David Frost : " A Towering Intellect"

When the Shuttle interviewed the late Sir David Frost in 2011 he responded to a question about former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam : "a towering intellect, possibly the most intellectual politician"'
Friday was Gough's 98th birthday and he celebrated with his family at his nursing home Lulworth House. Sadly Gough has lost his great Labor Party ally and fellow resident, former NSW premier Nevile Wran who died in April this year. But another mate and resident Sir Laurence Street was there to wish Gough all the best. In our picture is Gough and son Tony Whitlam. Gough's wife Margaret died in 2012.
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Next Friday the winner of the Archibald Prize for portraiture will be announced at the Art Gallery of NSW. Watch this cool video of every winner from 1921 to 2013 morphed into one.

Courtesy : ABC and Art Gallery of New South Wales

Downfall of a Society Figure

Andrew Baci Romero-Whitlam & Gough Whitlam in happier times

Born in Argentina, 58 year old Andrew Esteban Romero-Whitlam was regularly seen around Sydney at society shindigs. When 'Baci', as he is called by friends, and his family emigrated to Australia they had a powerful figure in their corner as a sponsor- former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

So close was Baci to Gough that he often attended official functions with the ex-PM. He even changed his name in honour of the Whitlam family and was often referred to as Whitlam's 'adopted son' or godson. Now Baci has been jailed for a minimum of 15 months after pleading guilty in a drug supply charge.

Whitlam was busted at his tapas restaurant in Rushcutters Bay, Resto Bar last year in an undercover  police sting. In his heyday Baci owned an upmarket fashion boutique in Double Bay and dressed many of Sydney's society matrons.

In the past few years he has regularly visited Gough Whitlam for lunch at his home in Lulworth House, a luxury nursing home in Rushcutter's Bay. Romero-Whitlam's barrister Phillip Boulten SC told the court on Friday that his client " was depressed  and a chronic user of cocaine and had been for some time".

Sir Laurence Street Joins the Team in Elizabeth Bay

Sir Laurence & Lady Penny Street

He is one of the Shuttle's favourite legal eagles and one of Australia's most respected jurists. At 87 years of age, Sir Laurence Street has moved into the uber smart nursing home Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay.

Sir Laurence joins a veritable smorgasbord  of Sydney's most well known faces including entertainer Jeanie Little. promoter Harry M.Miller , Dame Leonie Kramer , former NSW premier Neville Wran and former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

Harry Miller * Jeannie Little * Gough Whitlam

Sir Laurence Street & Rachel Finch
       at a party in 2008

Sir Laurence Street was the Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court and comes from a distinguished family of lawyers. His father Sir Kenneth Street was also NSW Chief Justice and his mother Jessie Street a tireless worker for Aboriginal and women's rights. It was largely her efforts that led to indigenous Australians finally getting a vote in 1967 (at one stage she was called Red Jessie in the media and a Conservative government refused to re-new her passport whilst she was abroad).

Nevile Wran (right) with
 artist Martin Sharp

Like Miller, Little , Whitlam and Wran, Sir Laurence was a regular on the social circuits in Sydney and Melbourne before ill health saw him hang up the gold embossed velvet Gucci pumps he often wore to parties.
Wife Penny Street is a great pal of Prince Charles and the pair always dined with Charles on his Australian visits.
Meanwhile a claim late last year by a former nurse that Lulworth House residents were "under-nourished" seems to have vanished from the ether.

Old Pals Party

FORTY years ago this Sunday, hero of the left and Labor Party icon Gough Whitlam ended 23 years of Liberal Party rule when he became Prime Minister.

Lulworth House resident Jeanne Little

On Friday the current Labor PM Julia Gillard survived the News Ltd led onslaught about...well no-one knows quite what except for the Opposition's repeated claims, echoing Rupert Murdoch's The Australian  that she "had questions to answer".
In her closing speech to Parliament for the year Ms Gillard paid tribute to Gough and his triumphs :ending Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, free university education, universal healthcare and the recognition of China, now out biggest trading partner.
As the Shuttle revealed in early 2011, 96 year old Gough, who Sir David Frost described as "the most intellectual political leader he had interviewed"  is now living in the luxury nursing home  Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay.
On Sunday the Whitlam clan will join Gough to celebrate his remarkable win in '72.

Gough, Neville & Harry M.

Perhaps Gough's fellow residents will pop in for a drink. The entertainer Jeanne Little who sadly is suffering from altheimers but still recognises people, and his fellow Labor great Neville Wran who was NSW Premier for 10 years, and the promoter Harry M.Miller . Our spy says Harry greatly enjoys breakfasting with Neville, despite the fact it was Wran's government that jailed Harry for 10 months in 1982 over the Tickertek fraud.

exclusive : Jeanne Joins Gough

As we exclusively reported several months ago, Gough Whitlam the former Labor Prime Minister of Australia who broke the conservative stranglehold on power in 1972 when he was elected after 23 years of Liberal/National Party dominance, has moved into the luxury retirement home Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay.

Now we hear that the 93 year old -who the famous British interviewer Sir David Frost described to the Social Shuttle earlier this year as: "probably the most intellectual of all world leaders I have interviewed"- has been joined at the home by Jeanne Little , the much loved TV personality who is suffering from a severe form of Alzheimer's.

Lulworth House which is part of St Luke's Hospital is considered to be one of the finest retirement homes in Sydney with it's beautiful leafy gardens and superb views of the harbour.

David Frost : 'most intellectual world leader'

Ironically, Whitlam who gave Australia it's Medicare system of free public health care which is regarded as the best in the Western world is a private patient as is Jeannie who in her heyday would have been the ideological  opposite of Gough.

Wheelchair bound Gough still makes it out almost every day to lunch with old political pals and foes- former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser who defeated Gough in 1975 after Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor General Sir John Kerr, is a visitor and friend.

Sadly Jeannie no longer recognises her family and friends. Her family have asked people to donate to the Jeanne Little Alzheimer's Research Fund.