Emma Macdonald

Canberra

Associate Editor at Her Canberra

Journo, mother, traveller, foodie. Proudly made in Canberra. OAM.

Articles

Five must-do things in Vietnam (while you thaw out)…

1 week ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

If travelling to warmer climes is on your immediate list of priorities, then put Vietnam to the top of that list. It has everything you need for a quick (or long) break from the Canberra winter, it’s a relatively short and cheap flight away (less than nine hours from Sydney) and your budget will not be constrained in the same ways it would with a trip to Europe or the US.
First Look: Champi Express, big breakfasts, brunches and lunches from Laos

1 month ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

When chef Aiden Xindavong and his wife Bianca Fong opened their Laotian Kingston restaurant Champi, it was a gamble. The young couple, new to Canberra and with a baby to care for, were trying to crack into a notoriously fickle industry. But three years on, their authentic, humble, and unhurried approach to the flavours and traditions of Laos has paid off in spades.
Want to cook but don’t know how? Fiona Lynch-Magor is just the teacher you need

1 month ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

Every morning of their lives together, Fiona Lynch-Magor and her husband Richard would begin with a conversation about what they were going to cook and eat together that day. In a way, Fiona is keeping that connection to her beloved late husband, by chucking in a traditional Public Service day job and opening her own cooking school, Food for Taught.
Survivor Brenda, finding her voice to speak out against sexual violence at 75

1 month ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

Trigger warning: This story discusses sexual assault and rape. At 75 years of age, Brenda Colbourne is an unlikely convert to tattoos. Yet this Canberra retiree now proudly sports several of them. Survivor is emblazoned across one forearm – testament to her surviving multiple sexual assaults from the age of 14 through to a rape with injuries at age 25. The former enrolled and registered nurse has “I Have a Voice” on her right hand, and “I Will be Heard” on her left.
Hannah Ferguson coming to Canberra to dissect social media's political impact

1 month ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

If you were just as likely to follow Hannah Ferguson’s Cheek Media for political analysis during the election campaign as The ABC, then clear your Wednesday on 14 May as she is coming to Canberra to dissect how the New Media and Gen Zs have impacted on the result. Hannah will present a National Press Club Address for Women in Media, entitled “The election of influence: how new media will shape the future of Australian politics”.
A Legacy Long Lunch to support those living with inherited cancer risk | HerCanberra

2 months ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

A cancer diagnosis is usually an unexpected event, turning an otherwise ordinary day into the first day of a never to be forgotten journey. But what if you expect to one day be diagnosed with cancer? Inherited Cancer Australia (ICA), formerly known as Pink Hope, is an organisation which supports and advocates for an estimated one in 400 Australians whose genetic makeup puts them at a significantly higher risk of developing cancer over their lifetimes.
Justine Clarke bringing Mimi’s Symphony to Canberra for audiences both little and big

2 months ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

What does an earthworm sound like*? It’s just one of the things you may learn during a magical orchestral performance of Mimi’s Symphony when it tours Canberra at the end of this month. For the city’s legion of Justine Clarke fans, the performance will also allow you to hear the much-loved voice of this treasured children’s entertainer as she narrates a story she has written about a baby magpie who falls out of the nest and searches for her family.
How I got here: Canberra Rape Crisis Centre CEO Tiffany Karlsson

2 months ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

Admit it, we’ve all been there—stalking social media and LinkedIn profiles, trying desperately to figure out how the hell someone got their dream job. It seems impossible and yet there they are, living out your career fantasy (minus the itchy business suit). It might seem hard to believe, but once upon a time, they were also fantasising about their future career, and with some hard work, they made it.
Big Box Barbeque hitching its wagon to Narrabundah shops

2 months ago | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

Michael Box has had a high-flyer career as a chef cooking at Momofuku, Nomad Sydney and now overseeing Akiba, Wilma and Loquita as their Group Executive Chef. But if you ask him what fills his cup, Michael admits his heart really belongs in the simplicity of Barbeque. Texan-style to be exact. “Fire. Meat. Salt and Pepper. Spice.
Stopping gender discrimination at the AI source

Mar 25, 2025 | hercanberra.com.au | Emma MacDonald |Emma Macdonald

An Australian AI expert has warned the United Nations of the critical need for women to engage with technology or risk enduring further gender discrimination as a result. Dr Nici Sweaney is a globally recognised leader in ethical AI, with nearly two decades of experience as an academic scientist and data strategist. The founder of AI Her Way earlier this month addressed a Canberra Women in Media event on the future of democracy following her UN speech.