Meet the HerCanberra Team: Associate Editor, Emma Macdonald | HerCanberra

Everything you need to know about canberra. ONE DESTINATION.

Meet the HerCanberra Team: Associate Editor, Emma Macdonald

Posted on

Have you ever wondered who’s behind the glorious photos, reels, and stories showcasing the best bits of the nation’s capital?

In a new series, we’ll introduce the HerCanberra team, their likes and dislikes, and what makes them tick. With our hard-hitting questions, you’ll get a sneak peek into their personal lives and some of their deepest darkest secrets. These profiles won’t disappoint.

Emma Macdonald has been around Canberra (and keeping us well entertained here at HerCanberra) for a long time. It’s actually no surprise to anyone who’s seen her Instagram that she loves cats, dairy products and her beloved Ainslie in that order. But there are other things in here you may not know…

Favourite colour?

I love all colours (but you’ll only ever see me in neutrals!).

Favourite flower?

Pink roses.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

Cats or dogs?

Cats, always and forever, amen.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

Tea or coffee?

Addicted to both. Favourite tea is T2’s Canberra Breakfast. Favourite coffee is a latte from Barrio, or a flat white from Espresso Room New Acton with froth art by Lexi.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

Morning or night?

Funny you asked. Everyone who knows me knows I have lived my life as a night owl, happily staying up late (until 2 am or 3 am most nights) but struggling to get up in the morning. For the last few weeks I have been embracing mornings (up between 6 am and 7 am) and finding I am getting better sleep and can fit more in my day. I know my friends and husband told me this would be the case but I am stubborn and needed to get there under my own steam. Bedtime is now usually by 10 pm. I have to stay disciplined and make sure that I don’t randomly stay up (on a few occasions I’ve been pottering around and looked outside to see the sun rising and I haven’t been to bed yet!).

These days I make sure that I open my eyes and get moving first thing, so that I am tired at night and go to bed like a normal person. I must say I am liking the productivity and finally see what everyone is talking about when they say mornings are beautiful. Note: I am writing this at 6.30 pm rather than 1 am, which is truly a miracle.

North side or south side?

So north side it’s not funny. I have lived my entire life in homes within a stone’s throw of Mount Ainslie. When I die I have asked for my ashes to be scattered in the cheese aisle of the Ainslie IGA (the owner Manuel Xyrakis has politely declined my request on OH&S grounds…). My Ainslie love is fierce. There is simply no other suburb for me. They should make me the Mayor of Ainslie…

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

Favourite season in Canberra?

I love every season except the six-month winters. Autumn tends to make me sad because I know what’s coming, so let’s settle for spring which sees me endlessly Instagramming our magnolia and blossom trees. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

What’s the last book you read?

I am on a major non-fiction bender because I fear no book will live up to Still Life, by Sarah Winman which was my favourite book of 2023 and I have read it twice. I have just finished Heather Mitchell’s Everything and Nothing. I have such a crush on this Australian actor after seeing her in RBG where she was freakishly incredible. The book was fascinating (although triggering) and I enjoyed the way it interspersed major life events with the everyday…It followed on from Miriam Margolyes This Much is True which was completely hilarious. I have a Nora Ephron ready to go, and it strikes me that I am seeking the words and wisdom of women who have gone before. It’s funny how you read what you need at the time you need it.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

What’s your go-to comfort movie and/or TV show?

My 14-year-old daughter and I have been on a Julia Roberts appreciation tour this year and have watched Notting Hill three times. Pretty Woman and Erin Brokovich are also hard to beat. If my daughter  gets control of the remote first it will be Gilmore Girls which has been on repeat for what feels like years.

But when it comes to what I want to watch, my husband and I are jointly obsessed with Slow Horses, The Bear, and recently binged Broadchurch. I am also DYING to see the next The Night Manager series. All-time favourite series include The West Wing, Borgen and Breaking Bad. I think it is a sign of a good marriage that we love all the same shows. Without exception.

If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?

A baguette fresh out of the oven with a kilo of butter. Not even kidding.  Followed by a triple cheese toastie from Barrio. And I could definitely eat both in one sitting.

Go to Canberra restaurant recommendation?

No. I simply cannot answer such an open-ended question. I always quiz people on what they like, what vibe they are after and dietary constraints before I suggest a place. I will say that this city has something to suit absolutely everybody and the more I travel the more I appreciate the calibre and ingenuity (not to mention back-breaking hard work) of our local industry. It’s a long way from the Canberra of 20 years ago and we should all be thankful to the culinary Gods that we live here.

What’s your irrational fear?

Glitter. Not even plural glitter. One tiny singular speck of glitter will send me into a tailspin and hold on while I just grab my Dyson…

If you could invite anyone to dinner, dead or alive, who would you invite?

My beautiful mum! She’s been gone for far too long and I have so many new recipes to run past her. Plus some grandchildren she would adore.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

What’s the most random thing you’ve done for work?

Invented the HerCanberra French Earl Grey Gin with Tim Reardon from The Canberra Distillery? He suggested it would be a lark to make a gin and write about the process. He did not understand the sort of competitive spirit he was dealing with. I was not about to let the opportunity pass without creating something delicious. This spectacular drop has won several awards and was their top seller for a good couple of years. I no longer drink alcohol, but if I did, I would pour a giant one of these!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emma Macdonald (@emmamacdonaldinsta)

What’s your Canberra hidden gem?

I don’t think it is very hidden these days but the Ainslie shops is my happy place. I have yet to find a better supermarket than the IGA (but of course, everyone knows this and I often find interlopers from across the bridge filling their trollies here!), the Ainslie Cellars celebrates all things local, the Ainslie Bakehouse sourdough is addictive, the Post Office staff are the friendliest, Mount Ainslie Canteen does fantastic burgers and chips, Edgars is always buzzing, the Inn and Pilot are top-notch and there is even a new little gallery opening up. You can’t just “pop down to the shops” as you will bump into ten fascinating locals who love a chat and the mix of elderly and young, wealthy and struggling, families and singles, dog lovers and cat lovers, hippies and hipsters, is what life should be all about.

Related Posts

Comments are closed.

© 2025 HerCanberra. All rights reserved. Legal.
Site by Coordinate.