Out of the blue: Barangaroo view for fireworks

SYDNEYSIDERS looking for a free spot to watch the New Year€™s Eve fireworks have something to celebrate, after the State Government confirmed Barangaroo will be opened for the night and a Sydney council reversed its decision to charge admission to a public park.

Devoted family man dies in moment of 'stupidity'

A MOMENT of "stupidity" had cost a wife her husband, while two children had lost their father, a distraught Stephen Alsop said yesterday.

It's D-day for Taylor as Rabbitohs board dissects Sad Sunday

THE fate of South Sydney coach Jason Taylor will be decided today by the eight members of the Rabbitohs board, including a chief executive in Shane Richardson who has previously stated his disgust for Mad Monday celebrations.

Australia Day from an indigenous perspective

JANUARY 26 is a historic date in our country's history. It marks the very beginnings of white settlement and while indigenous Australians also mark the day, their reasons for remembering it are quite different.

Gay Bishop To Have Role At Celebrations

AMERICA'S first openly gay Episcopalian bishop, Gene Robinson, has been asked to give the invocation at the welcoming celebrations on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, amid controversy in the gay community over Barack Obama's selection for the blessing at the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.

Region Gets Ready For Big Celebration

FIREWORKS, frocks and festivities will be abundant tonight as New Year's Eve celebrations kick off around the Illawarra.

Reminder To Recycle In Tidy Up

HUNTER residents have been urged to think green as they clean up after their Christmas and New Year's celebrations.

Stepping Lightly For A Brighter Tomorrow

Sydney's city council has stepped up to its environmental responsibility by ordering a carbon audit into tomorrow night's celebrations.

Tradition Stands The Test Of Time

OF all the celebrations on the Christian church calendar, Christmas is the most widely observed.

Newcastle Surf To Third

THERE were plenty of celebrations for Newcastle's Trimmin Women Boardriders after they finished third in the NSW Surftag Series at South Curl Curl on Saturday.

Fat Cats' Playing Field Levels Out On Flat Day

Celebrations at the the Birdcage had a decidedly sober flavour this year, as though some of the A-list revellers were still feeling subprime after previous years' splendidly excessive soirees.

Flare Of Feminine Frocks This Year's Top Gear

SOFT feminine frocks are expected to turn heads track-side as women step out as part of Melbourne Cup celebrations today.

10,000 Say Ja In Biggest Oktoberfest

IT was bier and Deutschland uber alles at Oktoberfest celebrations at Kembla Grange over the weekend.

Roy Misses Party

IT IS perhaps just as well Andrew Symonds is not in town, for the man who famously sledged India for "carrying on" after their world Twenty20 triumph may have struggled to stomach the first anniversary celebrations yesterday.

Festive Flavour

Good oil on Hunter olive celebrations PAGE 45

The Midlife Parenting Trap

Tomorrow's Father's Day celebrations may mask sadness and confusion among parents of young adults as their hands-on role fades and they must grapple with remaking family ties.

Goal Relieves The Pressure, Now Brebner Wants To Play

TELSTRA Dome has been the scene of some raucous goal celebrations, but few have been as joyous as that provided by Grant Brebner's stoppage-time goal against Newcastle Jets last Friday night.

Locals Flounder Over Founder Of Melbourne

NOT one Melburnian was able to identity the founder of their city in a survey commissioned by Melbourne City Council as part of its annual Melbourne Day celebrations.

Golden Year At Glendale

HOLY Cross Primary School Glendale is busy preparing for celebrations in October to mark the school's 50th anniversary.

Bradmans Put Legal Stoush Aside For Centenary Celebrations

THE family of Sir Donald Bradman will attend celebrations marking the centenary of the cricketer's birth, despite a bitter legal battle involving one of the main organisers.