Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian publishing, media and gaming tycoon. He was famous for his outspoken nature, wealth, expansive business empire and clashes with the Australian Taxation Office and the Costigan Commission. Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, wearing on her left shoulder the Order of Australias Sovereign Badge. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is the Australian government agency that collects taxes and enforces taxation legislation (except customs and external revenues, which are handled by the Australian Customs Service). ... The Costigan Commission (officially titled the Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union)was a controversial Australian enquiry. ...

At the time of his death, Packer was the richest and one of the most influential men in Australia. In 2004 Business Review Weekly magazine estimated Packer's net worth at AUD 6.5 billion ($6.5 billion; about USD 4.7 billion). 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Business Review Weekly (BRW) is Australias pre-eminent weekly business magazine. ... Au. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ...

Business

Packer, through the family company Consolidated Press Holdings, was the major shareholder, with a 38% holding, in Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), which owns the Nine television network and Australian Consolidated Press, which produces many of Australia's top-selling magazines. He was involved in a number of other gambling and tourism ventures, notably the Crown Casino in Melbourne. Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, or PBL, is one of Australias major media companies. ... The Nine Network is an Australian television network, available in major markets across Australia. ... Australian Consolidated Press (ACP), a member of Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Atrium at Crown Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a casino and entertainment precinct on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. ... Melbournes Yarra River is popular area for walking, jogging, cycling and relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the second most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ...

Packer was widely respected in business circles, courted by politicians on both sides, and he was widely regarded as one of the most astute businessmen of his time, despite the fact that he had been a poor student.

Although Packer's reputation as an astute businessman was legendary and he did make some good investments, he was by no means a self-made man -- his grandfather and his father Frank Packer had built up the Consolidated Press empire and its related holdings over many decades. Moreover, Packer was not the first choice to take over the running of the family's business empire -- in fact his father had intended that Kerry's older brother Clyde Packer would take over the company, but Clyde fell out with his father in the early Seventies and left Australia for good. Sir Frank Packer (December 3, 1906–May 1, 1974), was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine television network. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Kerry's independent business life began after his father's death in 1974, when he inherited control of the family's controlling share in PBL, valued at $AUD100 million. Further, his principal Australian investments in television and casinos were highly protected from competition by government regulation which Packer and his employees worked very hard to have maintained. As pointed out by internet news outlet Crikey if $100 million had been invested in the Australian sharemarket in September 1974 through a balanced portfolio of the top 200 companies, that portfolio would be worth a lot more than $6.9 billion in December 2005, possibly as much as $11 billion. The word crikey is also a phrase made famous internationally by Steve Irwin. ...

The Packer family's business reputation suffered a blow when One.Tel, a telco which his son James Packer had invested in, collapsed in 2001. One. ... A telephone company (or telco) provides telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications. ... James Douglas Packer (born September 8, 1967) is an Australian businessman and Australias richest man. ...

Kerry Packer was also one of Australia's largest landholders, a fact that contributed in 2003 to a discovery of a deposit of rubies on one of his huge properties.

The Packer empire includes magazines and television networks, telecommunications, petrochemicals, heavy engineering, a 75% stake in the Perisher Blue ski resort, diamond exploration, coalmines and property, a share in the Foxtel cable TV network, and investments in the lucrative casino business in Australia and overseas. Perisher Blue is one of Australias largest skiing resorts. ...

Media interests

The "Packer Empire"

The Packer family has long been involved in media. Packer's grandfather Robert Clyde Packer owned two Sydney newspapers whilst his father, Sir Frank Packer was one of Australia's first media moguls, and Kerry's son, James Packer, is Executive Chairman of PBL. Robert Clyde Packer (1879-1934) was the founder of Australias Packer media dynasty, current owners of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL). ... Sir Frank Packer (December 3, 1906–May 1, 1974), was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine television network. ... James Douglas Packer (born September 8, 1967) is an Australian businessman and Australias richest man. ...

Sir Frank wanted Kerry to experience work in the Newspaper Industry from the ground up, so Packer started in the loading dock of the Sydney newspaper The Telegraph, loading papers. This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... The Daily Telegraph is a tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ...

He was not originally destined for the role, but in the early 1970s Kerry took the place of the designated successor, his older brother, the late Clyde Packer, after Clyde fell out with their father, quit PBL and moved to America. Kerry took over the running of PBL in 1974, on the death of his father. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Alan Bond media buyback

In 1987 Packer made a fortune at the expense of disgraced tycoon Alan Bond. It was widely reported that he sold Bond the Nine Network at the record price of AUD$1.05 billion in 1987, and then bought it back three years later for a mere $250 million, when Bond's empire was collapsing. Packer was then able to re-invest the proceeds in a 25% share in the Foxtel pay TV consortium. After the sale to Bond, Packer said that he had regretted the decision to sell Nine and wished he had not gone through with the transaction. Alan Bond (born 22 April 1938) is an Australian business man. ... The Nine Network is an Australian television network, available in major markets across Australia. ... ISO 4217 Code AUD User(s) Australia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island Inflation 4% (Australia only) Source Reserve Bank of Australia, June 2006 Subunit 1/100 cent Symbol $ or AUD Coins 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c , $1, $2 Banknotes $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 Central... Foxtel is a cable television and satellite television company in Australia, formed through a joint venture between Telstra and News Corporation. ... Pay television, or pay-TV, usually refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analogue and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly by digital terrestrial methods. ...

Later, on the subject, he famously said: "An Alan Bond only happens to you once."

At the 2006 PBL AGM, Kerry's son James told of the true complexities of the deal. Kerry received $800 million in cash, with $250 million left in Bond Media as subordinated debt. As Alan Bond went under, Packer converted this $250 million into a 37% stake in Bond Media. Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, or PBL, is one of Australias major media companies. ... An Annual General Meeting, commonly abbreviated as AGM, also known as the annual meeting, is a meeting that official bodies and associations involving the public are often required by law (In what country?) to hold. ... James Douglas Packer (born September 8, 1967) is an Australian businessman and Australias richest man. ...

There remained $500 million of debt sitting in Bond Media. Packer received $800 million in cash before receiving a free 37% equity stake that put a debt-included value of $500 million on the Nine Network, which was by then included Channel Nine in Brisbane.^[1] The Nine Network is an Australian television network, available in major markets across Australia. ...

Hands on business approach

Packer was known to sometimes take a direct interest in the editorial content of his papers, although he was far less interventionist than the notoriously hands-on Murdoch. Keith Rupert Murdoch AC, KCSG, (commonly known as Rupert Murdoch) (born 11 March 1931) is a businessman and media magnate, most known for being the owner of News Corporation. ...

Packer also occasionally interfered directly in the programming of his TV stations, and during the early 1990s he famously called his Sydney station, TCN-9 and ordered that Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos hosted by Doug Mulray be taken off air on national television during its inaugural broadcast.1 TCN-9 is the Sydney flagship television station of the Nine Network in Australia. ... Australias Naughtiest Home Videos was an Australian television comedy series which gained notoriety when it was cancelled during its only broadcast in 1993. ... Douglas John Mulray (born 1 December 1951, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), better known as Doug Mulray, was a former host of the breakfast time slot on Sydney FM radio station 2MMM (Triple M) in the 1980s. ...

It was also said that he often manipulated broadcasts of the cricket himself, in order to ensure the end of a cricket match was broadcast, despite previously set television broadcast schedules.

Government inquiry and legal challenges

Packer faced a 1991 Australian government inquiry into the print media industry with some reluctance, but great humour. When asked to state his full name and the capacity in which he appeared, he replied: "Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer. Reluctantly."

Packer fronted the inquiry over allegations that he had some secret control over the content of the Fairfax papers (an organisation that Packer had wished to purchase for sometime, but was restricted from via cross media ownership laws). Fairfax is the name of some places in the United States of America: Fairfax, California Fairfax, Iowa Fairfax, Minnesota Fairfax, Missouri Fairfax, Ohio Fairfax, Oklahoma Fairfax, South Carolina Fairfax, South Dakota Fairfax, Vermont Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax, West Virginia Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California Fairfax Station, Virginia Fairfax...

During the inquiry he repeatedly berated the politicians conducting it, and the government. When asked about his company's tax minimisation schemes, he replied: "Of course I am minimising my tax. And if anybody in this country doesn't minimise their tax, they want their heads read, because as a government, I can tell you you're not spending it that well that we should be donating extra!"

At the time of his death, the Nine Network was the jewel in the PBL crown. Although it had a tough year in 2005 against rival Seven Network (aided largely by US TV hits such as Desperate Housewives and Lost) Nine still finished the year as the number one network. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Seven Network (ASX: SEV) is an Australian television network. ... This section does not cite its references or sources. ... Lost is an American drama/ thriller television series that follows the present and past lives of a group of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, somewhere in the South Pacific. ...

Founder of World Series Cricket

Main article: World Series Cricket

Outside Australia, Packer was best known for founding World Series Cricket. In 1977 the Nine cricket rights deal led to a confrontation with the cricket authorities, as top players from several countries rushed to join him at the expense of their international sides. For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Image File history File links Packer_acb_cartoon. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... A cricket match in progress. ...

One of the leaders of the "rebellion" was England captain, Tony Greig. Greig remains a commentator on the Nine Network's payroll. Packer's aim was to secure broadcasting rights for Australian cricket, and his ploy was largely successful. In the 1970s the global cricket establishment fiercely opposed Packer in the courts. To counter the establishment, Packer hired the ten best Senior Counsels in the UK and put then on retainers, stipulating they were not to take on any additional work during the court case. The sole purpose of which was to deny the establishment the best legal minds to prosecute their case. When he died he was mourned with a minute's silence at the MCG as one of the most influential figures in the history of the sport. Anthony Tony William Greig (born October 6, 1946) is a former cricketer and currently a commentator. ... Mcg could refer to: Microgram (mcg or µg) Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol) Muslim Consumer Group (MCG) Micronized Coffee Grounds (MCG) Magnetocardiography (MCG) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Packer was famously quoted from a 1976 meeting with the Australian Cricket Board, with whom he met to negotiate the rights to televise cricket. According to witnesses, he said: "There is a little bit of the whore in all of us, gentlemen. What is your price?" [1] Cricket Australia, formerly the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional cricket in Australia. ...

Controversy

Packer was often the centre of controversy. One of the earliest incidents occurred in 1962, when his father was trying to take over the Anglican Press, a small publisher run by Francis James. According to author Richard Neville, Frank Packer was angered by James' refusal to sell the Anglican Press, so he sent Kerry and some burly friends to pressure him into selling. They forced their way in and reportedly began vandalising the premises, but James was able to barricade himself in his office and call his friend Rupert Murdoch, Packer's most powerful rival. Murdoch quickly dispatched his own team of 'heavies', who threw Kerry and friends out. Not surprisingly, the Murdoch press had a field day with the news that the son of Australia's biggest media tycoon had been caught brawling in the street. 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Francis James (1918-1992) was an Australian publisher and eccentric, most famous for being imprisoned in China as a spy. ... Keith Rupert Murdoch AC, KCSG, (commonly known as Rupert Murdoch) (born 11 March 1931) is a businessman and media magnate, most known for being the owner of News Corporation. ...

Like Murdoch, Packer's critics saw ever-expanding cross-media holdings as a potential threat to media diversity and freedom of speech. He also repeatedly came under fire for his companies' alleged involvement in tax evasion schemes and for the extremely low amounts of company tax that his corporations are reported to have paid over the years. He fought repeated battles with the Australian Taxation Office over his corporate taxes. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is the Australian government agency that collects taxes and enforces taxation legislation (except customs and external revenues, which are handled by the Australian Customs Service). ...

His severest legal challenge came in 1984 with the Costigan Commission alleging (using the codename of "the squirrel", renamed "the Goanna" in media reports^[2]) that he was involved in tax evasion and organised crime, including drug trafficking. He successfully counter-attacked the Commission with the assistance of his counsel Malcolm Turnbull (who later became a prominent politician.) In 1987 the charges were formally dismissed by Federal Attorney-General Lionel Bowen. Mystery still surrounds Packer's receipt of a "loan" of $225,000 in cash from Brian Ray a bankrupt Queensland businessman.[2] 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Costigan Commission (officially titled the Royal Commission on the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union)was a controversial Australian enquiry. ... Species Several, see text. ... This article contrasts tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax resistance and tax mitigation. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954), Australian politician, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in October 2004 for the Division of Wentworth, New South Wales, representing the Liberal Party. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General or Attorney-General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Lionel Frost Bowen (born 28 December 1922), Australian politician, was a senior Labor figure, serving in the ministries of Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. ...

Notwithstanding the significant efforts made to preserve his security and privacy, Packer suffered two mysterious break-ins at his companies' headquarters in Park Street, Sydney:

• in 1995 $5.4 million worth of gold bars, and a Vegemite jar full of gold nuggets, the provenance of which was never publicly explained, were stolen from Packer's personal safe [3];
• in 2003 a licensed Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol was stolen from a desk drawer on the executive level. Packer was not charged with failing to "keep safe" the weapon but he did subsequently surrender his firearms license [4].

Packer courted controversy by breaking the sports boycott of apartheid South Africa which prevented South African sportsmen from representing their country. Packer chose to break it by recruiting a number of prominent South African cricketers to play on his World Series Cricket Team. His timing was heavily criticised, coming just months after the Soweto riots and the death of Steve Biko, murdered by the members of the South African security forces. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Fatally-wounded Hector Pieterson (13), one of the first fatalities, is carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo on June 16, 1976, with Antoinette Pieterson (17) running alongside. ... Stephen Biko Stephen Bantu Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a noted nonviolent anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s. ...

Personal life

His primary schooling suffered greatly when he was stricken with a severe bout of poliomyelitis at age eight, and he was confined to an iron lung for nine months. His father apparently thought little of his son's abilities, once cruelly describing him as "the family idiot", yet Kerry steered PBL to heights far beyond anything his father or brother achieved. In an interview with Ray Martin, Packer claimed that he was "academically stupid" and survived school at Geelong Grammar School through sport. Even throughout his adult life, Packer apparently found reading difficult, and is believed to have suffered from dyslexia . In an interview, former employee Trevor Sykes stated that "He didn't read much on the printed page. If you didn't want Kerry to read something, you wrote more than a one-page memo." [5]. Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ... An iron lung. ... Developmental dyslexia is a said to be a condition or learning disability which causes difficulty with reading and writing. ...

Kerry Packer and his wife of 42 years, Roslyn, had two children, a daughter Gretel (born 1966), and a son James. The Packers had two grandchildren, Chessie, 10, and Ben, 7, from Gretel's first marriage to British financier Nick Barham [6], and at the time of Kerry Packer's death, Gretel and her partner Shane Murray were expecting their first child together, William. [7] James Douglas Packer (born September 8, 1967) is an Australian businessman and Australias richest man. ...

Packer was a keen polo player, a longtime heavy smoker and an avid gambler, fabled for his titanic wins and losses. In 1999 it was reported that a three-week losing streak at London casinos cost him almost $28 million -- described at the time as the biggest reported gambling loss in British history. now. ...

The same report stated that he had once won $33 million (Australian) at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas and that he often won as much as $7 million each year during his annual holidays in the UK. Packer's visits were a risky affair for the casinos, as his wins and losses could make quite a difference to the finances of even bigger casinos. Packer was also known for his sometimes volcanic temper, and for his perennial contempt for the media and journalists. The MGM Grand Las Vegas opened in 1993 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, as a Hollywood themed resort. ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ...

Packer is famously quoted for an exchange in a poker tournament at the Stratosphere Casino, where a Texan oil investor was attempting to engage him in a game of poker. Upon the Texan saying "I'm worth $60,000,000!" Packer apparently pulled out a coin and asked nonchalantly, "heads or tails?",referring to a $100,000,000 wager(according to Bob Stupak's biography). Some variations of the story put the sum at $60-100,000,000 and claim the line was "I'll flip ya for it", that Bob Stupak and others at the Casino claim to have witnessed. State nickname: Lone Star State Other U.S. States Capital Austin Largest city Houston Governor Rick Perry Official languages None Area 696,241 km² (2nd)  - Land 678,907 km²  - Water 17,333 km² (2. ... Bob Stupak (born 1942) is a well-known Las Vegas casino owner and entrepreneur. ...

After Packer's death the Sydney Morning Herald reported that from about 1995, Packer had transferred control of significant amounts of Sydney suburban real estate to Julie Trethowan, the manager (from 1983) of the Packer owned Sydney city health and fitness club, the Hyde Park Club. [8] [9] and [10]. Trethowan was subsequently confirmed as having been Packer's mistress [11]. ...

Failing health

Packer reportedly suffered as many as eight heart attacks. In 1990, while playing polo at Warwick Farm, Sydney, he suffered a heart attack that left him clinically dead for six minutes. Packer was revived and later famously told reporter Ray Martin on A Current Affair, "The good news is there is no devil. The bad news is there is no heaven." It was not common for an ambulance to have a defibrillator at the time - it was purely by chance that the ambulance which responded to the call had one fitted. After recovering, Packer donated a large sum to the New South Wales Ambulance Service to pay for equipping all NSW ambulances with a portable defibrillator (now colloquially known as "Packer Whackers"). He told Nick Greiner "I'll go you 50/50", and the NSW State government paid the other half of the cost. Packer underwent heart bypass surgery in New York in 1998. This article is about the year. ... A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ... Clinical death occurs when a patients heartbeat and breathing have stopped. ... Ray Martin Ray Martin (born 20 December 1944, in Richmond, New South Wales) is the Australian Nine Networks Senior Correspondent. ... A Current Affair (or ACA) is an Australian television current affairs programme, broadcast on the Nine Network. ... A semi-automatic external defibrillator (AED) A defibrillator is a medical device used in the defibrillation of the heart. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Const. ... The colloquial name given to defibrillators in Australia after Kerry Packer was resuscitated in Sydney after a heart attack. ... A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or heart bypass is a surgical procedure performed in patients with coronary artery disease (see atherosclerosis) for the relief of angina and possible improved heart muscle function. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

He also suffered from a chronic kidney condition for many years, and in 2000 he made headlines when his long-serving helicopter pilot, Nick Ross, donated one of his own kidneys to Packer for transplantation. Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors. ... An organ transplant is the transplantation of a whole or partial organ from one body to another (or from a donor site on the patients own body), for the purpose of replacing the recipients damaged or failing organ with a working one from the donor site. ...

The transplant was covered in detail by the Australian TV documentary program Australian Story, a rare occasion on which Packer granted a media interview (and, to the surprise of many, not to his own network; Australian Story is produced by the public network, ABC). Australian Story is a weekly biography programme, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, that portrays the lives of significant Australians. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australias national public broadcaster. ...

After recovering from the operation, Packer launched an organ transplant association in memory of cricketer David Hookes. David Hookes David Hookes (born May 3, 1955 in Adelaide; died January 19, 2004 in Melbourne) was an Australian cricketer and Victorian cricket coach. ...

Death

Kerry Packer died of kidney failure at the age of 68 on 26 December 2005, shortly before 11pm (AEDT) [12], at home in Sydney, Australia, with his family by his bedside. Knowing that his health was failing, he instructed his doctors not to treat him with curative intent or by artificially prolonging his life with dialysis. He told his cardiologist earlier in the week that he was "running out of petrol" and wanted to "die with dignity". December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... as non DST time Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae, Pohnpei, and surrounding area New Caledonia Russia Kuril Islands* Magadan Oblast* Sakha Republic* (eastern portion) Solomon Islands Vanuatu as DST Australia (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) Australian Capital Territory** New South Wales** Tasmania** (where daylight saving time starts on the first weekend...

Due to Packer's ownership of Nine, the death was announced to the public by broadcaster Richard Wilkins, on the Network's Today: Richard Wilkins is a prominent Australian television personality on the Nine Network. ... Today is an Australian morning television programme broadcast weekdays from 6am on the Nine Network. ...

"Mrs Kerry [Roslyn] Packer and her children James and Gretel sadly report the passing last evening of her husband and their father Kerry. He died peacefully at home with his family at his bedside. He will be lovingly remembered and missed enormously. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced."

His private funeral service was held on December 30, 2005 at the family's country retreat, Ellerston, near Scone in the Hunter Valley [13]. December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Old Church, Ouside Scone, Upper Hunter, NSW. Scone is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Hunter Valley is a region of New South Wales, approximately 160 kilometres north of Sydney, Australia with an approximate population of 700,000 people, most of which live in the Newcastle metropolitan area. ...

State Memorial Service

An offer of a state memorial service was extended to, and accepted by the Packer family, which was held on 17 February 2006 at the Sydney Opera House [14]. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Internationally, the Sydney Opera House is the most recognised symbol of Sydney Sydney Opera House at Night The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Close friend Alan Jones was MC at the memorial service, which featured speeches from son and heir James, Russell Crowe on behalf of daughter Gretel Packer, Prime Minister John Howard and Richie Benaud. Attendees included Tom Cruise (a friend of James Packer) and his partner Katie Holmes, Greg Norman, members of the Australian cricket team, and past and present figures from both sides of politics. Alan Belford Jones AO (born 13 April 1941 or 1943[1]) is an Australian commercial radio personality of the genre known as shock jock. ... Russell Ira Crowe (born April 7, 1964 in Wellington, New Zealand) is an Oscar-winning New Zealand-Australian film actor. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is currently the Prime Minister of Australia. ... Richard Richie Benaud OBE (born October 6, 1930 in Penrith, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ... Kate Noelle Katie Holmes[1] (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB teen drama Dawsons Creek from 1998 to 2003. ... The cover of Shark (1998), a biography of Greg Norman. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The granting of this honour was widely questioned as it was funded by tax-payers, and Packer was famous for his tax minimization.

Further reading

• Barry, Paul (1993). The Rise and Rise of Kerry Packer. Sydney: Bantam/ABC Books. ISBN 1-86359-075-7.
• Westfield, Mark (2000). The Gatekeepers. Sydney/London: Pluto Press/Comerford and Miller. ISBN 1-86403-102-6.
• Stone, Gerald (2000). Compulsive Viewing: the inside story of Packer's Nine Network. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking. ISBN 0-670-88690-4.

Paul Barry reporting for Four Corners in 1993 Paul Barry (1952 - ) is a British-born, Australian-based journalist, who has won many awards for his investigative reporting. ...

References

1. ^ Mayne, Stephen. "Packer explodes Alan Bond myth", Crikey, 27 October, 2006 (retrieved 27 October 2006).
2. ^ John Huxley, Costigan angry and sticking to his guns, Sydney Morning Herald, February 21, 2006

The word crikey is also a phrase made famous internationally by Steve Irwin. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ...

External links

• Publishing and Broadcasting Limited
• Kerry Packer - Media Man Australia profile
• "Kerry Packer, 68, Australia's Media Magnate, Is Dead", The New York Times, December 27, 2005.
• 1970s interview on Packer's childhood
• Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, tycoon and transformer of cricket, died on December 26th, aged 68, Obituary, The Economist, June 5, 2006.