Unearthing op shop gold with Joanne Gambale – conscious style & sustainable fashion
Personal stylist and thrifting veteran Joanne Gambale shares her top tips for striking gold at the op shop and consciously curating your wardrobe.
Culture
From Humbug & Flotilla to Papalote: Newcastle’s new Mexican destination
The team behind two of Newcastle’s most celebrated restaurants, Flotilla and Humbug, is bringing something completely new to the city. Papalote, opening this November in Newcastle West, is a vibrant Mexican restaurant and agave bar from friends and co-owners Eduardo Molina, Michael Portley and Stephanie Wells.
A decade of friendship, love & truth: FLT Tattoo Studio turns ten
Built on values of friendship, love, and truth, Newcastle’s FLT Tattoo Studio has spent the past decade creating tattoos, and community, with care. As founder Eddy Lou and her team celebrate ten years, they reflect on what it means to build a feminist, accessible and deeply human creative space.
Everything we know about Ted Lasso season 4
Hannah here, your resident Ted Lasso super fan. I was sure season three was the end, but with Jason Sudeikis confirming season four, the obsession lives on. So here’s what we know so far about Ted’s return to Richmond.
Lights, Camera, Love: chatting with Newcastle author Natalie Murray about her brand new novel
Newcastle author Natalie Murray returns with her second novel, Lights, Camera, Love – a warm, dance-fuelled romance set against the backdrop of Sydney’s film industry (with a little Hunter Valley magic too). We chat to her about inspiration, character backstories and the importance of writing stories with both light and shadow.
ACACIA Dining now open for dinner on the Levee in Maitland
ACACIA Dining has launched a new evening menu, bringing refined yet approachable dining to a night out in Maitland. Swell chats to owner Reece Hignell to find out more.
How to make time for reading (when it feels kind of impossible)
Too busy to read? So was Hannah – until she wasn’t. Her tips for squeezing 70 books into a busy year (so far!) might just get you back on the page.
Stoneware for storytellers
Palinopsia: derived from the Greek word palin (again) and opsia (seeing). The persistent recurrence of a visual image after it’s been removed from physical sight. A memory, a vision, a moment that lasts. Tamara Bajic, founder of Palinopsia in Cooks Hill, hopes her ceramic collection leaves that impression.
Melanie Norman on art, community and colour without rules
Newcastle-based abstract artist Melanie Norman creates art that connects. Whether she’s painting live, guiding a workshop, or teaming up with her son for a collaborative exhibition, her work is all about expression, emotion and community.
Celebrating NAIDOC 2025: Artist Shannon Kelly on culture, connection and legacy
This NAIDOC Week, we spoke with Gamilaroi artist Shannon Kelly, whose work explores strength, culture and belonging. Living and creating on Worimi Country, Shannon uses both traditional and digital mediums to tell stories that honour the past and uplift the next generation.
