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Nick Caves son Jethro dies

Nick Cave's son Jethro Lazenby on the runway for Australian Fashion Week in Sydney in 2006 (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo; inset: AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

Australian singer Nick Cave has confirmed the death of his son Jethro at the age of 31.

The Bad Seeds musician, known for hits such as Into My Arms and One More Time With Feeling, said his son had "passed away".

In a statement, the frontman said: "With much sadness, I can confirm that my son, Jethro, has passed away.

"We would be grateful for family privacy at this time."

Fashion model Jethro had previously been jailed following an assault on his mother Beau Lazenby, and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to the Guardian.

It is the second family tragedy for Cave, following the accidental death in 2015 of one of his twin sons Arthur, who was 15.

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Australia Post’s The Great Aussie Coin Hunt has returned with an all-new set of 26 $1 coins celebrating iconic Australian moments and quintessential emblems of Australian life.

The new coin collection, once again produced in partnership with the Royal Australian Mint, features an A-Z selection of Australia’s most loved themes and icons that herald from many wonderful locations across the country.

With each coin representing a different letter of the alphabet, Australians will be on the hunt for Cockatoos, the Great Ocean Road, Irukandji Jellyfish, Luna Park Melbourne, Surfing and Vanilla Slice, and well-known home-grown brands such as Darrell Lea and R.M. Williams.

Australia Post Executive General Manager Retail Catriona Noble said the new collection would bring a sense of fun and adventure to people with the help of their local Post Office, where the limited edition coins will once again be available.

“The Great Aussie Coin Hunt is our most successful collectables program and this year we hope it helps to excite Australians about not only collecting each of the unique $1 coins but also discovering some hidden-gem locations and stories in their very own backyard,” said Ms Noble.

“With many of the 26 coins celebrating destinations across each of our eight states and territories, collectors and adventurers of all ages will be spoilt for choice.”

Royal Australian Mint CEO Leigh Gordon said he was thrilled to be releasing this new set of $1 coin collectables in partnership with Australia Post.

“Following the enormous success of the last two Great Aussie Coin Hunts, we are excited to once again give families around Australia the opportunity to participate in this fun and engaging national coin hunt,” Mr Gordon said.

The coins are available from today and Australian families and kids of all ages are being encouraged to head to their nearest participating Post Office or online to purchase the limited edition coins, with anyone who buys the full set getting the chance to go into a daily draw to win $1,000.

Avid hunters are encouraged to visit aussiecoinhunt.com.au where they will find more information on each coin’s letter, full terms and conditions for the daily giveaway, and an exciting new addition to this year’s hunt with an interactive map that includes road trips and travel ideas aligned to each of the 26 coins.

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British actor Dennis Waterman - who starred in TV shows Minder, The Sweeney and New Tricks - has died at the age of 74.

Waterman starred as bodyguard Terry McCann in Minder and he first found fame as tough cop George Carter in The Sweeney opposite John Thaw.

A statement from his family said: "We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis passed away very peacefully in hospital in Spain, on Sunday afternoon, with Pam by his side."

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(Image: AAP/Jonathan Brady)

 Waterman played Gerry Standing in the BBC's New Tricks, and other TV roles included Where The Heart Is, The Canterbury Tales and Moses Jones.

He became well-known for singing the theme song for many of his shows and was caricatured by David Walliams in the comedy series Little Britain as a result.

His last film role was in Never Too Late in 2020, which was filmed in Australia.

Born in London, he was educated at the Corona Theatre School and began his showbiz career at a young age.

Following a role for the Children's Film Foundation, he was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company.

A role in the BBC's adaptation of the Just William books followed, and the actor would, in his later years, reflect on some of the different roles he undertook.

In 2009, he starred in the BBC's hard-hitting drama Moses Jones, a role which he said at the time he enjoyed because it cast him in a different light.

"I really enjoyed it, because it was a very different kind of character - and that's important.

"On television in Britain, I'm sort of the cheeky chappie, everybody's mate, but I've never played anything like that in the theatre.

"It's strange that you get cast as different things in different parts of the media," he told The Press Association at the time.

His role in the drama New Tricks, which began in 2004, marked his return to a long-running show for the first time in a decade and saw him star alongside acting stalwarts James Bolam and Alun Armstrong.

His character Gerry was part of the cold case squad, who were often at odds with their detective boss, played by Amanda Redman.

The hugely popular Minder was revived by Channel 5 in 2009, but Waterman did not return for the new outing.

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(Image: AAP)

He had been married several times, including to the actor Rula Lenska until 1998, and his daughter, Hannah, also became a TV star - landing a role in popular soap EastEnders.

Waterman's extensive career also included numerous stints on the stage and he played Alfred Doolittle in a Royal National Theatre production of My Fair Lady, as well as starring in a tour production of Don't Dress For Dinner.

"We are incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Dennis Waterman, an unforgettable actor who will be missed by us all," the BBC said in a statement.

Waterman also starred in productions of Twelfth Night, Edward Bond's Saved at the Royal Court Theatre and Sergeant Musgrave's Dance.

His talents did not end with acting and he had a keen interest in music, having recorded albums and singles, including songs which charted in Australia, New Zealand and Britain.

He was also part of the popular music tour, Friends On Tour, which saw him take to the road alongside Sheena Easton and Gerard Kenny.

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Sydney-based artist Claus Stangl (left) with Art Gallery of NSW head packer Brett Cuthbertson (right) has won this year’s Archibald Packing Room Prize with his portrait of Academy Award winning film maker Taika Waititi at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, in Sydney,Thursday, May 5, 2022. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING

Sydney-based artist Claus Stangl (left) with Art Gallery of NSW head packer Brett Cuthbertson (right) has won this year’s Archibald Packing Room Prize with his portrait of Academy Award winning film maker Taika Waititi at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, in Sydney (Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins) 

For self-taught artist Claus Stangl, getting Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi to pose for his prize-winning portrait was a lucky coincidence.

Stangl on Thursday took out the $3000 Packing Room Prize, an Archibald Prize category that's awarded by gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the portraits.

The Sydney-based artist says he sees portrait painting as a way to sometimes meet people he admires, and took a shot at coaxing the filmmaker into a studio.

Waititi agreed to sit for him in June last year while in Sydney making the upcoming film Thor: Love and Thunder.

"He's one of my favourite writers. His scripts are just beautiful," Stangl told AAP.

"It was really fortunate. I knew if I reached out to him whilst the last Archibald was going, I might get a little window of time when he's in the country."

Stangl's creative partner Stuart Miller happened to know Neil Sharma, who worked with Waititi on Thor, so the artist managed to send through some ideas on how they should approach the portrait.

He settled on a 3D-style painting to express Waititi's playfulness, wit and charm, and wanted it to feel nostalgic as a "homage to the graphics in the film of our era".

"Taika is born in '75, I'm born in '80; it's more about what sort of visuals he may have been exposed to as a boy," Stangl said.

"My memories are cereal boxes with 3D, posters with 3D, films coming out in 3D.

"Also, (it was) a big challenge. I like to challenge myself with each picture I make."

Waititi, posting a photo of the portrait on Instagram on Thursday, said the win was "an absolute kick in the baramundies for Ockers as they try to figure out how the f*** a New Zealand supermodel won one of their most beloved awards".

"And what's better than a 2D painting of this gifted, cocky, Kiwi son of a gunslinger ... is that's a 3D painting! More Taika, more reason to live!

"Thank you Claus, thanks Archie, and thank you, 'Straya."

Head packer Brett Cuthbertson holds 52 per cent of the vote for the Packing Room Prize, and this year was his last on the judging panel. He will retire after 41 years with the Art Gallery of NSW.

"In this world full of war and COVID, (it) is pretty miserable at times. This guy has a vision and a twisted sense of humour that we all need right now," Mr Cuthbertson said, referring to Waititi.

"The painting immediately grabbed my attention. I love the look on his face and his pose. It's the first time I've seen a 3D painting come in, but it's kind of a fake 3D."

Stangl's portrait of Waititi is one of 52 finalist works for the Archibald Prize, selected from more than 800 entries.

The artist said he was already "scheming" next year's entry.

"But just being in the show is all you ever really ask for when you enter the Archibald," he said. "This right now is just a cherry on the cake."

The winner of this year's Archibald Prize will receive $100,000.

The $50,000 Wynne Prize will go to the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figurative sculpture, while the $40,000 Sulman Prize will be awarded to the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project.

The remaining winners will be announced on May 13.

© AAP 2022