The Sun Herald, Australia's second largest Sunday newspaper has paid tribute to Social Shuttle contributor Bill Ranken on his 80th birthday. Ranken has been a regular on the London , New York and Sydney social rounds for over 50 years, taking up photography for the last 20.
Living in a pied-a-terre in Elizabeth Bay during the week, Bill spends his weekends on his family property Lockesley in the Southern Highlands, regarded as the possibly the best in NSW. Prince Charles is a regular visitor there. Neighbours include Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. With it's magnificent sweeping valleys and Georgian house it's also often used as a film location, the latest being a horse whisperer epic staring actor Jack Thompson.
Ranken learnt how to work the land during a stint as a jackaroo in the outback in the 1950's riding with Aboriginal stockmen who he says are amongst the best horsemen he has ever encountered. A tractor accident in his late 20's in which he lost an eye brought on a life change and although he regularly commutes between the city and his 2 country properties, for years he was spotted squiring well heeled ladies about town like Ros Packer in Sydney, Princess Margaret in London and Princess Lee Radziwill in the Hamptons.
On April 2nd-Bill's birthday, we launch his regular photo pages-15 Minutes.
