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Lauren Smith
Albany, WA
Lauren Smith is a reporter at ABC Great Southern.
Latest by Lauren Smith
Perfect conditions trigger rare 'cloud waterfall' in WA
Take a climb up a peak in the early hours of the morning and you might be able to see a huge wave of white fog streaming down a cliff face. What causes these "cloud waterfalls" and how do you catch them?
As another school year begins, what does the future hold for the class of 2023?
By Emily JB Smith, Kelly Gudgeon, Jodie Hamilton, Tobi Loftus, James Tugwell, Lauren Smith, and Charlie Mills
As another school year begins, the ABC speaks to 10 recent high school graduates from all over country Australia about their hopes, dreams and fears for the future.
They look spectacular and tourists love them, but are Australia's pink lakes a sign of climate change?
A warmer, drier climate could mean more salt lakes in Western Australia will turn pink, but less rainfall could also dry up some lakes entirely.
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T-Bone the tracking dog helps his heartbroken trainer get back on the search and rescue scent
Jodi Johnson took a year off her State Emergency Service role after a beloved bloodhound companion disappeared. The pain is still raw, but a talented new dog is helping her move on.
West Australian Christmas 'fire tree' signals an early threat
Bright yellow flowers on an ancient tree have been a warning sign of impending bushfires for thousands of years, Aboriginal people on the WA south coast say, and it comes with fireys already fatigued from fighting big blazes.
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Obstetrician cleared after review at country hospital
A WA Country Health Service review finds no clinical concerns over the work of Dr George Campbell du Toit.
WA farmer suffers first hail 'wipe-out' as freak storm wreaks havoc during harvest
Farmers in the state's south are facing delays and significant losses after heavy rain and hail hammered their properties this week.
In 1967, a man holding ballot papers approached Brian Champion in the bush. Now he's preparing to vote 'yes' again
It's been 56 years since Australia voted for constitutional change for First Nations people. Elders from Western Australia hope for a similar result in the Voice to Parliament referendum.
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What's it like playing in front of 97,000 people?
"You actually feel the roar inside you." That's how Albany-raised Collingwood ruckman Darcy Cameron describes playing finals footy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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How ancient horticulture helped First Nations people create southern WA's 'water trees'
Pruned and trimmed for hundreds of years by the region's Menang traditional owners, these unique marri trees provide a critical source of water.
Farmers eye compensation as Western Power charged over devastating Wheatbelt fires
A probe into a bushfire, which tore through 18,000 hectares of farms and bushland in WA's Wheatbelt region, has led to legal action against Western Power.
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Giant Aboriginal artworks years in the making sprout across WA
An eco-cultural effort in southern WA depicting giant Indigenous totems of native animals is helping bring the landscape back to life.
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Leaders dumbfounded, disappointed over botched Aboriginal cultural heritage changes
After five years and millions of dollars spent on consultation, community leaders say the government's backflip has left them deeply disheartened.
'It was swaying the building': Magnitude-5 earthquake rattles residents across WA's south
A powerful earthquake strikes near Gnowangerup, about 150 kilometres north of Albany — one of the biggest in years to hit the state.
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Elderly child sex offender avoids jail over historical offences in country WA
Alan Charles Jones walks free from court in Albany despite being convicted of sexually abusing a boy 40 years ago.
Butcher who paid $50,000 hush money to victim found guilty of historical child abuse
A man who told police "I've got to confess, I did molest him" after being confronted by his victim says he made payments over the years because he didn't want his name out in the open.
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Meet the 'very best of humanity' who dropped everything to help WA's stranded pilot whales
Though the outcome was heartbreaking, more than 200 people left work, skipped school and braved freezing conditions to try and save 97 beached pilot whales.
Whales euthanised after becoming stranded again, despite desperate attempts to save them
Veterinarians have euthanised pilot whales that re-stranded on a beach in southern Western Australia, despite painstaking attempts to herd them out to deeper water.
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Mass whale stranding underway off Western Australia's southern coast
Dozens of pilot whales massed near Cheynes Beach, east of Albany, are becoming stranded on the shore.
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'Like an abandoned abattoir': Child abuse survivor calls for demolition of notorious hostel building
An abuse survivor has called for Katanning Residential College, where one of of Australia's worst paedophiles preyed on dozens of boys, to be demolished.
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Forecast huge swells prompt warnings for sightseers, excitement for surfers on WA coast
Unstable weather off southern WA could see huge swells pounding the coast from Augusta to Albany today.
'I will go blind': Sick WA residents missing treatments as Rex reliability issues continue
By Lauren Smith and Rosemary Murphy
Regional West Australians say flight delays and cancellations are putting their health at risk as Rex Airlines continues to struggle to provide reliable services.
Australia's 'Monaco' is one of the oldest car races in the world
Albany's motor race is one of only two left in the country where cars can hurtle around the streets.
Albany's Myanmar population started with just one refugee. Now it's home to more than 170
The very first Myanmar refugee to establish a life in the Western Australian town recounts the long journey there after escaping conflict at home, then spending a decade in a Thailand camp where he and his wife raised four children.