or town.

In many cases, councils are left with little choice other than to approve the Macca's.

But sometimes, the "little guy" actually wins.

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McDonald's

There are currently 18 petitions in NSW, Victoria, WA and Queensland on Change.org – known colloquially as the 'I'm not Lovin' It movement – which are attempting to block or amend development applications from McDonald's Australia.

Thousands of people from Cowes on Victoria's Philip Island to Boonah in Queensland have joined this movement.

Last year, when Crows Nest resident Jamie Vachon caught wind of a proposed 24/7 McDonald's near his home on Sydney's North Shore, he quickly mobilised a group of community advocates to try and stop it.

McDonald's had launched an application to open at an old Westpac branch office on Willoughby Road.

Vachon, who has lived in the area for 17 years, said he understood why McDonald's had eyed that site for a new restaurant.

Still, he felt "protective" over his community.

"Crows Nest is a developing area… the Metro is here now, we can't stop it from growing, but we already had a Subway, Oporto, Ogalo, an El Jannah nearby," Vachon told Nine.com.au.

"My biggest problem was the location – we didn't need it there.

"I thought it would have been better suited at the Metro."

EXCLUSIVE: Residents of seaside Victorian town braced for Macca's battle

Jamie Vachon, Macca's

Vachon began a small-scale petition opposing the round-the-clock restaurant, which was signed by nearly 700 people.

He warned the Macca's would bring "crime, vandalism, litter, and random delivery drivers on footpaths and streets at all hours".

"This is nothing but a money grab by McDonald's with no care for the community," Vachon said.

Around 70 residents also lodged formal objections with North Sydney Council.

Following the community backlash, the council recommended that McDonald's reduce its trading hours and amended plans were submitted for a 5am-12am restaurant.

Soon after, McDonald's abandoned the $2.65 million proposal altogether.

Vachon said it was a huge "relief" to hear McDonald's had backed down.

Nearly 12 months on, he is proud of how his small but mighty community rallied for a common cause.

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Council knocks back Macca's in Ipswich

Alyson Lewis also joined a fight against a proposed Macca's development in Raceview, Ipswich in 2014.

She began a petition urging the council to reject an application to build a restaurant at a site which was only zoned for residential use.

Other residents protested outside council, citing the proposed site's proximity to two primary schools as a major concern.

Lewis told Nine.com.au that the Ipswich City Council rejected the drive-through restaurant before her petition gathered enough steam.

"We had multiple McDonald's nearby already, we just didn't need it," Lewis said.

"I doorknocked around the area at the time, I spoke to mums near the school, the community just didn't want it."

In August 2014, Ipswich City Council rejected the development application and the site remained a residential area.

Over the past 12 years, Lewis said Raceview has remained happily Macca's-free.

And if locals want a tasty fast-food meal from the Golden Arches, the closest outlet is just a 10-minute drive away in Booval.

In a statement shared with Nine.com.au, a spokesperson for McDonald's Australia acknowledged community concerns around development applications.

The spokesperson said the fast food giant is continuing to invest in Australia by recruiting franchisees.

"As we continue to grow, we're delivering more new restaurants, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, recruiting new franchisees, increasing our spend with our Aussie supply chain, and investing in more innovative ways to deliver great value, convenience, and a great customer experience," the spokesperson said.

"We are committed to engaging with councils and communities to ensure we're listening to feedback and submitting development applications for restaurants that are thoughtfully designed for the community.

"This includes limiting the impact of common concerns such as traffic, noise, and waste, and promoting our potential to contribute as a local employer and a business committed to giving back to the neighbourhood."

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Communities losing fight against Golden Arches

The story doesn't always end happily for community advocates.

In Northcote, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, residents opposing a 24/7 McDonald's on High Street were left disappointed when the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) reversed a decision by Darebin City Council to block the restaurant.

A similar narrative is unfolding in Newtown in Sydney's inner-west.

Despite furious backlash from locals, McDonald's has re-lodged an application to open a restaurant on busy King Street. The renewed application, with shorter opening hours, is under council review.

Locals on the Mornington Peninsula also lost their six-year fight against a Macca's which is set to be built metres from the foreshore.

Nine.com.au has contacted McDonald's Australia for comment.

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Today, Pauline Hanson could change Australian politics as we know it

ANALYSIS: All eyes are on the regional NSW seat of Farrer today as Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party faces its first federal litmus test since the last election.

The fringe party has enjoyed a surge in support in recent opinion polls, with the latest Resolve Political Monitor for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age showing its primary vote at 22 per cent, just one per cent behind the Coalition and 10 per cent behind Labor.

It rode a wave of support in the South Australian election and won seven new state MPs.

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One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 19 January 2026.

But it remains to be seen whether their sudden rise in popularity will translate to significant support at the federal level.

That's where Farrer comes in.

One Nation is threatening to snatch the federal seat from the Coalition, which has held onto it for decades.

And all the conditions are favourable for Hanson: Labor has not put up a candidate for the seat, the Coalition has managed to lose voters even after its historic loss at last year's election, and the nature of a byelection allows her to focus all her efforts on the local issues and candidate.

Monash University head of politics Zareh Ghazarian said a potential One Nation win at the byelection would be a "very important moment in Australian politics".

"It will indicate that the party can win seats in the lower house, and that's something that many other minor parties have really failed to do throughout Australia's history," he said.

"It's also a very unique time where the Coalition is defeated."

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The 12-candidate ballot is looming as a four-horse race between One Nation's David Farley, independent Michelle Milthorpe, Liberal Raissa Butkowski, and National Brad Robertson.

Jim Reed, founder of polling company Resolve, said Farley and Milthorpe were the two most likely contenders.

"It's a sign of the times for the Coalition that they stand to lose a treasured seat to either an independent or One Nation," he said.

One Nation's rise comes as voters increasingly shift away from the major parties, while independents and minor parties win more seats in parliament.

Reed said this has been a long-term trend that is gaining speed.

"Many voters are fed up of the major parties and are looking for change, any change," he said.

Ghazarian believes this rising shift will eventually split Australia's two-party system and rupture mainstream politics down the track.

"There is something going on in Australian politics that is leading people to support non-major parties more so than in the past," he said.

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Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has taken aim at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following his national address last night.
"The fuel crisis we face began about five weeks or so," Taylor said, in a right of reply speech broadcast on the ABC.

While the byelection is significant and could mark a disastrous defeat for the Coalition, experts warn that it does not capture the full picture.

Reed said byelections are often far removed from the context of future federal elections and are an opportunity for parties to heavily focus on a local battle rather than a national one.

He said voters also typically use byelections to "protest against the status quo" more than they do federal elections.

Ghazarian added that a One Nation win in Farrer does not guarantee a win at the next federal election.

"If One Nation can't win now, they're going to have real difficulty winning at a general election," Ghazarian said.

Nevertheless, victory today would pave the way for more One Nation successes at the 2028 federal election.

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Tiny gap in the ocean could become the world’s most expensive tollbooth

Iran's attempts to exact a hefty toll on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has given other countries an idea.

Senior politicians in both Malaysia and Indonesia have floated the idea of exacting a toll on one of the most important waterways on Earth – the Strait of Malacca.

"We sit on a strategic global trade and energy route, yet ships pass through the Malacca Strait without being charged – I'm not sure whether that's right or wrong," Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said last month.

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Malaysian Foreign Minister Sugiono responded by saying Indonesia could not impose a toll on ships without them.

"Whatever is to be done in the Strait of Malacca must involve the cooperation of all four countries," he said.

"That is our understanding – it cannot be done unilaterally."

The four countries Sugiono is speaking of are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

An immense number of ships pass through the narrow waters between those four countries.

If a million-dollar per ship toll were exacted, it would be a $100 billion annual windfall for the countries involved.

"It's the only reasonable route from East Asia to Europe or the East Coast US," University of Sydney's Professor of Ports and Maritime Logistics Michael Bell said.

"The only other alternative is going all the way around Australia."

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Much of Australian petrol is refined in Singapore from oil brought through the Strait of Malacca.

While there are countless gaps between islands in Indonesia, they are too shallow and difficult to traverse for major vessels.

At its narrowest, the Strait of Malacca was just 2.8km across.

"There's definitely a bottleneck that you could charge ships for going through," Bell said.

Passing through the Strait is nearly half of all seaborne oil in the world, including much that winds up in Australian cars.

A quarter of cars and nearly a quarter of dry bulk cargo also goes through the Strait.

But a toll on the Strait of Malacca isn't likely, according to Adjunct Fellow in Naval Studies at University of NSW Jennifer Parker.

"It will not happen," she said.

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An immense amount of shipping goes through the strait every day.

"If Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia agreed that they would apply some sort of toll on the Malacca Strait, which is an international strait, then that would be undermining the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea."

But trying to enforce a toll on the strait would put them in an awkward position with China.

"These countries value their relationships with the international system a lot more than Iran seems to do," Parker said.

"They also value their economic relationships with China."

Much of China's global trade is dependent on access to the strait, and the superpower in the region retains a lot of clout.

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At its narrowest, the Strait of Malacca is just 2.8km wide.

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‘Come on … sweetheart’: Journalists booted from One Nation event

Two local ABC reporters have been escorted out of a One Nation event on the eve of the crucial Farrer byelection.

In vision captured by 9News, a One Nation volunteer can be seen telling two local ABC journalists to leave, shortly before the event was set to kick off.

One of the ABC workers can be heard asking whether One Nation candidate David Farley had ordered their removal, to which the staffer replied, "That doesn't matter, come on… sweetheart, please," leading the pair towards the exit.

READ MORE: Why this weekend's byelection could upend Australian politics

One of the ABC reporters can be heard saying, "we are a tax-funded organisation".

One Nation chief of staff James Ashby was also seen directing the reporters out of the event, saying "bye-bye to the ABC" before following the pair towards the exit.

Ashby then said he was the one who ordered the removal of the reporters, telling them to ask their chief of staff in Canberra for the reason.

They replied by saying they are based in Wodonga, which neighbours with Albury in the Farrer electorate.

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Pauline Hanson was seen questioning their removal.

"We serve the local community," one reporter said.

After the ABC reporters left, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson questioned Ashby about their removal.

"Why, if they're local ABC? Rural and regional? she asked.

"Because they're reporting back to ABC Canberra," Ashby replied.

"They were told."

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Pauline Hanson was seen questioning their removal.

Hanson appeared to say "they shouldn't have gone", before walking off.

The Farrer byelection will be held tomorrow, and One Nation is considered the frontrunner to take the regional NSW seat from the Coalition following the resignation of former opposition leader Sussan Ley, who had held the electorate from 2001.

Both the Liberals and Nationals are fielding candidates, while independent Michelle Milthorpe is also a major challenger, having significantly cut into Ley's margin at the last federal election.

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‘Historic change in British politics’: Brutal election results

Partial results from local elections in England show big losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's governing Labour Party and gains for the hard-right party Reform UK.

The votes are being widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he was elected less than two years ago as voters grew impatient for economic growth and dramatic change after 14 years of Conservative government.

Starmer said he took responsibility for the "very tough" results but would not resign.

READ MORE: Richard Lewer wins Archibald Prize 2026

"The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved," he said. "I was elected to meet those challenges, and I'm not going to walk away from those challenges and plunge the country into chaos."

Reform UK, led by the veteran nationalist politician Nigel Farage, won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas in England's north such as Hartlepool that once were solid Labour turf, and also made gains from the Conservatives in areas like Havering in east London.

Farage said the results marked "an historic change in British politics".

The picture will change throughout Friday as results come in from the majority of local councils, including Labour strongholds like London. Votes will also be counted in contests for semiautonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

READ MORE: Local ABC journalists booted from One Nation event before crucial byelection

Results reflect fragmentation of UK politics

Reform UK, running on an anti-establishment, anti-immigration message, also is eyeing breakthroughs in Scotland and Wales, though pro-independence nationalists the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are more likely to form governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff.

A Labour rout could trigger moves by restive party politicians to oust a leader who led them to power in July 2024. Even if Starmer survives for now, many analysts doubt he will lead the party into the next national election, which must be held by 2029.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy cautioned the party not to topple the prime minister, saying "you don't change the pilot during the flight".

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Labour is losing votes to Reform UK on its right, and also to the Green Party, whose popularity has risen under self-described "eco populist" leader Zack Polanski. The Greens hoped to increase their vote share and win hundreds of council seats in urban centers and university towns.

The Conservative Party is also expected to lose ground, with the centrist Liberal Democrats making some gains.

The results reflect a fragmentation of British politics after decades of domination by Labour and the Conservatives, and make the outcome of the country's next national election hard to predict.

John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, said Britain is entering a new political era where "none of the parties are very big".

"Even Reform are probably not quite at 30 per cent of the vote, so the fracturing of British politics is underlined by these results," he told the BBC.

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Starmer's future is under threat

Starmer's popularity has plunged after repeated missteps and U-turns on policies such as welfare reform. His government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living — tasks made harder by the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has choked off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The prime minister has been further hurt by his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain's ambassador to Washington.

Poor election results could trigger a challenge from a high-profile rival such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner or Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Alternatively, Starmer could face pressure from the party to set a timetable for his departure after an orderly leadership contest.

"I don't think Keir Starmer should survive these results," said Labour politician Jonathan Brash, who represents Hartlepool in Parliament. "We have to be bolder, and we have to go further. And quite frankly, we need new leadership in order to achieve that."

Richard Lewer wins Archibald Prize 2026

Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer has won the Archibald Prize 2026 for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder, senior artist and ngangkari (traditional healer) Iluwanti Ken.

The work was selected from 1034 entries, whittled down to 59 finalists, which are on display at the Art Gallery of NSW.

The life-size portrait shows Ken, an artist herself and Wynne Prize finalist, in bright colours with flecks of paint on her arms, against a yellow ochre ground.

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A New Zealand-born artist, Lewer is a six-time Archibald finalist.

"I am really proud, both for Iluwanti and for myself," Lewer said.

"I feel deeply humbled to have won the Archibald Prize, and especially happy that this recognition brings a spotlight to Iluwanti, which was always my intention with this portrait. Iluwanti is the most beautiful woman, and it was a complete treat to spend time with her and to be able to paint her on Country.

"I hope this work recognises her role as a healer, artist and custodian of the knowledge she carries and so generously shares."

Art Gallery director Maud Page lauded Lewer's "masterful control of paint".

"He presents Iluwanti Ken as if she's emerging out of the ochre, with no conventional perspective, yet her presence as both an artist, healer and matriarch is powerfully realised.

"Her eyes are particularly striking – her gaze is direct and conveys her strength and warmth."

The Archibald Prize is Australia's most prestigious art prize and is awarded annually to the best portrait of a person distinguished in art, letters, science or politics painted by any artist resident Australasia.

The winners of the Wynne Prize 2026 for landscape painting and Sulman Prize 2026 for subject or genre painting were also announced.

Yolŋu artist Gaypalani Waṉambi won the Wynne Prize 2026 and $50,000 for her etching on metal, The Waṉambi tree, depicting Wuyal, an important ancestor of the Marrakulu clan.

Lucy Culliton won the Sir John Sulman Prize 2026 and $40,000 for her work Toolah, artist model, an intricately detailed painting of Toolah, one of her beloved rescue greyhounds.

This is Culliton's seventh time as a Sulman Prize finalist, with her 2026 winning work selected from 26 finalists.

First-time Archibald finalist Sean Layh won the Packing Room Prize for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins.

Layh saw Collins in the title role of Iain Sinclair's 2024 production of Shakespeare's Hamlet at Melbourne's fortyfivedownstairs theatre and reached out to Collins to see if he would reprise the role for a portrait.

"It was performed by candlelight in a tight physical setting and blended Hamlet's dark introspection with the plot's spooky supernatural undercurrent," Layh said.

Below is a selection of the 59 Archibald Prize finalists currently on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

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