PR queen and charity fundraiser Ann Peacock is out of the lord mayoral race. Again. Nor will Peacock stand for a seat on the City of Melbourne council.
She had been linked to former deputy mayor Arron Wood’s mayoral campaign (then again, who hasn’t?). Endearing bikini entrepreneur Erin Deering got the deputy mayoral gig there and proceeded to light up the campaign with her references to crystals and “grounding” perfume , which CBD feels should be distributed widely among the political class. PR queen and charity fundraiser Ann Peacock.
Credit: Eddie Jim No comment from Peacock. But CBD understands that Peacock, a director of the Victoria Racing Club, made her decision during a reflective period on a five-week holiday in Europe, which included a stint in Britain staying in the horsey town of Newmarket and catching up with her sister, leading trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam . (Note to Peacock – in that part of the world, going punting in nearby Cambridge actually means boating on the river, not having a flutter in the local Ladbrokes.
) To be eligible for council candidates need to live within the council boundaries or own a business within them. And as they say, Peacock has politics in the blood, she is the daughter of the late former Liberal Party federal leader Andrew Peacock and was once married to party elder Michael Kroger . Nominations open on September 9 and close on September 17 ahead of polling day on October 26.
A quick spin through the archives on the political aspirations of AP left us with a feeling of deja vu. As far as we can tell, Peacock, who became a city fixture in her former role as general manager of community and charity at Crown, prompted similar fevered speculation about a political career at regular intervals as far back as 2008. And we can knock another bit of crazy council speculation on the head.
Andrew Landeryou is not standing for the City of Melbourne council either. The connected Landeryou, widower of the late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching , told CBD that he is friends with City of Melbourne councillor Roshena Campbell , who is standing for deputy lord mayor alongside Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece , but wants to stay out of council politics. The late, great Harold Mitchell , who died in February aged 81, knew how to land a deal.
So it’s a fair bet that the philanthropist, businessman and media buyer would be less than impressed to find that $1 million has been knocked off the asking price of his iconic apartment in Spring Street, where he regularly used to entertain everyone from the prime minister down while in the company of Lilly, his West Highland white terrier Pomeranian cross. The late Harold Mitchell at home with Lilly. Credit: Fairfax The two-floor, four-bedroom apartment, a merger of five separate dwellings, features “opulent French inspired interiors” with “emerald and sage green interiors, burgundy wainscoting”.
The son of a sawmiller who was born in Trafalgar had clearly come a long way. The $1 million price drop – sorry, we meant “price correction based on market response” to use estate agent parlance – occurred after the apartment with a private lift between floors and views across Parliament Gardens, was listed in June with a guide price of $5.75 million to $6.
25 million. But now the apartment , which lists Kay and Burton Stonnington’s Peter Kudelka as one of many agents, is listed with a guide price of $4.8 million to $5.
2 million . But wait, readers, there’s more. Two more, in fact.
Mitchell also owned a further two apartments in the same building on the 10th floor, a two-bedroom and one-bedroom unit. They have only been on sale a short while and are both already under offer. Mitchell was farewelled at a state memorial in May at Hamer Hall with an audience that included Premier Jacinta Allan and former premiers – Daniel Andrews , Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks – plus Lindsay Fox , then lord mayor Sally Capp , broadcaster Jon Faine and underworld figure Mick Gatto .
Mitchell’s children Amanda and Stuart were the main beneficiaries of his $60 million estate, while his close friend Nadia Maree Taylor received $5 million. His ex-wife of 50 years Beverley received nothing. Meanwhile, up north, Sydney CBD favourite Jilly Gibson made a suitably dramatic exit from 25 years of service at her final meeting of North Sydney Council on Monday night, storming out after her fellow councillors refused to name a plaza after her.
Councillor James Spenceley had proposed renaming the new Burton Street Plaza in Kirribilli after Gibson, and installing a bust or plaque in honour of her. However, as Gibson collected her bags and flowers, Mayor Zoe Baker called a division on that proposal – which was rejected by a majority of councillors, Baker included. Gibson’s mood turned instantly.
“What an ending,” she yelled. “Did you hear that? They just voted down Councillor Spenceley’s amendment to name a little plaza after me. They can’t find it in their hearts.
No heart. No heart.” “Sometimes I think local government is preschool for bullies who wind their way into federal government and state government,” Gibson said, before determining that North Sydney was the “meanest council ever”.
CBD is wondering what the cops make of the extraordinary turn of events in the saga of billionaire Adrian Portelli , who turned the tables on a man who allegedly broke into his $39 million penthouse – by showing up at the man’s home and knocking on his front door. Young rich lister and founder of LMCT+ Adrian Portelli. Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen Readers will recall Portelli, 35, who is worth more than $1 billion, has waged a relentless social media campaign against the alleged intruders who filmed his luxury supercar collection.
He used his social media prowess to first name and shame the alleged perps and then visited one of them at home. “We are at the front of one of the guys’ houses that broke into the penthouse,” Portelli, known in Melbourne as “the Lambo Guy” for his love of supercars, posted on an Instagram story about 2am on Tuesday morning. “He continued to be a smart arse online so I ended up finding out his address,” the billionaire rich lister said addressing the camera and naming the suspected intruder.
The man had threatened to come and break into his penthouse again, Portelli claimed. “I have come to his house, knocked on his door. He showed his face, saw me and sprinted into his room,” the billionaire continued.
“Mate come on,” Portelli said, banging on the door again. “If you want to show up uninvited to people’s houses I will do the same thing to you mate. F---ing weak dog.
” But it was no comment from the officers in blue. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter .
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