Mercury (Hobart)

Aurora joy to a headache hangover

Tasmanians heading out to catch the aurora australis have complained of headaches with Hobart GP Dr Tim Jones advising people that environmental changes can lead to migraines. Dr Jones said people who were effected should limit their exposure to...

OUR NEW WAVE OF TALENT

VIGIL FOR YOUNG ROGAN

Almost $30,000 has been raised to help a five-year-old Launceston boy currently in a critical condition following an alleged stabbing attack. Rogan was flown to Melbourne on Tuesday with serious knife wounds and has since undergone multiple operations...

Parking mad over show fees

Hundreds of volunteer firefighters remain suspended for failing to complete mandatory child safety training, although none have yet been sacked, the Tasmania Fire Service says. All Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management workers, including...

$1.1M FINE FOR NEGLECT BUYBACK TAKE TO TO WHERE GUN CALL THE SKY IT BEGAN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026 yHOBART 25C $3.50

ARNIE’S EXCITING NEW ERA

Jaws dropped when Ariarne Titmus retired at the seemingly early age of 25. But the four-time Olympic gold medallist has entered an exciting new era – and could not be happier. No longer training 35 hours a week, the swimming powerhouse, who has moved...

LASSU WILL ROPE YOU IN

To performer Ian Richardson, wonder and awe are the emotions that tend to colour audiences at Lassu. The hand-balancer has been touring with the show for a year and will take to the stage on Friday for the first performance of the 2026 season at Wrest...

BONORONG’S WINNING POINTS

Some tennis players can be a little prickly on court, others win fans over with their skills and warmth. A pair of echidnas at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary served up their own spiky charm for players taking a break from the Hobart International on...

STAR VENUS LOBS IN

Tennis star Venus Williams says she will lean on her legendary sister Serena for advice heading into the Hobart International. The 45-year-old will use the event as a lead-up to the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard into both events. Serena...

JUNIORS DISMISSED

Tasmania’s stand-alone underage cricket sides competing at national titles are set to be axed under a proposed overhaul of the nation’s elite junior cricket structure. The shake-up would change the cricket talent factories which have produced the likes...

CHEERS AND BYE SOCIETY

Ten years of late Salamanca nights are drawing to a close for Angie Nichols and Emma Davis as they prepare to hand over the keys to the new owners of Society Salamanca. Located on Montpelier Retreat, the cocktail bar has become a neighbourhood...

WHY I HAD TO LEAVE GREENS

Newly independent MP Helen Burnet has defended her decision to leave the Greens and apologised to voters who cast their ballots for her due solely to her affiliation with the party. Ms Burnet, who represents the electorate of Clark, unexpectedly quit...

WEBSTER CAUGHT IN ASHES WEB

Heroes and first responders of the Bondi shooting have been welcomed to the Sydney Ashes Test with a guard of honour from both teams, in a heartwarming moment of unity. Ahmed Al Ahmed was one of the many heroes of last month’s Bondi attack to walk the...

GREENS BLINDSIDE

The Tasmanian Greens have been left reeling by the sudden departure of Clark MP Helen Burnet (right), who has quit the party for the crossbench. The former Hobart deputy mayor announced on Friday she was quitting in frustration “about not being able to...

ACE IN THE PACK

US tennis great Venus Williams has been granted a wildcard to play at the Hobart International starting on January 12. The 45-year-old former No.1 is a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and days ago married Italian actor and model Andrea Preti.

CHEERS TO 2026!

Thousands of revellers rung in the new year at the Taste of Summer festival and vantage points all over the city as fireworks signalled the beginning of 2026.

SUMMER PARTY

The Taste of Summer has reached a historic milestone, drawing its biggest crowd in its 40-year history. Around 13,800 people streamed through the gates at Princes Wharf on Sunday, making the most of the warm weather after a chilly opening day on...

STUNNING FINISH

Master Lock Comanche has claimed line honours in the 80th Sydney to Hobart yacht race, flying across the finish line just after 6pm Sunday. In a fantastic breeze on a picture-perfect River Derwent, the 100-footer claimed the victory after two days and...

BABY PAIN

There are fears the sale of Hobart Private Hospital to Catholic provider Calvary Health Care will force one of Hobart’s two IVF clinics out of business. A Tasmanian doctor working for locally owned IVF clinic Fertility Tasmania says the Catholic...

FIRED UP EXODUS

A stern letter threatening to sack volunteers from the Tasmania Fire Service unless they complete mandatory child-safety training will lead to many leaving brigades, a senior firefighter has warned. The letter has been issued by Fire and Emergency...

IT’S A WILD CHRISTMAS

As Tassie families rip open presents and gather with loved ones, our furry friends won’t be forgotten. Brighton’s own Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary will be open to the public on Christmas Day, continuing a tradition of being open every day of the year.

CRAY-ZY FESTIVE RUSH

A southern Tasmanian fisherman expects queues from 5.30am when he sells 1600 premium rock lobsters at what he claims will be Australia’s cheapest prices this Christmas.

A BERRY LATE CHRISTMAS

A long-running family raspberry operation near Hobart is confronting its “most unprecedentedly late season” in nearly three decades, with the grower confirming no raspberries were delivered to shops ahead of Christmas for the first time in the farm’s...

SHAW BANK REDEMPTION

Convicted murderer Luke Anthony Shaw is seeking up to $125,000 in donations so that he can appeal his conviction to the High Court of Australia. Shaw was sentenced to 23 years’ jail for a frenetic stabbing attack that killed George Town man David Wayne...

GARDEN GROWS INTO CAGE NIGHT

Hobart’s end-of-year knockoffs are set to get a serious energy boost with Cage Night returning to In The Hanging Garden this Friday. The free, all-evening party will run from 4pm until midnight on December 19, transforming the popular city venue into...

RICKY’S TOAST OF SUMMER

Legendary Test batsman Ricky Ponting will be opening in Hobart over the Christmas-New Year – but it will not be with the bat. “Punter” will in fact open his Tasmanian range of wines at the Taste of Summer. Ponting Wines is part of a new Sports Bar...

WE STAND WITH YOU

Tasmanians have joined in the worldwide expressions of shock and grief at the massacre at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. It comes as Rabbi Yochanan Gordon says Hanukkah celebrations in Tasmania will go ahead. “The Jewish community will not cower from terrorism...

’CANES FANS BOWLED OVER

Fans gathered to rub shoulders with their WBBL heroes the morning after the Hurricanes secured their maiden title. The ’Cane Train steamed ahead in celebration after their eight-wicket win over the Perth Scorchers at Ninja Stadium on Saturday...

ALL THAT’S JAZZ

The Clarence Jazz Festival is one of the most cherished events on Tasmania’s summer events circuit – with next year’s milestone festival to be no exception. Australian funk and soul band The Bamboos and global groove favourites Close Counters have...

RUN ON RUM’UN

Rum’un is taking over Tassie as fans of all ages race to get their hands on the plush toy before Christmas.The mini mascot is for fans young and old to show their club pride for the Tasmania Devils’ AFL debut.

‘LIKE ANOTHER PLANET’

Dolphin Sands residents have returned to their properties after the road was opened to residents on Tuesday – for the first time since a bushfire ripped through the coastal community last Thursday. Many, like Ashley Swan, have found holiday homes...

PASSION BURNS FOR FIRE CREW

Philip Sansom has seen a lot change over his four decades volunteering with the Fern Tree Fire Brigade. “In the early days there was more of a focus on vegetation type fires, whereas now we have moved into becoming trained in responding to structural...

HEADING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Soccer might be known as a winter sport, but neither summer nor Christmas are slowing down our rising sports stars from learning new skills. Showtime Soccer School is bringing a festive flair to its next camp where Christmas cheer and holiday spirit...

PERFECT FIRESTORM

Multiple houses and shacks have been damaged by the raging Dolphin Sands bushfire, which has burnt through 700 hectares on the East Coast. Premier Jeremy Rockliff promised financial assistance and emergency grants for people and communities affected.

MAC POINT WON

The order allowing the construction of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium continued its slow progress towards inevitable approval late into Thursday night. The Legislative Council continued its consideration of the governor’s 157-page order to build...

ONE

HOBART 27C THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025 Tasmania never shies away from a spirited debate. It is part of who we are – an island of bold voices, passionate views, and deep care for our shared future. Few issues have demonstrated this more clearly than...

STADIUM COUP

Tasmania is about to prove it can lure world-class names for a show under stadium lights, with rock icons The Foo Fighters announcing they’ll be jetting into the state early in the new year – with no other shows planned for the mainland. The 15-time...

OUR PARTY A FIZZER?

Victorian Government red tape could kill off a much-loved Tasmanian fireworks tradition, according to DeputyPremier Guy Barnett. Victorian WorkSafe bureaucrats have told Bright Star – Tasmania’s main Cracker Night supplier – it can no longer ship...

NOW OR NEVER

Tasmania Police estimate about 15,000 supporters packed Parliament lawns on Sunday, spilling out into Salamanca pubs and restaurants ahead of the crucial Legislative Council vote on the Macquarie Point Stadium and Tasmania Devils AFL side.

GRAIN DRAIN

A critical shortage of sand used in concrete manufacturing has raised concerns about cost escalations for major infrastructure projects. A study of the sand inventory of southeastern Tasmania produced by Mineral Resources Tasmania notes that two of...

PEP TALK

The economic case for the proposed Macquarie Point stadium had worsened because of its increasing cost, the head of an expert planning panel that rejected the project says. It came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged members of the Legislative...

OUR RESCUE HEROES

Six Tasmanian hikers who played key roles in a tragic and gruelling rescue mission, including four Hobart doctors, will soon return home after surviving a blizzard disaster on a Chilean mountain on November 17 that claimed the lives of five people from...

FROM THE TOP, IN KEY OF T

From ’80s pub rock to 2010s alternative indie, Aussie music has something for everyone – and that’s exactly what AusMusic T-Shirt Day celebrates. To mark the occasion, Altar Bar will turn up the volume with a special edition of AusMusic trivia. The...

VICTORY ON TAP

It was a win for the ages: the Huonville Lions, lagging behind in the first half, clutch a come-from-behind victory against their archrivals, ending a premiership drought and reinvigorating the tight-knit southern Tasmanian town. That famous SFL...

WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT

In a move that could bring the Ashes back to Tasmania, the state’s peak cricketing body has signed a landmark deal on its use of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium. The deal resolves longheld concerns about the impact of the stadium roof on play and...

DNA BOMBSHELL

A mixture of new science and uncovered evidence could once-and-for-all exonerate Tasmania’s most infamous female convicted murderer, says Sue Neill-Fraser’s former lawyer. Former Tasmanian Integrity Commission boss and former Western Australia...

VAPED CRUSADER

The state government will launch a legislative and enforcement blitz on illegal tobacco and vaping products, Police Minister Felix Ellis announced on Tuesday. New legislation was being developed to substantially increase penalties for criminals found...

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER

It’s meant to be the happiest day of their lives. But four dozen Tassie couples’ upcoming nuptials are in limbo after a Hobart venue informed them they’d either have to cancel or reduce their guest list considerably — some just days out from their big...

LEGENDS ROCK WREST POINT

Thousands of revellers braved a few showers to belt out some classics as Tasmania’s newest music festival went off with a bang. ‘Night at the Point’ was held at Wrest Point over three nights, with Jon Stevens (inset) of Noiseworks and INXS fame...

DEER PLAN SHOT DOWN

Giving recreational shooters the responsibility to control the “explosion” in Tasmania’s feral deer numbers has been described as “fanciful” by a leading deer researcher. The University of Tasmania’s Calum Cunningham said the motion that passed in...

PULLING THE REINS

The state government has flagged an attempt to start living within its means, putting a lid on spending growth to arrest the state’s ballooning debt. In delivering his first budget, Treasurer Eric Abetz signalled the Liberal’s intention to slow...

DAD AND SON DIDN’T HESITATE

Matt Bell never expected a simple Sunday making sandcastles with his young son on Lauderdale Beach would be the day he turned a lifesaver. Mr Bell, 35, and his father Jim Bell, 64, have been praised by emergency services for saving the lives of two...

MAKE THAT ALL YOURS

The only Aussie-bred horse in a field of international raiders from seven different nations, won a Melbourne Cup for the ages at Flemington. On a history-making day which saw star jockey Jamie Melham (inset) become just the second woman to win the...

OUR GOLDEN GIRL CUP BOUND

Tassie swimming legend Ariarne Titmus has started a new chapter in Melbourne. The Olympics golden girl’s move from Queensland to be with her partner Mac Powell has coincided with her love of spring racing and the Melbourne Cup carnival. “It’s just...

‘WE’RE SICK OF IT’: STAFF

The state’s health union plans to escalate industrial action this week if the government does not resume negotiations on wages and conditions. HACSU will send a six-page letter to the head of the state service this morning outlining the action they...

Taking it all in

The decades-long contribution of Tasmanian agritourism pioneers Séverine Demanet and Rodney Dunn has been officially recognised by the industry at a gala dinner in Hobart. The Agrarian Kitchen founders received a prestigious Tourism Champion award on...

HOBART’S HUB OF CULTURE

Performers are practising “feverishly” ahead of Hobart celebrations for the biggest event on the South Asian and Hindu calendar – Diwali. The annual Tasmanian Festival of Lights celebrations are in their ninth year, offering everything from Bollywood...

TIME BACK ON

A delegation of MPs opposed to the $1.13bn Macquarie Point Stadium have taken their case to AFL House – but neither side is showing any sign of changing their minds. Greens Vica Bayley and Cassy O’Connor and independents Peter George and Kristie...

OUR FUTURE in OUR HANDS

Tasmanian ferry builder Incat’s status as one of the largest single-site employers of apprentices in the nation is an ongoing source of pride for chairman, Robert Clifford, AO. But Mr Clifford – whose Goodwood shipyard has enjoyed a decades-long...

OUR EXAM SURVIVAL GUIDE

With thousands of Tasmanian secondary students counting down the days until their first end-ofyear exam, teachers and students have offered their best advice for tackling exam stress. Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) written exams begin on...

A PASTRY PARADISE

What started as a hobby has blossomed into a second career for Fi Reid. Ms Reid is the one-woman show behind Paradise Regained – a pastry stall perched along Glen Huon Rd selling a range of delectable homemade goodies from chocolate and caramel...

FLOAT ON THE SEA

Tasmanian company Sea Forest, which aims to help the world cut methane emissions from livestock, is set to launch on the Australian Securities Exchange with a likely market float value of $110 million by the end of November.

NO BULL, THIS IS AS CUTE AS IT GETS

Three generations from Grange Hill Farm were on hand to proudly show their Highlands at the Royal Hobart Show on Thursday. Catriona Roberts travelled down from Lower Barrington on Tuesday with two Highlands, her daughter Tamika and her husband David...

MAC POINT OF ORDER

The state government has released the final order which will govern the construction of the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium. The 157-page document sets out the planning, Aboriginal Heritage, heritage, environmental, and construction arrangements for...

SPECIAL DAY FOR POPCORN

Meet Popcorn, the orphaned wombat joey making herself right at home at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Now approaching her first birthday, Popcorn recently took up residence at the Brighton visitor attraction after spending several months being...

NEW SPOT FOR A FEW CHEEKY BEVS

A popular Midtown watering hole has successfully relaunched under new ownership, aiming to evoke the feeling of relaxing on the couch in an old friend’s lounge room. Jackson Choy and Josh Wells, who also own the Twisted Lime nightclub on Liverpool St,...

PAGEANT QUEENS INSPIRE

Two young Tassie women are making their mark in the pageant world and beyond, set to represent the Apple Isle and Australia in Texas, USA. Both girls raise money for The Starlight Children’s Foundation and inspire other young women with their dedication.

DWELLING ON THE NUMBERS

Homes Tasmania built just 55 homes in a year and was using creative accounting to make it look like there were thousands of dwellings on the way, the chief of the Housing Industry Association says.

You so deserve it, Arnie

Ariarne Titmus’s shock retirement decision has sent ripples through the sporting world, with tributes flooding in from teammates, rivals and Olympic greats from around the globe. Within hours of her announcement, hundreds of fellow athletes had taken...

TASSIE TELCO TICK-OFF

The Clarence Council area had the most to say about poor phone and internet services in 2024-25, part of a 68 per cent increase in Tasmanians reporting poor mobile coverage. The latest numbers were released on Wednesday as part of the...

HOPE LIFTS FOR HISTORIC PUB

After tapping its first barrel inside Macquarie Point’s famous “red shed” back in 2014, Hobart Brewing Company quickly transformed the once-moribund industrial precinct into a thriving hospitality ecosystem. But faced with the likelihood of being...

COOLEST JOB ON EARTH

Keen to live and work on the ice as part of Australia’s polar research program? The Australian Antarctic Program has put out the call for tradies, chefs, wildlife biologists and IT experts to fill more than 300 vacancies for the 2026/27 summer...

A LITTLE TASTE OF HOBART

When the idea of launching a farmer’s market on the mainland came to mind, MasterChef Simon Toohey knew exactly where to turn for inspiration: Hobart’s Farm Gate Market.

STADIUM GOLD

New analysis released by the state’s Co-ordinator General John Perry points to huge benefits flowing from a new stadium and Tasmania’s new AFL club with surging tourism, employment growth and business investment. Mr Perry says the government could...