Seen at The Silver Party

400 packed into John Symond's $60M Point Piper mansion -plenty of room- which was transformed into A Midsummer Night’s cocktail scene for the Silver Party's 9th annual bash to raise mega bucks for the Sydney's Children's Hospital.Amongst them - retired cricketer Stuart McGill and Julie Singleton, Skye Leckie, Karin Upton Baker, Nicky and Troy Tindill, Blainey North, Peter Overton, Lisa Wilkinson, Jesinta Campbell and a Wiggle or two, all shown in our snaps below.  Left is some of art-lover John's garden art.

Masked Man

When Whispers first encountered the amiable make-up supremo Napoleon Perdis many moons ago it was at the opening of his Parramatta salon on a Thursday afternoon. A small coterie of locals had gathered by the red carpet to watch the celebrations including 2 senior citizens who politely inquired of us whether the 2 tall elegant ladies ascending the salon stairs were "soapie stars". Alas we didn't have the heart to inform them that were actually drag queens, albeit fairly glamorous ones.

Napoleon has risen to giddy heights of stardom with salons all over the world including Beverley Hills (California!) where he is in huge demand especially by movie stars on the night of the Academy Awards but now he has turned his back on "high maintenance celebrities " according to this article.
Fortunately our home grown celebrities are still in favour as evidenced by society favourite, hair dresser Joh Bailey who wore what was acclaimed as the most superb mask of the evening created by Napoleon for the Silver Ball last week at John Symonds' Point Piper house.

A Tale of Two Cities:

Our favourite, sometimes loathed (it's really the very best & worst of the tabloids in the world) the UK Daily Mail and Mail Online has differing thoughts for each country where it appears. Thus the terrible aeroplane accident involving superstar Harrison Ford was reported somewhat differently in the UK and Australia. Perhaps they perceive us colonials are made of sterner stuff  when they described Ford's injuries as "moderate" in the UK but "serious" in Oz!

Jesinta Unmasked

Jesinta Campbell attended last night's Silver Party at the splendid Point Piper house of Aussie Home Loan's boss John Symond. Whispers had exclusive access to the grand party (more tomorrow).

Jesinta opted not to wear a mask at the themed masked party and masked little else as well as our snaps show

Out In The Open

It's been the gossip of the town but at last week's Silver Party mega millionaire John Symond finally appeared in public with his new girlfriend Amber Keating.

Amber & 'Aussie' John

Keating is the soon to be ex-wife of Patrick Keating, handsome son of former Prime Minister Paul Keating and when the Shuttle attended their wedding at St Mary's Cathedral in 2002, it was regarded as the match of the year.
 Patrick is now living with fashion identity Penny Hunt and the pair are expecting a baby.
(right : Amber & Patrick at their 2002 wedding)
Last Thursday at the fundraiser for the Sydney Children's Hospital the affection between the pair was obvious when John who walked up the driveway in the pouring rain spotted Amber who was waiting for him and the pair embraced.
Two weeks ago Amber was also on hand when Aussie Loan's John gave away his son Stephen Symond who married his partner Ed Smith in a civil ceremony in the garden of Symond's $60M Darling Point mansion.

Think Of The Children

A fleet of golf carts ferried guests up the winding Barford driveway

Hundreds did just that last night in the pouring rain. The Silver Committee threw one of it's legendary bashes at Barford, the magnificent hill-top home of Maggie and Ian Joye which seems to stretch over several acres of one of Australia's most exclusive suburbs, Bellevue Hill.

Camila Franks has the Serengeti look

The theme was Serengeti at Dusk and the decor and outfits reflected that but , well it is Sydney after all and at this time of year, when it rains it pours.

Did that dampen guest's enthusiasm ?. Not one bit as they dashed from one marquee to another under a sea of umbrellas with most deciding to settle in at the Moet & Chandon tent and sip champers out of silver goblets.

It was all in a good cause with funds raised going to the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick (patron : Nicole Kidman) and while the Shuttle only stayed for one hour, as we sauntered down the driveway we could hear an announcement proclaiming that over $375,000 had been raised so far. And the night was only young.

 Horns of the dilemna:
     political power broker
Michael Photios and wife Kristina

Gail Eliott, Anthony Minichiello &Terry Biviano

John Symond

Christian Lomas

Out Of Africa and at the Silver Party