Women of influence were out in force at the Australian Open’s women’s final on Saturday night.
Dressed in suffragette (or was it tennis?) white, Premier Jacinta Allan headed up the guest list at Tennis Australia’s exclusive corporate nosh-up zone known as O, bringing her squad of top female ministers Natalie Hutchins and Ros Spence.
Allan was seated next to Parenthood chief executive and childcare advocate Georgina Dent, perhaps discussing the state’s childcare policy over the wagyu carpaccio.
Joining in on the table discussion was the token male, union boss Luke Hilakari.
Also at the top table, pop star Wu Chun, a former member of Fahrenheit, a Taiwanese Mandopop vocal quartet boy band, who was afforded the rare honour of making it onto the premier’s Instagram grid while she spruiked Melbourne’s success as the major events capital. That doesn’t happen to just anyone. Just don’t call Chun a K-pop star – he’s focused on his acting, not singing now, and has relocated permanently to Melbourne.
Also spotted in the exclusive O enclosure were Boost Juice founder and Survivor “Godmother” Janine Allis, former Salesforce and Microsoft Australia chief executive Pip Marlow, and Jayne Hrdlicka, chief executive of booze giant Endeavour and former chair of Tennis Australia, who as we have written, just can’t stay away.
Allis moved from Melbourne to Sydney a few years ago and said she was enjoying being back for the tennis and to visit her son and dogs, who had stayed behind. “The dogs still love me,” she said. Her son assured us he did, too.
We also spotted tennis legends Judy Dalton and Margaret Court, who was once heavily criticised for her conservative Christian views. Now no one makes a fuss.
To balance out the girl power in attendance at O were not one but two former premiers (John Brumby and Steve Bracks), who were deep in conversation, and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos.
We hope they weren’t hoping to indulge in one of the tournament’s signature Lemon Ace cocktail, as it is sold out around Melbourne Park – including (shock, horror) in the O enclosure.
Grey Goose had better get to work fermenting some more potatoes to sate the crowd’s thirst.
Elsewhere, former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian – now managing director enterprise and business at telco Optus – hosted a group including Vic Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sally Curtain.
Also in attendance, Berejiklian’s beau, barrister Arthur Moses, SC. The pair flew into Tullamarine earlier on Saturday.
Flood Gates
It was all going swimmingly for the billionaire’s billionaire Bill Gates, who returned to the Open after several years away and was basking in the warm glow of Aussie approval over his support for AO mixed doubles champion and local player Jordan Peers, Gates having met the Open champ through his now-partner Paula Hurd.
And on Saturday the couple were spotted together in the on-court seats watching the men’s doubles final. This was days after Gates was spotted with Sarah Murdoch, model and wife of media executive Lachlan Murdoch.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the massive release of the Epstein files led to the headline “Bill Gates caught STD from Russian girls, Epstein claimed”.
Gates denied the claims via a spokesman.
Life can sure turn a corner fast. Perhaps it makes sense to fly to the other side of the world and isolate yourself in the premium seats when such revelations are being published.
Piper-Heidsieck’s #WFH ambassador
The announcement of pop star Delta Goodrem as the Australian Open ambassador for Piper-Heidsieck champagne was awash with free-flowing bubbles and cabaret dancers on the Monday of opening week. It made quite the splash, as it was intended to, despite the singer being somewhat wobbly in furnishing us with her tips on tournament winners, politely tossing the question back over the net to Open Season. (Our tip, for the record, which quickly became her tip, was Aryna Sabalenka – how’d we do? )
Since then, Goodrem has been noticeably absent for most of the tennis tournament.
She attended her first match on Friday for the men’s semi-finals and on Saturday attended the women’s final.
Piper-Heidsieck appears to be showing remarkable job flexibility in appointing a #WFH ambassador, or perhaps Goodrem’s ambassadorial fee is so steep that the champagne house can only afford an occasional appearance by the songstress.
Piper-Heidsieck global chief executive, Stephane Decaux, was in Melbourne for the finals and had only praise for Goodrem.
“She’s a very sophisticated and elegant and successful woman in her career, and we thought that was a good fit,” he said.
When asked whether he would like to see Piper’s ambassador in attendance a bit more frequently, Decaux said it was all “a learning journey” for the champagne house, but noted the “very joyful” feedback from the public.
Up in the air
Star of the Emirates marquee was set to be the airline’s global chief executive, Sir Tim Clark, but he had a cold.
Ubiquitous Murdoch family ambassador about town Penny Fowler was a guest at Emirates with her daughter-in-law Lulu, as was legendary actor Sigrid Thornton, and Oscar-winning actorturned successful defamation plaintiff Geoffrey Rush, these days rarely seen in public.
Court Nine
Meanwhile, Nine, official tournament broadcaster and official publisher of this column, mixed up showbiz, sport and business on its Court Nine Terrace – entered via a staircase at John Cain Arena – for its official strictly private pre-finals dinner, complete with a goody bag tote slung over each seat.
Nine stars and former players Todd Woodbridge and Jelena Dokic were deployed to entertain guests with their tennis wisdom in a question-and-answer session in front of the company’s chair, Peter Tonagh, chief executive Matt Stanton, Nine Publishing managing director Tory Maguire, managing director streaming and broadcasting Amanda Laing and chief sales officer Matt James. We think that’s everyone covered. Do let us know.
Noted actor Claudia Karvan was a guest, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson was a surprising early arrival.
And in corporate hospitality, as in life, too much sport is barely enough. Thus, Nine entertained Phil Waugh, chief executive of Rugby Australia, and NRL boss Andrew Abdo.
And how fascinating to note that both Victoria Racing Club chairman Neil Wilson and chief executive Kylie Rogers were on the guest list, as was rival chief executive officer of Racing NSW, Peter V’landys. As the network used to boast in a 1980s station promotion: your friends are on Nine.
Staying power
Move over, Djokovic – the nonagenarian Chadstone shopping centre billionaire John Gandel can lay a strong claim to being the GOAT (greatest of all time) Rod Laver Arena superfan.
On Friday night – actually, it was Saturday morning at 1.32am – when Gandel and wife Pauline were still in their premium seats about nine rows from the front for the end for the tumultuous end of the titanic Djokovic-Sinner match. Remarkable stamina.
This was long after youths such as model and influencer Annalise Dalins – nearly 70 years younger – had bailed. Also staying the distance: prime minister Anthony Albanese, Albo’s son Nathan Albanese, TA chair Chris Harrop, ANZ boss Nuno Matos, and aforementioned tennis legend Margaret Court.
Those who left before the death included Eddie McGuire, Xander McGuire, Sarah Abo, Penny Fowler, Jayne Hrdlicka, Jane Hansen and Paul Little.
Stephen Brook is a special correspondent for The Age and CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously deputy editor of The Sunday Age. He is a former media editor of The Australian and spent six years in London working for The Guardian.Connect via X or email.
