frankie Magazine Issue 100 - Mar/Apr 2021

The polygraph machine (aka the lie detector). Laughing Cow cheese (a classic lunchbox treat). The word ‘robot’ (from the Old Czech rabota, or ‘servitude’). Not to mention, having ‘flake’ with your fish and chips (apparently, old-time Aussies weren’t so keen on the idea of scoffing straight-up shark). Though it hasn’t quite been a century since frankie came to be, we’re rather chuffed to have reached another massive milestone: 100 issues. Hip-hip-hooray! That’s 100 magazines sharing curious and eye-opening real-life reads; 100 oddball road tests, from toilet paper to dog breeds; 100 opportunities to uncover fresh art and design; and 100 papery vessels for clever new voices. We’ve talked baking, blooms and awesome oldies with ardent enthusiasm – plus rad lady rockers, head-scratching facts and loads of Twin Peaks, of course. We’ve chuckled,…

Dearest frankie, I really loved “A Lost Cause” in issue 99 – particularly Eleanor Robertson’s contribution. I, too, know the thrill of finding my way. I’ve always struggled with directions – I’ve lived in Melbourne my whole life and know how to get from Footscray to Preston, Footscray to Fitzroy and Footscray to Werribee. So when I travelled by myself to Europe last year, I went with the knowledge that I would always have to have Google Maps handy. To my shock, one time when my phone died, I made it back to my tour group – first. It was strengthening, and from then on I tested myself sans maps and discovered I could find my way everywhere without them. From Jade Dear frankie, I never read you sequentially. Particular stories,…

salter day dresses If your fashion vibe is somewhere between ‘sister wife goes wandering through a meadow’ and ‘Victorian ghost haunts country manor’, you’ll probably find Salter House day dresses quite up your alley. They’re made with super-comfy Japanese cotton that will withstand all kinds of wear and tear (including lugging around clanking chains), and for that little extra somethin’-somethin’, they’re finished with antique mother-of-pearl buttons. Pop over to salter.house to see more. bush bloom Sound the alarm: the moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived! Colourful Adelaide maker Julie White has released a new range of silky scarves and socks, and it sure doesn’t disappoint. Called From Memory, the hand-painted collection draws from natural spots Julie visited once upon a time – and we’re rather chuffed to have one of these Bush…

Hi Catherine! Tell us about your series, No Memory is Ever Alone. My dad has shown these slides every Christmas I can remember – the photos were taken from when he was 15 to about 25. He’ll bring out the old projector and screen, we’ll get the popcorn, and we’ll gather around to watch the slideshow and hear the stories. It’s a family tradition. My series started in 2016. My mum had the slides out, organising things, and I was doing an Instagram project based on a word or phrase for the day. That day was ‘from where I stand’. I saw a slide of my mum in a boat at Newboro Lake in Canada – where our family has gone each summer for years – and thought, maybe I can…

Every so often, usually when I least expect it, I encounter someone who claims to “have no regrets”. In my experience, the kind of person who has no regrets is also the kind of person to announce their ‘regretlessness’ at random moments and to random people. Long airport lines and uneasy elevator rides. That’s where Barry will tell you he’s had some ups and downs, young lady, but he’d “do it all again!” Awkward silence. “No regrets!” Cool story, Barry, but I’m just trying to get to work. And while we’re at it, really? Nothing? You don’t regret a thing? Maybe this is some millennial nonsense, but I amass new regrets daily. It’s basically my go-to mode of living. Left my lunch at home: regrets. Drank a six-pack because ‘Fri-yay’: more…

When most people think of archaeology, they picture an Indiana Jones-style figure dusting and digging for mystical relics. It sounds almost make-believe – a fantastical job exclusive to books and movies. But there are archaeologists working right here in Australia, unearthing stories of the past. And Maddison Miller is one of them. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she says. “I grew up in a place called Kinglake, and I was always out in the bush. I got to ride along with the park rangers and I always knew I wanted to work in heritage and the outdoors.” Maddi studied archaeology at university, then began her career at Heritage Victoria, where she’s been working for the past seven years. In the role, she researches sites around Victoria to understand their…