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Kerry Packer

Born Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer
17 December 1937(1937-12-17)
Died 26 December 2005 (aged 68)
Sydney, Australia
Residence Sydney, Australia
Nationality Australian
Net worth AUD $6. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas 5 billion (2004)
Known for World Series Cricket
Children James Packer
Parents Frank Packer
Relatives Clyde Packer (brother)

Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005), son of Sir Frank Packer, was an Australian publishing, media and gaming tycoon who owned the Nine Network. World Series Cricket (WSC was a break away professional Cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television James Douglas Packer (born 8 September, 1967 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian Businessman and currently Australia Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE ( 3 December 1906 &ndash 1 May 1974) was an Australian Media proprietor Robert Clyde Packer ( July 22 1935 – April 9 2001) usually known as "Clyde" was the son of Australian newspaper magnate Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on 14 February 1975 "for the purpose of according recognition Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE ( 3 December 1906 &ndash 1 May 1974) was an Australian Media proprietor For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney He was famous for his outspoken nature, wealth, expansive business empire and clashes with the Australian Taxation Office and the Costigan Commission. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO is the principal revenue collection agency for the Australian Government. The Costigan Commission (officially titled the Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union) was a controversial Australian

At the time of his death, Packer was the richest and one of the most influential men in Australia. In 2004 Business Review Weekly magazine estimated Packer's net worth at AUD 6. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Business Review Weekly (BRW is an Australian weekly business magazine published by the Fairfax Media group The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas 5 billion ($6. 5 billion; about USD 5. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 4 billion).

Contents

Business

Packer, through the family company Consolidated Press Holdings, was the major shareholder, with a 38% holding, in Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), which owns the Nine television network and Australian Consolidated Press, which produces many of Australia's top-selling magazines. Publishing and Broadcasting Limited ( PBL) was one of Australia's largest companies with interests primarily in media and gaming The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney ACP Magazines (ACP a member of the PBL Media group is an Australian media company that was founded in 1933 Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally He was involved in a number of other gambling and tourism ventures, notably the Crown Casino in Melbourne. Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a Casino and entertainment precinct on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3

Packer was widely respected in business circles, courted by politicians on both sides, and he was widely regarded as one of the most astute businessmen of his time, despite the fact that he had been a poor student.

Although Packer's reputation as an astute businessman was legendary and he did make some good investments, he was by no means a self-made man -- his grandfather and his father Frank Packer had built up the Consolidated Press empire and its related holdings over many decades. Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE ( 3 December 1906 &ndash 1 May 1974) was an Australian Media proprietor As pointed out by internet news outlet Crikey if $100 million had been invested in the Australian sharemarket in September 1974 through a balanced portfolio of the top 200 companies, that portfolio would be worth a lot more than $6. Crikey is an independent Australian electronic magazine comprising an open access website and an email newsletter available to subscribers 9 billion in December 2005, possibly as much as $11 billion. Moreover, Packer was not the first choice to take over the running of the family's business empire -- in fact his father had intended that Kerry's older brother Clyde Packer would take over the company, but Clyde fell out with his father in the early Seventies and left Australia for good. Robert Clyde Packer ( July 22 1935 – April 9 2001) usually known as "Clyde" was the son of Australian newspaper magnate

Kerry's independent business life began after his father's death in 1974, when he inherited control of the family's controlling share in PBL, valued at $AUD100 million. Further, his principal Australian investments in television and casinos were highly protected from competition by government regulation which Packer and his employees worked very hard to have maintained.

The Packer family's business reputation suffered a blow when One.Tel, a telco which his son James Packer had invested in, collapsed in 2001. OneTel is the generic term used to describe a group of Australian based Telecommunications companies including principally the publicly listed One A telephone company (or telco) provides Telecommunications services such as Telephony and Data communications Most of the largest telcos whatever James Douglas Packer (born 8 September, 1967 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian Businessman and currently Australia

Kerry Packer was also one of Australia's largest landholders, a fact that contributed in 2003 to a discovery of a deposit of rubies on one of his huge properties.

The Packer empire includes magazines and television networks, telecommunications, petrochemicals, heavy engineering, a 75% stake in the Perisher Blue ski resort, diamond exploration, coalmines and property, a share in the Foxtel cable TV network, and investments in the lucrative casino business in Australia and overseas. Perisher Blue is Australia 's largest Skiing Resort. It is located in the Australian Snowy Mountains in the southeastern corner of

Media interests

The "Packer Empire"

The Packer family has long been involved in media. Packer's grandfather Robert Clyde Packer owned two Sydney newspapers whilst his father, Sir Frank Packer, was one of Australia's first media moguls, and Kerry's son, James Packer, is Executive Chairman of PBL. Robert Clyde Packer ( 24 July 1879 - 12 April 1934) was the founder of Australia 's Packer media dynasty current owners of Publishing Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE ( 3 December 1906 &ndash 1 May 1974) was an Australian Media proprietor James Douglas Packer (born 8 September, 1967 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian Businessman and currently Australia

Sir Frank wanted Kerry to experience work in the Newspaper Industry from the ground up, so Packer started in the loading dock of the Sydney newspaper The Telegraph, loading papers. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Daily Telegraph is a Tabloid Newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News

He was not originally destined for the role, but in the early 1970s Kerry took the place of the designated successor, his older brother, the late Clyde Packer, after Clyde fell out with their father, quit PBL and moved to America. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Robert Clyde Packer ( July 22 1935 – April 9 2001) usually known as "Clyde" was the son of Australian newspaper magnate The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Kerry took over the running of PBL in 1974, on the death of his father. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.

Alan Bond media buyback

In 1987 Packer made a fortune at the expense of disgraced tycoon Alan Bond. Alan Bond (born 22 April 1938 is a notorious Australian businessman famous for high-profile business ventures including what was at the time the biggest corporate collapse It was widely reported that he sold Bond the Nine Network at the record price of AUD$1. The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas 05 billion in 1987, and then bought it back three years later for a mere $250 million, when Bond's empire was collapsing. Later, on the subject, he famously quipped; "You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime, and I've had mine". Packer was then able to re-invest the proceeds in a 25% share in the Foxtel pay TV consortium. Foxtel is an Australian Pay television company formed through a joint venture between Telstra, News Corporation and Consolidated Media

After the sale to Bond, Packer said that he had regretted the decision to sell Nine and wished he had not gone through with the transaction. At the 2006 PBL AGM, Kerry's son James told of the true complexities of the deal. Publishing and Broadcasting Limited ( PBL) was one of Australia's largest companies with interests primarily in media and gaming An annual general meeting (commonly abbreviated as AGM, also known as the annual meeting) is a Meeting that official bodies and associations James Douglas Packer (born 8 September, 1967 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian Businessman and currently Australia Kerry received $800 million in cash, with $250 million left in Bond Media as subordinated debt. As Alan Bond went under, Packer converted this $250 million into a 37% stake in Bond Media.

There remained $500 million of debt sitting in Bond Media. Packer received $800 million in cash before receiving a free 37% equity stake that put a debt-included value of $500 million on the Nine Network, which by then included Channel Nine in Brisbane. The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney [1]

Hands on business approach

Packer was known to sometimes take a direct interest in the editorial content of his papers, although he was far less interventionist than the notoriously hands-on Rupert Murdoch. is gay Bold text' Keith Rupert Murdoch', AC, KCSG (born Melbourne, March 11 1931 usually known as Rupert Murdoch, is an Australian-American

Packer also occasionally interfered directly in the programming of his TV stations, and during the early 1990s he famously called his Sydney station, TCN-9 and ordered its personnel to "Get that shit off the air," referring to Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos hosted by Doug Mulray. TCN is the Sydney flagship Television station of the Nine Network in Australia and is located at Willoughby. Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos was an Australian Television Comedy program which gained notoriety when it was canceled during its Douglas John Mulray (born 1 December 1951, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) was a former host of the breakfast time slot The show was cut during its airing on national television. 1

It was also said that he often manipulated broadcasts of cricket himself, in order to ensure that the end of a cricket match was broadcast, despite previously set television broadcast schedules. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries

Government inquiry and legal challenges

Packer faced a 1991 Australian government inquiry into the print media industry with some reluctance, but great humour. When asked to state his full name and the capacity in which he appeared, he replied: "Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer. Reluctantly. "

Packer fronted the inquiry over allegations that he had some secret control over the content of the Fairfax papers (an organisation that Packer had wished to purchase for sometime, but was restricted from via cross media ownership laws). Fairfax Media Limited, is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies

During the inquiry he repeatedly berated the politicians conducting it, and the government. When asked about his company's tax minimisation schemes, he replied: "Of course I am minimising my tax. And if anybody in this country doesn't minimise their tax, they want their heads read, because as a government, I can tell you you're not spending it that well that we should be donating extra!"

At the time of his death, the Nine Network was the jewel in the PBL crown. Although it had a tough year in 2005 against rival Seven Network (aided largely by US TV hits such as Desperate Housewives and Lost) Nine still finished the year as the number one network. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. Desperate Housewives is an American Television Dramedy series created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as Show runner, and produced Lost is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American serial drama television series.

Founder of World Series Cricket

Main article: World Series Cricket

Outside Australia, Packer was best known for founding World Series Cricket. World Series Cricket (WSC was a break away professional Cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television In 1977 the Nine cricket rights deal led to a confrontation with the cricket authorities, as top players from several countries rushed to join him at the expense of their international sides. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries

One of the leaders of the "rebellion" was England captain Tony Greig. Anthony "Tony" William Greig (born October 6, 1946) is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator Greig remains a commentator on the Nine Network's payroll. Packer's aim was to secure broadcasting rights for Australian cricket, and he was largely successful. In the 1970s the global cricket establishment fiercely opposed Packer in the courts. To counter the establishment, Packer hired the ten best Senior Counsels in the UK and put them on retainers, stipulating that they were not to take on any additional work during the court case (the sole purpose of which was to deny the establishment the best legal minds to prosecute their case). When he died he was mourned with a minute's silence at the MCG as one of the most influential figures in the history of the sport.

Packer was famously quoted from a 1976 meeting with the Australian Cricket Board, with whom he met to negotiate the rights to televise cricket. Cricket Australia, formerly known as According to witnesses, he said: "There is a little bit of the whore in all of us, gentlemen. What is your price?" [1]

Controversy

Packer was often the centre of controversy. One of the earliest incidents occurred in 1962, when his father was trying to take over the Anglican Press, a small publisher run by Francis James. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alfred Francis James ( 21 April 1918 &ndash 24 August 1992) was an Australian publisher and eccentric most famous for being imprisoned According to author Richard Neville, Frank Packer was angered by James' refusal to sell the Anglican Press, so he sent Kerry and some burly friends to pressure him into selling. Richard Neville (born 1941 is an Australian author and futurist, originally known for publishing and editing the Counterculture magazine They forced their way in and reportedly began vandalising the premises, but James was able to barricade himself in his office and call his friend Rupert Murdoch, Packer's most powerful rival. is gay Bold text' Keith Rupert Murdoch', AC, KCSG (born Melbourne, March 11 1931 usually known as Rupert Murdoch, is an Australian-American Murdoch quickly dispatched his own team of 'heavies', who threw Kerry and friends out. Not surprisingly, the Murdoch press had a field day with the news that the son of Australia's biggest media tycoon had been caught brawling in the street.

Like Murdoch, Packer's critics saw ever-expanding cross-media holdings as a potential threat to media diversity and freedom of speech. He also repeatedly came under fire for his companies' alleged involvement in tax evasion schemes and for the extremely low amounts of company tax that his corporations are reported to have paid over the years. He fought repeated battles with the Australian Taxation Office over his corporate taxes. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO is the principal revenue collection agency for the Australian Government.

His most severe legal challenge came in 1984 with the Costigan Commission alleging (using the codename of "the squirrel", renamed "the Goanna" in media reports[2]) that he was involved in tax evasion and organised crime, including drug trafficking. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The Costigan Commission (officially titled the Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union) was a controversial Australian Goanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian Monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Tax avoidance is the legal utilization of the Tax regime to one's own advantage in order to reduce the amount of tax that is payable by means that are within the law The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs He successfully counter-attacked the Commission with the assistance of his counsel Malcolm Turnbull. Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954 is an Australian politician the current Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament, and parliamentary In 1987 the charges were formally dismissed by Federal Attorney-General Lionel Bowen. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition Lionel Frost Bowen AC (born 28 December 1922) Australian politician was a senior Labor figure serving in the ministries of Mystery still surrounds Packer's receipt of a "loan" of $225,000 in cash from Brian Ray a bankrupt Queensland businessman. [2]

Notwithstanding the significant efforts made to preserve his security and privacy, Packer suffered two mysterious break-ins at his companies' headquarters in Park Street, Sydney:

Packer courted controversy by breaking the sports boycott of apartheid South Africa which prevented South African sportsmen from representing their country. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Packer chose to break it by recruiting a number of prominent South African cricketers to play on his World Series Cricket Team. His timing was heavily criticised, coming just months after the Soweto riots and the death of Steve Biko, murdered by the members of the South African security forces. The Soweto uprising or Soweto Riots were a series of clashes in Soweto, South Africa on June 16 1976 between black youths and the South African Stephen Bantu Biko December 1946 &ndash 12 September 1977 was a noted anti-[[apartheid] activist in South Africa in the 1960s and early

Personal life

His primary schooling suffered greatly when he was stricken with a severe bout of poliomyelitis at age eight, and he was confined to an iron lung for nine months. Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral Infectious disease spread from person to person primarily via An iron lung is a large machine that enables a person to breathe when normal Muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability His father apparently thought little of his son's abilities, once cruelly describing him as "the family idiot", yet Kerry steered PBL to heights far beyond anything his father or brother achieved. In an interview with Ray Martin, Packer claimed that he was "academically stupid" and survived school at Geelong Grammar School through sport. Ray Martin (born 20 December 1944, in Richmond, New South Wales) is a well known Australian Television Journalist Geelong Church of England Grammar School is a independent, Anglican, Co-educational, boarding and Day school. Even throughout his adult life, Packer apparently found reading difficult, and is believed to have suffered from dyslexia . Dyslexia is considered to be a Learning disability. It manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language particularly with Reading and Spelling In an interview, former employee Trevor Sykes stated that "He didn't read much on the printed page. If you didn't want Kerry to read something, you wrote more than a one-page memo. " [5].

Kerry Packer and his wife of 42 years, Roslyn, had two children, a daughter Gretel (born 1966), and a son James. James Douglas Packer (born 8 September, 1967 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian Businessman and currently Australia At the time of Packer's death, he and Roslyn had two grandchildren, Chessie, then 10, and Ben, then 7, from Gretel's first marriage to British financier Nick Barham [6], and Gretel and her husband Shane Murray were expecting their first child together, William (born 2006). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [7] Gretel and Shane married just before Packer's death. [8]

Packer was a keen polo player, a longtime heavy smoker and an avid gambler, fabled for his titanic wins and losses. Polo is a team sport played outdoors on Horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team In 1999, it was reported that a three-week losing streak at London casinos cost him almost $28 million -- described at the time as the biggest reported gambling loss in British history.

The same report stated that he had once won $33 million (Australian) at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas and that he often won as much as $7 million each year during his annual holidays in the UK. The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip, which opened as a Hollywood themed resort Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Packer's visits were a risky affair for the casinos, as his wins and losses could make quite a difference to the finances of even bigger casinos. Packer was also known for his sometimes volcanic temper, and for his perennial contempt for the media and journalists.

Packer is famously quoted for an exchange in a poker tournament at the Stratosphere Casino, where a Texan oil investor was attempting to engage him in a game of poker. Upon the Texan saying "I'm worth $60,000,000!" Packer apparently pulled out a coin and asked nonchalantly, "heads or tails?",referring to a $100,000,000 wager (according to Bob Stupak's biography). Bob Stupak (born April 6 1942 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is a Las Vegas casino owner and entrepreneur Some variations of the story put the sum at $60-100,000,000 and claim the line was "I'll toss you for it".

After Packer's death the Sydney Morning Herald reported that from about 1995, Packer had transferred control of significant amounts of Sydney suburban real estate to Julie Trethowan, the manager (from 1983) of the Packer owned Sydney city health and fitness club, the Hyde Park Club. The Sydney Morning Herald ( SMH) is a daily Broadsheet Newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia [9] [10] and [11]. Trethowan was subsequently confirmed as having been Packer's mistress [12].

Failing health

Packer reportedly suffered as many as eight heart attacks. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply In 1990, while playing polo at Warwick Farm, Sydney, he suffered a heart attack that left him clinically dead for six minutes. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Clinical death is the popular term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing Packer was revived and later famously told reporter Ray Martin on A Current Affair, "The good news is there is no devil. Ray Martin (born 20 December 1944, in Richmond, New South Wales) is a well known Australian Television Journalist A Current Affair (or " ACA " is a nightly tabloid current affairs programme broadcast on the Nine Network every week night hosted The bad news is there is no heaven. " It was not common for an ambulance to have a defibrillator at the time - it was purely by chance that the ambulance which responded to the call had one fitted. Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening Cardiac arrhythmias Ventricular fibrillation and Ventricular tachycardia. After recovering, Packer donated a large sum to the New South Wales Ambulance Service to pay for equipping all NSW ambulances with a portable defibrillator (now colloquially known as "Packer Whackers"). Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening Cardiac arrhythmias Ventricular fibrillation and Ventricular tachycardia. He told Nick Greiner "I'll go you 50/50", and the NSW State government paid the other half of the cost. Nicholas Frank Hugo Greiner AC (born 27 April 1947) was the parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party in New South Wales, Packer underwent heart bypass surgery in New York in 1998. Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

He also suffered from a chronic kidney condition for many years, and in 2000 he made headlines when his long-serving helicopter pilot, Nick Ross, donated one of his own kidneys to Packer for transplantation. The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys.

The transplant was covered in detail by the Australian TV documentary program Australian Story, a rare occasion on which Packer granted a media interview (and, to the surprise of many, not to his own network; Australian Story is produced by the public network, ABC). Australian Story is a weekly biography program produced and broadcast on ABC Television. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster.

After recovering from the operation, Packer launched an organ transplant association in memory of cricketer David Hookes. David William Hookes (3 May 1955&ndash19 January 2004 was an Australian Cricketer broadcaster and coach of the Victorian cricket team

Death

Kerry Packer died of kidney failure at the age of 68 on 26 December 2005, shortly before 11pm (AEDT) [13], at home in Sydney, Australia, with his family by his bedside. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. UTC+11 is the Time zone for the following locations As standard (non-DST time Federated States of Micronesia Knowing that his health was failing, he instructed his doctors not to treat him with curative intent or by artificially prolonging his life with dialysis. He told his cardiologist earlier in the week that he was "running out of petrol" and wanted to "die with dignity".

Due to Packer's ownership of Nine, the death was announced to the public by broadcaster Richard Wilkins, on the network's Today program:

"Mrs Kerry [Roslyn] Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry. Richard Stephen Wilkins (born 19 June 1954 in New Zealand) is a Television presenter on Today on the Nine Network Today, often referred to as The Today Show, is an Australian news program He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced. "

His private funeral service was held on December 30, 2005 at the family's country retreat, Ellerston, near Scone in the Hunter Valley [14]. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Scone (which rhymes with 'bone' is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, extending from approximately to north of Sydney, Australia

State Memorial Service

An offer of a state memorial service was extended to, and accepted by the Packer family, which was held on 17 February 2006 at the Sydney Opera House [15]. A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour Heads of state or other important people of national significance Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney New South Wales, Australia

Close friend Alan Jones was MC at the memorial service, which featured speeches from son and heir James, Russell Crowe on behalf of daughter Gretel Packer, Prime Minister John Howard and Richie Benaud. Alan Belford Jones AO (born 13 April 1941 or possibly 1943 is an Australian Radio broadcaster former Rugby union and Rugby league Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964 is an Academy Award - BAFTA - Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning New Zealand and See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE (born October 6 1930 in Penrith New South Wales) is an Australian former Cricketer who since his retirement from Attendees included Tom Cruise (a friend of James Packer) and his partner Katie Holmes, Greg Norman, members of the Australian cricket team, and past and present figures from both sides of politics. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer Kate "Katie" Noelle Holmes (born December 18 1978 is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television Career outline Norman was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia to Merv and Toini Norman The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia.

The granting of this honour was widely questioned as it was funded by tax-payers, as Packer was famous for his tax minimisation.

Further reading


References

  1. ^ Mayne, Stephen. "Packer explodes Alan Bond myth", Crikey, 27 October, 2006 (retrieved 27 October 2006). Crikey is an independent Australian electronic magazine comprising an open access website and an email newsletter available to subscribers Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross.  
  2. ^ John Huxley, Costigan angry and sticking to his guns, Sydney Morning Herald, February 21, 2006

External links

Persondata
NAME Packer, Kerry Francis Bullmore
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian publishing, media and gaming tycoon
DATE OF BIRTH 17 December 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH 26 December 2005
PLACE OF DEATH Sydney, Australia
For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
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