A new online resource, co-designed by students and staff at the University of Sydney, shows how generative AI can be used productively and responsibly in assessment and learning.

Volunteers’ News – December 2024.

GLEBE: Outside Le Petit Tarte Café and Patisserie, most days of the week, is Jethro and his lorikeet, Rosie.

REDFERN: The City of Sydney is calling for expressions of interest to redevelop a council car park into a not-for-profit aged care facility for at least 50 older people.

It’s the end of an era for Redfern. After 55 years of serving the community, Joe and Marie Ambour, longtime owners of Ambour Hardware, are closing the doors.

My darling Stuart passed away peacefully on August 27, 2024, the saddest day of my life. The funeral service was a beautiful tribute to his well lived life, thanks to funeral director Stephanie Kelly of Personal Farewells, who delivered the service to perfection.

He caught the apple and threw it back. “It’ll do you good,” she said. He nodded and moved on past her cry of “free fruit!” She was wearing a black tee-shirt with “please don’t forget our homeless” in white letters.

Surry Hills was buzzing on November 2 for its second Sydney Streets this year, with Crown Street closed to traffic while thousands of locals and visitors enjoyed food, stalls, performances and more.

The South Sydney Herald fundraiser cruise on October 27 sailed through Circular Quay (Warrung), taking in sights of cultural and historical significance including Tjubooguuli (Opera House and Bennelong Point), Bayingo (Garden Island), Maten-Wanyay (Fort Dennison), Wokonmaguuli (Farm Cove), Yurong (Mrs Macquarie’s Point) and Woolloomooloo (“resting place of the dead”).

A walking tour around Waterloo by REDWatch and a forum on The Future of Public Housing at Counterpoint’s The Factory, were parts of the Henry Halloran Research Trust at Sydney University’s Festival of “Public” Urbanism 2024. The festival explored the future of urban governance, planning and design in the face of climate change and social inequality.

Lynette Riley, Chair of Aboriginal Education and Indigenous Studies, is the first Indigenous academic to be promoted to professor in the School of Education and Social Work. She shares her story of being first in her family and community to achieve such prestigious academic success.

Volunteers’ News – November 2024.

Photographer Michelle Haywood captures the moments that matter – joyful, historical, poignant ...

Stuart had moderate to severe sleep apnoea for more than 10 years. He wore a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask every night for eight years prior to being in residential aged care.

Most of the forests and woodlands that existed prior to European invasion in the lands now known as NSW are gone. Numerous threatened species, such as gliders, owls, koalas and quolls, are at heightened risk due to logging. Bushfires are becoming more severe because of climate change, and logged native forests are more flammable than unlogged forests. Native forest logging mostly produces woodchips and pulp rather than higher value sawn timber and operates at a loss to the taxpayer.

As the people of NSW await the latest judgment of the Land and Environment Court for Forestry Corporation of NSW’s logging breaches, in this case illegally felling giant and hollow-bearing trees in Wild Cattle Creek State Forest near Coffs Harbour, a new book shines a light on the Corporation’s misdemeanours across the state.

The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney has won the 2024 International Council of Museums (ICOM) Australia Institution Award. It is the first university museum to receive this award.

Volunteers’ News – October 2024.

Cathedrals and over 150 diverse places of worship across Australia, including in Sydney, unveiled banners on September 17 with a united message for the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition: supporting a rapid transition from coal and gas to clean energy.

In July 2022, just over a year after Stuart was first admitted, I wrote to the facility service manager about Stuart’s personal care.

Volunteers who campaigned in support of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament recently met at the Redfern Community Centre to hear about the way forward from the outgoing Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney and Indigenous author and activist, Thomas Mayo.

Volunteers’ News – September 2024.

The NSW local government elections will be held on Saturday, September 14. Candidates from nine parties responded to three key prompts on transport, development and housing affordability.

National treasure Ken Done, 2022 Archibald Prize winner Blak Douglas and designer Sarah Munro, from Sarah & Sebastian, will unveil their artworks that were inspired by the winners of the Fantastical Shark & Rays children’s art competition at the Australian Museum from Saturday September 7.

Held at Redfern Community Centre on August 17, the 2024 Indigenous Science Experience Community Day gave visitors the chance to learn about everything from Indigenous astronomy and bush medicine to the physics behind traditional tools.

A new scholarship worth more than $100,000 annually is set to transform the lives of seven outstanding international students.

I first met Greg Townsend at South Bondi when I was about 16.

Homes NSW has announced its preferred partners to lead the Waterloo renewal are the consortium of Stockland, Link Wentworth, City West Housing, and Birribee.

Mirrung Garden has a new option for local residents to recycle their household food scraps. In addition to our worm farms, compost bins and chicken coop, the garden now has a maroon lid food scraps bin that can take all kinds of scraps including citrus, dairy, meats, and small bones.

The management at the aged care facility wanted to send Stuart to hospital to trial different doses of antipsychotic medication for his behavioural issues. On August 18, 2021, Stuart was admitted to St George Hospital, ultimately for eight days, while the medication was adjusted.

REDFERN: The unprepossessing building at 199 Cleveland Street, opposite Prince Alfred Park, is known to many residents as the 40-year home of the innovative theatre company, Performance Space. Prior to this, from 1932 to 1969, the building was the headquarters of the Australian Railways Union (ARU).

A javelin star who combines athletics with a full-time career as a doctor. A water polo player competing just 15 months after giving birth to her baby daughter...

Volunteers’ News – August 2024.

I never expected that the first 16 months following Stuart’s admission to residential care on June 9, 2021, would be the most difficult time of my life. I thought my care duties would reduce, but instead the stress intensified to another level.

World Hepatitis Day was July 28. This year the message is clear: It’s time for action – get out, get tested, get cured and live your best life.

On June 6, Premier Chris Minns issued an "unreserved" apology to NSW’s LGBTQIA+ community over historical laws which criminalised homosexual acts.

The University of Sydney has secured its highest ever ranking overall and continues to be rated as a top 20 global university in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.

The North Eveleigh Clothing Store Precinct will be transferred to Homes NSW for the delivery of 500 new homes, half of which will be social and affordable homes.

The Trevor Davies Memorial Lecture is an annual event hosted by the Trevor Davies ALP Branch, and the Newtown ALP State Electorate Council. This year, it was held at the Royal Hotel on June 13. Assistant Minister Tim Ayres, a former branch member and Darlington local, was asked to deliver the address.

Volunteers’ News – July 2024.

REDFERN: On July 21, I was lucky enough to attend the launch of the new website for Native Botanical Brewery (NBB), and to talk to the team behind this new and innovative business.

It is with great sadness that Reconciliation Australia sends our condolences to the family and friends of the Rev. Dr D. Gondarra OAM.

The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is a one-night event held on one of the longest and coldest nights of the year. The St Vincent de Paul Society launched the event in 2006 to raise awareness and funds to combat homelessness, with close to $100 million raised nationally over 18 years of the event.

I was exhausted and desperately needed a break from full-time care for Stuart.

A bit of winter sun is good for your health. It helps your body produce Vitamin D and creates other processes in the body such as serotonin and dopamine.

The Tipping Point team, who develop projects for Friends of the Earth Australia, commissioned Blak Douglas to paint Coalface, his latest mural in Redfern in the heart of the electorate of the Minister for the Environment and Water.

In the first half of 2023, at community events, online and through government and non-government agencies, tenants had opportunity to provide their views as part of the Waterloo Public Housing Tenant Survey.

Volunteers’ News – June 2024.

One evening in May 2020, Stuart suddenly felt freezing cold. I checked his vital signs, all seemed to be within the normal range. In the following days and weeks, gradually the symptoms became more frequent. He would start with feeling cold, then roll onto the floor, shivering, holding his head saying “you are hitting me”, “it hurts”.

When University of Sydney student Sophia Parada began her degree in 2020, she feared the pandemic would derail her dreams of studying abroad. In late May, at a ceremony in Denmark, she shook hands with Queen Mary as she accepted a scholarship to study at the University of Copenhagen.