Helena Carr
Encyclopedia
Helena Carr is an Australia
n businesswoman and the wife of former Premier
of New South Wales
, Bob Carr
. As of 2004, she had extensive holdings in Australian printing corporations, making her a millionaire.
to study at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta
. As economics was one of her strongest subjects, she majored in economics at the University of Sydney
.
and the two were married on 24 February 1973.
Bob Carr became Federal President of Young Labor shortly after. Helena Carr started a successful business career and by the 1980s, she was the Managing Director of Leigh Marden, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Amatil
managing a thousand staff. In 1992, her bid to buy Offset Alpine for a sum approaching A$15 million was unsuccessful, losing out to a syndicate headed by Rene Rivkin
.
She and Max Turner later bought Merritt Madden Printing and Advanced Graphics, a high-quality commercial printer producing prospectuses, annual reports, and trade magazines. In October 2004, she and Turner sold the business to the New Zealand
company Blue Star Print Group and she became a multi-millionaire as a result.
Helena Carr kept a low political profile with the exception of the 2003 state election where she appeared in advertisements for her husband.
In August 2005, Bob Carr resigned as Premier after consulting Helena.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n businesswoman and the wife of former Premier
Premiers of New South Wales
The Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
. As of 2004, she had extensive holdings in Australian printing corporations, making her a millionaire.
Early life
She was born in Malaysia, the youngest of six children. In 1965, she came to SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to study at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta , is a private, Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is adjacent to St...
. As economics was one of her strongest subjects, she majored in economics at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
.
Marriage and politics
In 1972, she met Bob Carr on a vacation in TahitiTahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and the two were married on 24 February 1973.
Bob Carr became Federal President of Young Labor shortly after. Helena Carr started a successful business career and by the 1980s, she was the Managing Director of Leigh Marden, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Amatil
Coca-Cola Amatil
Coca-Cola Amatil is an Australian company that bottles and distributes The Coca-Cola Company soft drinks and other beverages in several countries...
managing a thousand staff. In 1992, her bid to buy Offset Alpine for a sum approaching A$15 million was unsuccessful, losing out to a syndicate headed by Rene Rivkin
Rene Rivkin
Rene Rivkin was an Australian entrepreneur, investor, investment adviser, and stockbroker. He was a well-known stockbroker in Australia for many years until his death in 2005.-Early life:...
.
She and Max Turner later bought Merritt Madden Printing and Advanced Graphics, a high-quality commercial printer producing prospectuses, annual reports, and trade magazines. In October 2004, she and Turner sold the business to the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
company Blue Star Print Group and she became a multi-millionaire as a result.
Helena Carr kept a low political profile with the exception of the 2003 state election where she appeared in advertisements for her husband.
In August 2005, Bob Carr resigned as Premier after consulting Helena.
External links
- Crown Content Who's Who in Australia 2005, North Melbourne page 379
- Sydney Morning Herald article on Helena Carr published 30 July 2005
- Sydney Morning Herald article on Helena Carr
- http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/23/1098474928459.html?from=storylhs Sydney Morning Herald article on the sale of Merritt Madden
- Melbourne Observer Media Flash column, 2 June 2004 page 7 on unsuccessful bid for Alpine Offset
Further reading
- Helena Dodkin Bob Carr: the Reluctant Leader, University of NSW Press 2003 ISBN 0-86840-757-7
- Andrew West and Rachel Morris, Bob Carr: a Self-Made Man Harper Collins Pymble NSW 2003 ISBN 0-7322-7750-7