Robert Clyde Packer
Encyclopedia
Robert Clyde Packer was the founder of Australia
's Packer media dynasty, which used to own Publishing and Broadcasting Limited
(PBL) now owns Consolidated Press Holdings and Crown Limited
.
R.C.Packer, was the son of the Head of Her Majesty's Customs Tasmania
, a man of Irish extraction named Arthur Howard Packer (died 20 August 1912) and Margaret Fitzmaurice Packer (nee Clyde) (1855-1915) . He became a journalist first in Hobart
, later in Cairns
, Bellingen
, Macksville
, Tamworth
, Dubbo (where he edited The Dubbo Liberal, owned by a young widow) and finally Sydney
in 1908, where he joined the staff of the Sunday Times, became editor in 1913, then sub-editor with The Sydney Sun. In 1918 he joined with James Joynton Smith
and Claude McKay
in the foundation of Smith's Weekly
, followed in 1923 by the Daily Guardian (both now defunct but at the time highly profitable with circulations in the hundreds of thousands). Notable achievements included launching the first Miss Australia
beauty contest at the Daily Guardian in 1926. He left Smith's Weekly in 1930 in possession of a half share in the paper (he had helped purchase McKay's interest in 1927) and substantial holdings in Australian Associated Newspapers, publishers of The Telegraph and The Sunday Sun (who had bought out the Daily Guardian and Sunday Guardian in 1929).
. They had two children; Frank Packer
(1906-1974) and Kathleen Mary Packer (1910-2000), known later as Lady Kathleen Stening, wife of Sir George Stening (1904-1996).
R.C.Packer died of heart failure at age 54 whilst on board the P & O ship, RMS Maloja
. The ship was cruising on the Mediterranean at the time. Packer was pronounced dead at Marseille
, France and his son Frank inherited his publishing interests, expanding them into a formidable media empire, which was expanded still further by Frank's son Kerry
and grandson, James
. He was buried on 21 May 1934 in the Packer family mausoleum at South Head Cemetery.. He left an estate valued at ₤54,706 to his wife, son and daughter. His wife, Ethel Packer died in Wellington
, New Zealand on 1 April 1947.
According to Gerald Stone
, in Compulsive Viewing, the Packer fortune is reputed to be founded on a stroke of luck, when he found 10 shillings at a Tasmanian race track and put it on a winning horse at twelve to one. It was enough to pay his way to the mainland, to begin his newspaper career.
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...
's Packer media dynasty, which used to own Publishing and Broadcasting Limited
Publishing and Broadcasting Limited
Publishing and Broadcasting Limited was one of Australia's largest companies, with interests primarily in media and gaming. The company demerged in late 2007, spinning out its gaming interests into Crown Limited...
(PBL) now owns Consolidated Press Holdings and Crown Limited
Crown Limited
Crown Limited is one of Australia's largest gaming and entertainment groups. At June 2010, Crown Limited had a market capitalisation of just over A$6 billion and accounted for 27.53% of the S&P/ASX 200 Hotels Restaurants & Leisure Industry Group....
.
R.C.Packer, was the son of the Head of Her Majesty's Customs Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, a man of Irish extraction named Arthur Howard Packer (died 20 August 1912) and Margaret Fitzmaurice Packer (nee Clyde) (1855-1915) . He became a journalist first in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, later in Cairns
Cairns, Queensland
Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was...
, Bellingen
Bellingen
Bellingen may refer to:*Bellingen, Rhineland-Palatinate, a municipality in the district Westerwaldkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany*Bellingen, Saxony-Anhalt, a municipality in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
, Macksville
Macksville, New South Wales
Macksville is a small town on the Nambucca River in Nambucca Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It is halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.-Town information:...
, Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
, Dubbo (where he edited The Dubbo Liberal, owned by a young widow) and finally Sydney
Sydney
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...
in 1908, where he joined the staff of the Sunday Times, became editor in 1913, then sub-editor with The Sydney Sun. In 1918 he joined with James Joynton Smith
James Joynton Smith
Sir James John Joynton Smith KBE, commonly referred to as simply Joynton Smith was an Australian hotelier, racecourse and newspaper owner, and Lord Mayor of Sydney....
and Claude McKay
Claude Eric Fergusson McKay
Claude McKay was an Australian journalist and publicist of Scottish descent born in Kilmore, Victoria.He worked on the Kilmore Advertiser as jack-of-all-trades then as a journalist in Seymour, Melbourne, Warrnambool and Bendigo before moving to Brisbane in 1902, where he was deputy music and...
in the foundation of Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
, followed in 1923 by the Daily Guardian (both now defunct but at the time highly profitable with circulations in the hundreds of thousands). Notable achievements included launching the first Miss Australia
Miss Australia
Miss Australia is the title for the winner of the Miss Australia Quest/Awards, which ran from 1954 until 2000, when the last Miss Australia was named....
beauty contest at the Daily Guardian in 1926. He left Smith's Weekly in 1930 in possession of a half share in the paper (he had helped purchase McKay's interest in 1927) and substantial holdings in Australian Associated Newspapers, publishers of The Telegraph and The Sunday Sun (who had bought out the Daily Guardian and Sunday Guardian in 1929).
Family life
Robert Clyde Packer married Ethel Maud Hewson (1878-1947) on 13 July 1903 at St. Matthias Church, Paddington, New South WalesPaddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
. They had two children; Frank Packer
Frank Packer
Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE , was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network.-Biography:...
(1906-1974) and Kathleen Mary Packer (1910-2000), known later as Lady Kathleen Stening, wife of Sir George Stening (1904-1996).
R.C.Packer died of heart failure at age 54 whilst on board the P & O ship, RMS Maloja
RMS Maloja
RMS Maloja was an English steam-powered ocean liner that saw service during the first part of the twentieth century.The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company placed the order for RMS Maloja with Harland and Wolff Ltd on 29 November 1918. Yard No. 588 was assigned to the project and work...
. The ship was cruising on the Mediterranean at the time. Packer was pronounced dead at Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France and his son Frank inherited his publishing interests, expanding them into a formidable media empire, which was expanded still further by Frank's son Kerry
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
and grandson, James
James Packer
James Douglas Packer is an Australian businessman.Packer is the son of the late media mogul Kerry Packer and grandson of Frank Packer. He inherited the family company, Consolidated Press Holdings Limited, which controls investments in Crown Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings and other companies...
. He was buried on 21 May 1934 in the Packer family mausoleum at South Head Cemetery.. He left an estate valued at ₤54,706 to his wife, son and daughter. His wife, Ethel Packer died in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand on 1 April 1947.
According to Gerald Stone
Gerald Stone
Gerald Louis Stone is an American-born Australian television and radio journalist, television executive and author.-Early years:Raised in Columbus, Ohio, Stone graduated in political science from Cornell University and in 1957 started work as a copy boy for the New York Times.In 1962 he emigrated...
, in Compulsive Viewing, the Packer fortune is reputed to be founded on a stroke of luck, when he found 10 shillings at a Tasmanian race track and put it on a winning horse at twelve to one. It was enough to pay his way to the mainland, to begin his newspaper career.