When outback pioneering single mother Mary Emmott started rainfall records in 1914 she had no idea how important they would be.

Outback Queensland towns are celebrating after much-needed rain, but the effects may not flow on downstream.

A bushfire that was threatening lives and homes in Bridgetown in Western Australia's South West is contained and an emergency warning downgraded.

South West farmers accuse Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce of knocking back Wellington Dam desalination funding in favour of cash splashes in the east.

A holiday house in the middle of a beautiful forest may sound wonderful, but what if your favourite isolated retreat became a bushfire death trap?

A 15-year journey to build the world's largest wooden clock hit several hurdles, but the biggest was finding somewhere to put the 6-metre tall wooden timepiece.

An American company building WA's largest lithium refinery has received pushback from locals in WA's South West, amid concerns it is sourcing most of its workers from Perth.

The widow of a keen Indian cyclist killed on an Australian highway said her husband had been happy to settle here because he felt more confident about road safety.

A suspected tornado tore through the WA town of Harvey on Thursday night, damaging houses and bringing down trees, as a strong cold front battered the state's South West and brought heavy rain to Perth.

Imagine navigating a 1,000km journey across the vast Mongolian wilderness atop a feisty horse, racing 40 others to finish first.

The Big Issue has been helping disadvantaged and homeless people earn an income for almost 30 years, but one seller says a recent price increase has triggered a drop in sales and income.

Officials in Western Australia bow to public pressure and change the suffix of a street in a regional tourist town to honour the memory of two fallen World War I soldiers.

Knickers the giant steer has returned to the spotlight to help raise funds for a mental health awareness program.

One of WA's biggest electricity generators is making moves to ensure it has the power to take control of a loss-making coal mine, sparking fears for jobs and energy security.

Dane Greenstreet served for 17 years as a soldier. On discharge he faced a battle of isolation. That all changed when he joined his local RSL.

A prison in WA's South West remains in full lockdown as a three-day raid uncovers a significant haul of drugs and syringes.

In Jennifer Kent's award-winning follow-up to the Babadook, a young convict woman teams up with a young Aboriginal man for revenge in 19th century Tasmania.

DAILY BRIEFING: The search is on for a thief who stole a "large quantity" of citrus trees, while the Launceston City Council "sincerely apologises" to a homeless man

The youth unemployment rate in a Hobart suburb is 66 per cent higher than the national average, but young people say they are missing out on opportunities due to a lack of contacts.

Joan Webb has already been approved for a government-subsidised home-care package. At 93 years of age, she's now facing an 18-month wait. She's not alone.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White vows to ditch the Greens as party faithful meet in Burnie for Labor's first Tasmanian gathering since suffering a bruising federal election defeat.

Alice says the tobacco tax increase won't act as an incentive to break the addiction because smoking already has a "hold" on her life.

Sue Hickey draws ire from fellow parliamentarians saying Tasmanian speakers like herself deserve to earn more than their $190,000 annual salary.

DAILY BRIEFING: Police are still looking for escapee Jake Mark Pearce, the Greens want an end to wildlife culls after six permits were issued to kill platypus.

Prisoners being transported in Tasmania Police vans have no restraints and are forced to crouch of lie down when they're inside, according to the state's police union, which warns it is only a matter of time before someone dies.

A woman who claims she was sexually abused by former police minister Rene Hidding says she has been told he will not be charged over her claims.

They're some of the most senior figures in the country and are elected to represent the people, but are our politicians earning too much?

More than 170 little penguins have been mauled to death by dogs in Tasmania in the past year. Experts say the attacks are leaving the state's population in a "tenuous" position.

DAILY BRIEFING: Controversial Speaker Sue Hickey wanted a pay rise when she was Lord Mayor, and the Opposition accuses the Government of sending in a health budget razor.

The family of a woman violently stabbed to death by a man with schizophrenia has slammed the prison system which released him in the grip of psychotic delusions, saying prison authorities had blood on their hands.

Australians love and will pay top prices for proper coffee, stinky cheese, and top-of-the-range wines and olive oils. Now butter has joined that list.

New coal mining exploration is getting support from the Tasmanian Government, but some farmers say they are not being adequately informed about potential developments on their land.

Tourists flock to this tulip farm to see the flowers, but it is under the ground where the serious farming is happening.

Authorities downgrade the alert for a fire in Tasmania's Central Highlands which has destroyed more than 100 hectares.

Tourism operators on one of Tasmania's breathtaking islands are riding a wave of untapped beauty and are reeling in visitors with locally grown produce.

Staff working in a government building in Tasmania thought they struck gold when they found an artwork by Pierre-Auguste Renoir on the office walls, but museum curators were able to confirm it was a reproduction when they magnified the image and saw there were pixels.

Hindmarsh Shire mayor Ron Ismay comes under criticism for using sexist language when introducing the Nationals MP Emma Kealy at an event in Nhill in western Victoria, later saying it "was not that big of a deal".

A man who claims he can make it rain is building a following in the Victorian grain belt, where a group of farmers have paid for rainfall between May and October.

Director Garry Marshall and a host of famous faces throw out some bland and predictable confetti to usher in the new year.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

If you like your French movies hyper-sweet, archetypal and a clear invitation to join a tour group at once, this is for you!