Queensland is expected to start recording thousands of new COVID cases daily within weeks as Omicron becomes the dominant strain.

In total, 3941 awards were won, including the Beazley Medals, 50 general exhibitions and 41 subject exhibitions.

Health authorities have recorded 56 gastroenteritis outbreaks at early learning facilities since the beginning of November, almost three times the number of clusters in the same period last year.

The mask mandate in Queensland has been extended as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the state.

A Tasmanian man who was repeatedly sexually abused as a child said he hopes the court judgment will pave the way for future claims against paedophiles and the institutions that harbour them.

Almost two years into the pandemic, the Australian response remains a mish-mash of different policies and practices largely determined by local jurisdictions.

They’re cheaper and faster than the standard PCR test and you can buy them over the counter. So, when can you opt for the rapid antigen kit and how accurate are they?

A coroner has found the placement of baby Jack Loh in a bassinet probably contributed to his death and has recommended banning their use in childcare settings.

Fiona Waters and Di Sleeman are two of the 148 Carols by Candlelight choristers who give up their Christmas Eve, unpaid, to “rejoice with everyone in the good things in life”.

Long lines with hours-long waits have become a common sight across Sydney’s COVID-19 testing clinics as case numbers grow and people wait for negative results before Christmas.

The worldwide rollout of the coronavirus vaccines was not the only groundbreaking science to happen this year. We’ve put together a list of 10 of 2021’s biggest science stories.

The Prime Minister will meet with state and territory leaders today as health experts call for a national approach to tackling the Omicron coronavirus variant. Meanwhile, NSW and Victoria are pushing for a shorter interval between the second dose of ...

The $5 million redevelopment opens on Wednesday just before Christmas and mixes the old with the new with a sprawling beer garden and pavilion to go with a retained defendant dock and magistrate’s bench.

Not every traveller will be checked at the border moving forward, but Queensland’s police compliance regime could tighten if the threat of Omicron increases.

The wedding ring was lost at sea for 18 months, before being returned to a Geraldton family.

WA will shut itself off from the rest of the country from Boxing Day and workers under the vaccine mandate will be required to have a booster shot.

Today on Please Explain, senior business columnist Stephen Bartholomeusz joins Jess Irvine to discuss the outlook for sharemarkets in 2022.

With anti-Semitism on the rise, federal government funding is being used by Jewish groups to take steps including the installation of blast-resistant walls, air-lock entrances and safe rooms.

More than 250 charges have been laid following a koala massacre at a tree plantation site in the state’s west.

Osman Shaptafaj, who has pleaded guilty to murdering Lindita and Veton Musai in 2019, was angered that his permission was not sought before the pair got married, a court has heard.

Milka Djurasovic, 40, stood trial in the Supreme Court of WA earlier this month accused of murdering her children Mia, 10, and Tiana, 6, inside their Madeley home while her husband was at work.

People in NSW and Victoria have struggled with extensive delays at testing clinics, but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said only 10 per cent were people wanting to be tested to allow interstate travel.

The Glory has been quarantining in Brisbane since December 16 after a teammate recorded a positive COVID-19 test, and were expected to have to remain isolated over Christmas.

A look through some images from The Age archives reveals the changes in Christmas in the city over the years, but there is also a lot that has remained the same.

Testing sites are buckling under the strain of NSW residents taking PCR tests required for interstate travel, with 151,443 tests processed in the 24-hour period to 8pm on Tuesday.

Paul Kelly’s sad Christmas tune How To Make Gravy has becomes so entrenched as an Australian earworm that it has its own national day. Why not something more festive?

Find out how your school performed in VCE in this comprehensive list of median study scores and percentage of 40+ study scores.

Head of Victoria’s COVID-19 response has called for a change to other states’ travel policies, with more than a quarter of recent tests done for people intending to head interstate.

Do I need a permit to fly interstate? What about a PCR test? Our travel planner answers all your questions — so you can just worry about crossing the border for Christmas.

The Morrison government’s directives to the Australian Research Council are short-sighted and parochial, spelling disaster for Australian innovation.

Stress among families over who can come to Christmas, based on vaccination status or testing on the day, is “blowing up all over the country”. Be clear about rules, relationship experts say.

On Monday there were 2501 cases of COVID-19 reported and I would like to claim the “one”.

″⁣Given the weather forecast I think it could take us six days, but I hope not.” Jiang says

Health authorities are concerned that the virus will cross the Northern Territory border before vaccination rates hit target levels in remote communities.

Federal police say that as international traveller numbers rise, it is important for the public to be aware of warning signs that may indicate someone has been trafficked.

High-fee non-government schools have dominated this year’s VCE rankings, accounting for 27 of the 30 schools performing best academically.

Sydney seaplanes, “unearthly” Christmas carols, and storm at Katoomba

Trivia buffs: test your knowledge with today’s interactive superquiz and target.

And Caringbah kids pull the wool.

The vaccine mandate deadlines for health workers and police staff expired last week.

Bringing forward booster shots and reinstating some safety measures may be needed to ward off the worst of the Omicron wave.

Lockdowns have been ruled out and the Boxing Day Test will go ahead as planned, but Victorian officials may bring in density caps on events such as the Australian Open.

Two more people test positive to COVID after flying in to WA from Brisbane.

“It’s like the most vulnerable people that need the most support are the ones that tend to miss out.”

A former vet was diagnosed with postpartum depression and possible psychosis the day after her three-month-old child’s death, court documents show.

Favourite toys decade by decade since the 1930s.

Craig Whitall had racked up enough demerit points to lose his licence, but an inquest has found that might not have stopped him.

The NSW government is urging Queensland to reconsider travel testing rules as coronavirus swab turnaround times blow out, clinics are “stretched beyond belief” and infections hit record highs.

“It doesn’t happen by magic.” Peering through a microscope in her laboratory at the Doherty Institute, Professor Deborah Williamson saw the glowing orb for the first time.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will consider whether three doses of a coronavirus vaccine are required to be fully vaccinated, as the Chief Medical Officer and his state and territory counterparts push for masks in all indoor...