Home & Away actress loses bid for AVO against reporter

Former Home and Away star Holly Campbell who is now a councilor on the Wingecarribee Council in the Southern Highland has lost a bid to take out an AVO (Apprehended Violence Order) against reporter Cristian King from the local newspaper LatteLife Southern Highlands.

Magistrate Mary Ryan refused to uphold the application and stated that King, who defended himself in court, was simply doing his job as a reporter on the 2 occasions he asked Cr Campbell questions following council meetings and that his actions did not warrant her being in fear of her life. 
 Cr Campbell had posed for Cristian at a social event less than a week ago. During cross examination by King aged 20, the photograph of Cr Campbell smiling was submitted as evidence and she was asked, "what emotion does your face in that photograph display"?
At a prior court date Cr Campbell asked Magistrate Ryan if she could stop LatteLife from printing because they ' say bad things about me'. The Magistrate reminded Cr Campbell that "we live in a democracy and as an elected official she should get used to it." 
 

Bunya Hill 

# For the benefit of our many overseas readers : the beautiful Southern Highlands is a couple of hours drive from Sydney and is the most expensive country property in Australia. With it's green rolling pastures and numerous antique shops in picturesque villages it attracts many of Australia's wealthiest citizens who own weekend retreats. Superstars Nicolle Kidman and Keith Urban own the former governor's residence Bunya Hill, Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes spends most of her spare time there  while the late Lord McAlpine owned a magnificent property with award winning gardens.  #Whispers is a contributor to LatteLife and once produced glossy videos and real estate brochures of Southern Highland's properties in conjunction with the late Bill Ranken.

Has Nicole Forgiven the Paparazzi ?

A portrait commissioned by Rupert Murdoch goes up for sale tomorrow at Southebys in London and is expected to fetch around $40,000 with the funds being donated to charity.

The painting, by Anthony Yeo was a study for a painting of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban which was  presented by Murdoch and wife Wendi to the couple after their daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban was born in 2008. The Murdochs attended their wedding and Murdoch is a fan of Yeo having himself sat for a portrait as have many Hollywood movie stars as our pic of Arnold Shwarzeneggrr shows.

The word is that the painting now stands above the mantelpiece at Bunya Hill, the Southern Highlands cattle ranch where the Kidman/Urban family are now ensconced for summer.


# HAS NICOLE KIDMAN finally forgiven the paparazzo Jamie Fawcett after she gave evidence against him in a defamation  trial in the NSW Supreme Court in 2009 ?. 

 Nicole testified that she had been "really, really scared" of Fawcett. 

As the snap that appeared in Sydney Confidential yesterday shows, Nicole and Keith with Sunday Rose were all smiles for the camera as they arrived at Sydney Airport on Tuesday.

The by-line on the snap credits Oceanic which is Fawcett's new photo distribution agency.

Nicole Kidman's Gas Problem

Bill Ranken

Social Shuttle contributor  Bill Ranken brings news of a well-heeled protest group-the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance- opposing coal seam gas mining in the chic and exclusive Southern Highlands where Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have their country base, Bunya Hill.


Ranken , who with his sister Jean owns nearby Lockesley, regarded as one of the state's most glorious pastoral properties says they have been approached by mining companies wishing to set down gas exploration units on their land in return for a share of profits. Although the Ranken's have embraced windmills and solar power Bill says he would never contemplate gas plants on their property as they wreak destruction.

Bunya Hill

Gas mining corporations have been inundating the airwaves with friendly adverts depicting a small obscure gas unit surrounded by fluffy sheep and grazing cows on green hills.
Ranken says the adverts are misleading and gas mining sucks the life out of the earth.

Other residents of the beautiful Southern Highlands and the Hunter Valley with it's dozens of award winning vineyards are being approached says Ranken and the fear is that some will succumb to gas companies offers.

The protest group is hoping to encourage Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban along with other notables in the area including Harry Potter actress Miriam Margoyles , novelist Bryce Courtney, broadcaster Alan Jones, model agency boss Peter Chadwick, Federal Labor minister Peter Garrett and Nutremetic's founder Imelda Roche to join the protests.

Past Highland's residents have included Sir Donald Bradman and P.L.Travers the author of Mary Poppins. The protestors warn that just one gas mine in the area can drill under properties for miles, destroying nutrients in the earth above.

Don Bradman

Bowral resident Miriam Margolyes

 Yesterday came the news that the late Macquarie Bank boss, multi-millionaire and former Liberal party chairman David Clarke who passed away 6 months ago, had funded anti-gas campaigns with millions of dollars and spoke against the mining at local rallies.

Clarke owned the exclusive Poole's Rock vineyard in the Hunter and now his son has said that the executor of Clarke's estate BRI Ferrier has sold Poole's Rock to the gas company AGL without Clarke family knowledge and that AGL are trying to buy up vineyards and properties around the area.

A spokesman for the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance said Clarke, who had anti-mining posters throughout Poole's Rock would be "turning in his grave".

UK Daily Mail on the ball again ! Well almost.

10 days after the Social Shuttle reported that actress Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are facing a battle with locals over rows of hedges and trees planted on their Bunya Hill property in Sutton Forrest in the Southern Highlands, one of Britain's top selling tabloids the Daily Mail has picked up the tale.

Bunya Hill, a Georgian mansion with 45 hectares of prime cattle land and an equestrian centre built for Lord Augustus Loftus the NSW Governor around 1887 also had a role in World War II. In 1942 it housed 60 English women and their children who had fled Hong Kong before the Japanese invasion. Kidman and Urban purchased it for about $6.5M in 2008 and set about renovating the house and lands.

Set on a hill with commanding views , part of the property runs along side a public road and the owners have bull-dozed a mound the length of the property and planted rows of trees to keep out prying eyes.

tSS correspondent Bill Ranken who owns the magnificent Lochesleigh property nearby that has been in the family for 4 generations (considered the best in the state) has long been talking of the growing grumbles amongst locals who notice the slightest change in the area when "blow-ins", as they call them set about "updating" any one of the graceful houses in the area. Incurring the wrath of long time Southern Highlands locals is considered the kiss of death in one of the most beautiful and graceful countryside areas in Australia. One can't even plant a row of poppies without the blessing of neighbours.

When Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes-who spends many months of the year at her Southern Highlands farm between acting jobs, wanted to erect a garden shed, she sensibly petitioned her neighbours to get their blessing before even contemplating putting plans into the council.

Forget the council chambers who have now taken on the matter, Nicole and Keith need to start baking tarts and cakes and hand delivering them about the area to the crusty faced locals.

## Digital Spy has also picked up the tale.