Remembering the protests that began Mardi Gras 40 years ago

Forty years ago, on 24 June 1978, the first Sydney Mardi Gras took the form of a night time street protest-come party along Sydney’s iconic Oxford Street. Instead of the cheers, balloons and sequins which greet the march today, protesters were harried by the police.

Why soccer is falling behind AFL and rugby in Australia

While soccer has a long history in the Australian sporting landscape, soccer has seldom challenged Rugby League and Australian Rules Football in popularity. The early 21st century boom is over but Australian success in the 2018 World Cup and domestic reform could offer a way forward.

The ‘criss-cross’ history hidden in a colonist’s letter

A colonist’s letter of 1839 is crammed with adventure, but holds a deeper and unsettling insight into the history of Australia’s frontier conflict.

Putin’s Travails: Hosting the 2018 World Cup

As the 2018 World Cup kicks off in Russia, manifestations of ongoing political tension raise the issue of whether a mega-sporting event can be removed from the political, social and cultural imperatives that globalisation has brought.

Trolls, fanboys and lurkers – Understanding online commenting culture shows us how to improve it

A mix of personal and institutional responses to antisocial behaviour can help create more inclusive and harmonious online communities.

Rediscovering the true Caribbean

Oft-forgotten but nonetheless important, the real Caribbean is largely left out of international affairs, with one recent scandalous exception. Overlooked by many, what does this region have to offer for Australia?

In praise of doing nothing

As we race through our day, we seldom take the time to seriously examine the rationale behind our frenetic lives – and mistakenly assume that other people who appear very busy must be doing something important.

Paid parental leave in the USA and Australia

Korea and Japan win hands down when it comes to fathers’ parental leave entitlements across OECD nations. Australia is among the worst, and the USA comes last of all, but Australia can learn from the US in terms of ‘primary carer’ preference.

Technology and relationships: A complicated connection

Modern relationships and the ways we communicate have evolved with the growth of the digital world but are we becoming more connected? Or are we losing touch with each other?

Life on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert

Author, poet and academic Kevin Brophy reflects on his time living in the remote Aboriginal community of Mulan, one of the smallest and most isolated in the country, close to the natural haven of Lake Paruku.

Welcome to the new dark age

In a wide-ranging investigation of diverse fields from aviation to social media, the pharmaceutical industry and climate science, James Bridle argues that our data-driven culture threaten our survival as a species.

Feminists should remember ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’

The best selling women’s health book “Our Bodies, Ourselves” teaches that there is no one correct course of action. Women differ from one another, and various experiences will lead to a range of priorities and goals. This is okay – and it probably has the best chance to make the world a better place.