Court drama in the Southern Highlands

Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban's SH home Bunya Hill and local resident Miriam Margolyes

The gentle rolling pastures of the beautiful countryside of the Southern Highlands are abuzz as the latest court drama over a local newspaper and a property developer plays out in the local court. The Highlands are a weekend retreat for many well heeled Sydneysiders with their hobby farms and numerous celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes and the late British politician Lord McAlpine
Top Sydney barrister, Charles Waterstreet was at Moss Vale Local Court this morning  representing newspaper executive Cristian King .
The prosecution relates to an investigative editorial ran by the local newspaper, LattéLife Wingecarribee, last year entitled 'Yuill Be Right’.
The article revealed that local real estate agent Angus Yuill of Campbell-Jones Property in Bowral had been trading without a property certifcate or licence for nine months, resulting in enforcement action by NSW Fair Trading.

left : barrister Charles Waterstreet and Cristian King

Mr King has been charged with intimidation, offensive behaviour and obstructing a vehicle in a public place. He is pleading not guilty to all charges.

King arrives at Moss Vale court today

Evidence was given by Campbell-Jones Property principal,Angus Campbell-Jones and his receptionist,Ana Calvert on 20 March 2017.
However, the hearing was adjourned to 18 May 2017 due to an allegation by Ms Calvert that Mr King had intimidated her at McDonald's restaurant in Moss Vale following her testimony although Mr King says he was at the courthouse at that time.
Mr Waterstreet, a family friend of the King's, has taken a special interest in this case and said "It is an honour to represent a journalist."

 Below: Highlands' competing newspapers : LatteLife and the Fairfax newspaper Highland News

Dramas in The Shire

Southern Highlands' fans: Miriam Margolyes,Nicole & Keith,Leo DiCaprio, Lady Renouf,Lord McAlpine. Arnie

James Fairfax

The Southern Highlands is undoubtedly the most beautiful and desirable country property in Australia. It's green gentle rolling hills, just a 2 hour drive from Sydney are home to numerous celebrities like Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, superstar Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban who call the former Governor's retreat Bunya Hill their country base, Fairfax publishing scion James Fairfax along with numerous Eastern Suburb's residents who have hobby farms there. The late UK Conservative Party heavyweight Lord McAlpine called the Shire home as did the late Lady Renouf for some years and even the ex-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a representative to look for a suitable property while last year film heartthrob Leo DiCaprio declared it was his favourite spot in all the world.

Three years ago publisher Jane King decided the local newspaper scene needed a bit of shake-up, moved there with her family and produced a Southern Highland's version of her Eastern Suburbs free newspaper LatteLife. Her son Cristian King who manages the three King newspapers took on the job of reporting on local council affairs and was soon ruffling some very important feathers out of their complacent stupor.
                                                                                                       

Bunya Hill

But a few weeks ago Latte Life's advertisers found an anonymous old-style Poison Pen Letter landing on their doorsteps alleging all sorts of scurrilous goings-on. To show there were no hard feelings all the advertisers decided to step up their support for the newspaper and many delivered the letters to the local cop shop. Now the Australian Federal Police has stepped in to forensically examine the offending missives.

Cristian King

Meanwhile manager Christian King- defending himself -succeeded in having an attempted Apprehended Violence Order from a local councilor thrown out of court and is also suing a councilor for defamation.

And to show he has no hard feelings, Cristian has now put himself up for election in the Wingecarribee Shire Council which if successful could see him as Australia's youngest Councilor. Ex-Wingecarribee Mayor Julie Arkright  has stepped into the breach to take over Cristian's council reporting.
I'm told the local coffee shoppes and pubs are abuzz with chat on the matters with many viewing it as the most exciting series of events to have happened in the area in decades!
# Whispers occasionally does some work for LatteLife Newspapers.

Even more exciting news

If the thought of Jerry & Rupert's nuptials hasn't given you a heart starter, this news surely will:

As exclusively reported in LatteLife Newspaper - Southern Highland's edition ( which Whispers and the office cat proudly contribute to) the beautiful little town of Berry may become the home of superstar Leo DiCaprio:
    

"DiCaprio announces move to Berry NSW

Leonardo DiCaprio in a post Oscar magazine interview said that he was, “tired of the Hollywood lifestyle” and that he wanted to “live in a place where people were just people and whose sincerity you didn’t have to question”. He recently visited Berry while scouting out a film location with Martin Scorsese and, according to Scorsese, “Leo immediately fell in love with the relaxed lifestyle and the small town feel of Berry and that whole area and was telling everyone that he was going to move there.”

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and I feel like I just want to slow down a little bit and moving to a town like Berry in such a beautiful location full of beautiful people in a beautiful country is exactly what I want in my life right now,” DiCaprio said “I’m not giving up my career, I just want to move to a place that feels so different than what I’ve been used to all my life. For me, that place is Berry.” Here at LatteLife we think Leo needs to scout further South and move to Berrima or Bowral."

DiCaprio would join such names as Nicole Kidman and Miriam Margolyes and the late Lord McAlpine who all chose to spend most of their time in Australia's most beautiful rural retreat. And Berry? We can only think of actor Max Cullen who is a resident. Max is currently on tour with Warren Fahey in their hugely successful Dead Men Talking tour about Australia's legendary poets & writers Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson

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.

Miriam Margolyes Becomes An Aussie and annouces : I'm A Dyke!

Actress Miriam Margolyes has had a long associtation with Australia : her partner is a local and when not travelling the world to appear in films and stage plays, Miriam retreats to a magnificent property in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

Today she formerly became an Australian citizen and was presented with her citizenship certificate by prime minister Julia Gillard at a ceremony in Canberra. Miriam spoke about her long time Australian female partner and as an after thought announced to the assembled dignitaries :"if anyone doesn't know, I'm a dyke"

Magic : Miriam Margolyes & Barry Humphries

It's usually a political grab fest with a variety of politicians going head to head: ABC TVs Q&A.

Tonight it was pure cabaret with a Barry Humphries and Miriam Margolyes dominating a panel that consisted of host Tony Jones and fellow panelists, former politician John Hewson, Oscar nominee Jackie Weaver and journalist David Marr.
Miriam spoke of her lesbianism, her anti-Zionism, her Canberra born partner and her wish to take out Australian citizenship.(she knows Don Bradman's batting average in anticipation of the citizenship test).
There are still tickets available for her Dickens' Women show at the Sydney Opera House this Thursday and after watching her performance as Ruth Pinch from Dicken's Martin Chuzzlewit at the end of Q&A , it's a must see.

Q&A can be watched now on the ABC Q&A website.

## In 1991 David Marr published his best selling biography of Australia's Nobel Prize winning author Patrick White. Today is the 100th year anniversary since White was born in Knighstbridge in London in 1912. He emigrated with his parents to Australia when he was 6 months old, living in a Sydney flat with servants and a nanny while his parents lived in the next door apartment.

This Sunday ABC TV screens In The Eye Of The Storm. Fred Schepisi's adaption of White's 1973 book of the same name. The film stars Charlotte Rampling, Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush. Not to be missed.

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.