Rose Porteous
Encyclopedia
Rose Porteous a Filipino
-born Australian, is best known for her marriage to Lang Hancock
, a West Australian iron ore mining magnate
, and the protracted legal battle with her step-daughter, Gina Rinehart
, over the circumstances that lead to the death of Hancock, and the distribution of his estate. The action, commenced by Rinehart in 1992, was eventually settled in 2003 following a coronial inquiry that determined Hancock died of natural causes.
Porteous, who lives in Perth
and Melbourne, Victoria, is often referred to by the media as a socialite
.
, Negros Occidental
, Philippines
, Porteous is the daughter of Nicolas Lacson and Amparo Lacson. Her grandfather, General Aniceto Lacson
, was a prominent military figure in Negros Occidental during the Philippine Revolution
while her uncle, Arsenio Lacson
, was the first elected mayor of Manila
.
After spending time in Hong Kong, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Porteous arrived in Australia in 1983 on a three-month working visa
. Under the guidance of Rinehart, Porteous began working as a maid
for the newly-widowed Hancock.
Hancock and Porteous became romantically involved over the course of Porteous' employment and they were wed on 6 July 1985, in Sydney
. The marriage marked the third time each of the newlyweds had exchanged vows. Porteous, who was thirty-nine years younger than her husband, was often accused of gold digging because of their age disparity
, as well as being unfaithful and promiscuous. These perceptions were heightened by her habit of flirting with other men. She was known to introduce a number of men as "my future husband" while still married to Hancock. As Porteous later stated: "I have been accused of sleeping with every man in Australia ... I would have been a very busy woman." Rinehart, who stood to inherit his entire estate, did not attend the wedding.
Although the marriage would later prove tumultuous, early on Hancock was clearly infatuated with his young wife. He gave her money and investments in real estate
in the Sydney area. Porteous, in turn, helped Hancock to look and act like a much younger man, belying his eight decades. As The Age
put it, "Rose made Lang feel younger, sprucing up his wardrobe, dying his hair and getting rid of his cane". Together they built the "Prix d'Amour", a lavish 16-block mansion overlooking the Swan River
. The mansion, which was modelled after the Tara Plantation
from Gone with the Wind
, was the setting for many large parties at which Hancock and Porteous would "dance into the night".
As the marriage wore on, however, the relationship between Hancock and Porteous began to break down. Rumours surfaced of her having disputes with servants and others close to Hancock, especially Rinehart, and as Hancock's health worsened so did his relationship with Porteous. Rinehart would later claim that Hancock's bride had paid little attention to his worsening health, but had instead "screeched at him for money". Although there were many quarrels, Hancock and Porteous remained married until his death in 1992.
s launched by her step-daughter, Gina Rinehart. Rinehart is the daughter of Lang Hancock, the late husband of Porteous, and Hope Margaret Nicholas, Hancock's second wife. On 25 June 1992, less than three months after Hancock's death, Porteous married for the fourth time, to Hancock's long-time friend William Porteous
. Rinehart was indignant at the haste with which her stepmother had remarried.
Central to Rinehart's lawsuits were the accusations that Porteous married Hancock only for his fortune and alleged that her stepmother's actions had contributed to her father's death. According to his daughter, the death was "unexpected" and came "despite strong will to live".
An autopsy showed that he had died of arteriosclerotic
heart disease
and police investigation revealed no evidence to contradict that. However, Hancock's daughter insisted that her stepmother had unnaturally hastened his death. Two successive state coroners refused to allow an inquest, but one was eventually granted in 1999 under the direction of WA Attorney-General
, Peter Foss.
After preliminary hearings during 2000, the inquest began in April 2001 with an initial estimate of 63 witnesses to be called over five weeks. The inquest was dominated by claims that Porteous had literally nagged Hancock to death with shrill tantrums and arguments. Porteous denied the allegations, famously explaining: "For anyone else it would be a tantrum, for me it's just raising my voice." In the last few days of Hancock's life, Porteous had attempted to pressure him into changing his will and Hancock eventually took out a restraining order against her. The inquest was put on hold after allegations that Rinehart had paid witnesses to appear and that some had lied in their testimony. It resumed three months later with a smaller witness list and ended with the finding that Hancock had died of natural causes and not as a result of Porteous' behaviour.
With a legal bill of A$2.7m, Rose and William Porteous commenced action against Rinehart, that was eventually settled out of court in 2003.
and prescription fraud. Claiming workers' compensation
after an autograph-signing accident at a charity show in 2002, it was reported that her shoe heel got caught in a storm drain
that left her unable to work for her own family company. A few months later, Porteous was revealed as one of several Australian celebrities promoting the SPC Ardmona
brand of canned chopped tomatoes with the slogan, Rich and Thick. A short-lived one-off reality TV show titled Rose followed in November 2002.
During 2005 it was reported that Porteous was being sued for in excess of A$
14 million by Melbourne-based law firm Slater & Gordon
in unpaid legal fees. It was reported that the unpaid fees came from court cases and legal actions in which Slater and Gordon represented Porteous, including the 2001 inquiry into the death of Hancock, and the long-running court battle with Rinehart, over his A$400 million-plus estate. It was reported that Porteous defaulted on two monthly payments to the legal firm of A$25,000 each. The dispute was lodged in the Victorian Supreme Court and Porteous unsuccessfully sought to have the matter heard in Western Australia, also claiming the she signed legal agreements in 2005, under duress
. The matter was settled in November, with Porteous agreeing to pay the law firm A$13.25 million by 31 December 2005.
, Melbourne over six months for an estimated A$9 million, a profit of A$4 million.
In March 2006, Porteous commissioned the demolition of her Perth mansion "Prix d'Amour", built with Hancock in 1990 for an estimated cost of A$7 million. The 17-room landmark mansion featured French doors and windows, parquetry and marble floors and wrought iron. The estate, set on 8,100 square metres featured the main house, two guest houses, a tennis court and two swimming pools. The property was then subdivided into ten approximatey 800 m2 lots (each with maximised views) which were put on the market for around A$5 million. In 2008-2009, two of these blocks were resold for a profit of A$1.5 million.
and was unable to attend a court hearing related to the alleged fraudulent altering a prescription medicinal script. The court hearing was held a few days before the planned demolition of "Prix d'Amour".
Celebrating her 60th birthday in 2008, Porteous was planning a low-key affair for 60 guests at her Claremont
house. Claiming that Porteous now lives a reclusive existence, in 2008 it was reported that musician Paul Dion has written a musical
based on the life of Porteous, and he was seeking financial backers.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
-born Australian, is best known for her marriage to Lang Hancock
Lang Hancock
Langley Frederick George "Lang" Hancock was an Australian iron ore magnate from Western Australia who maintained a high profile in the competing spheres of business and politics...
, a West Australian iron ore mining magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
, and the protracted legal battle with her step-daughter, Gina Rinehart
Gina Rinehart
Georgina "Gina" Hope Rinehart is a mining heiress. She is the heiress of Hancock Prospecting and the daughter of the late mining magnate Lang Hancock and Hope Margaret Nicholas...
, over the circumstances that lead to the death of Hancock, and the distribution of his estate. The action, commenced by Rinehart in 1992, was eventually settled in 2003 following a coronial inquiry that determined Hancock died of natural causes.
Porteous, who lives in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Melbourne, Victoria, is often referred to by the media as a socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
.
Biography
Born in Silay CitySilay City
Silay City is a 2nd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it had a total population of 120,365 people...
, Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Porteous is the daughter of Nicolas Lacson and Amparo Lacson. Her grandfather, General Aniceto Lacson
Aniceto Lacson
Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma was a sugar farmer, revolutionary general and businessman in the Philippines. He was the fifth son of seven children of Lucio Lacson y Petronila and Clara Ledesma of Iloilo, Philippines who migrated to Negros when Aniceto was still young...
, was a prominent military figure in Negros Occidental during the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
while her uncle, Arsenio Lacson
Arsenio Lacson
Arsenio H. Lacson was a Filipino journalist and politician who gained widespread attention as Mayor of Manila from 1952 to 1962. An active executive likened by Time and The New York Times to New York's Fiorello La Guardia, he was the first Manila mayor to be reelected to three terms...
, was the first elected mayor of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
After spending time in Hong Kong, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Porteous arrived in Australia in 1983 on a three-month working visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
. Under the guidance of Rinehart, Porteous began working as a maid
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
for the newly-widowed Hancock.
Marriage to Hancock
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...
. The marriage marked the third time each of the newlyweds had exchanged vows. Porteous, who was thirty-nine years younger than her husband, was often accused of gold digging because of their age disparity
Age disparity in sexual relationships
Age disparity in sexual relationships refers to sexual relations between people with a significant difference in age. Whether these relationships are accepted and the question of what counts as a significant difference in age has varied over time; and varies over cultures, different legal systems,...
, as well as being unfaithful and promiscuous. These perceptions were heightened by her habit of flirting with other men. She was known to introduce a number of men as "my future husband" while still married to Hancock. As Porteous later stated: "I have been accused of sleeping with every man in Australia ... I would have been a very busy woman." Rinehart, who stood to inherit his entire estate, did not attend the wedding.
Although the marriage would later prove tumultuous, early on Hancock was clearly infatuated with his young wife. He gave her money and investments in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
in the Sydney area. Porteous, in turn, helped Hancock to look and act like a much younger man, belying his eight decades. As The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
put it, "Rose made Lang feel younger, sprucing up his wardrobe, dying his hair and getting rid of his cane". Together they built the "Prix d'Amour", a lavish 16-block mansion overlooking the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
. The mansion, which was modelled after the Tara Plantation
Tara Plantation
Tara, the fictional plantation found in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind, was located near Jonesborough , Georgia...
from Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
, was the setting for many large parties at which Hancock and Porteous would "dance into the night".
As the marriage wore on, however, the relationship between Hancock and Porteous began to break down. Rumours surfaced of her having disputes with servants and others close to Hancock, especially Rinehart, and as Hancock's health worsened so did his relationship with Porteous. Rinehart would later claim that Hancock's bride had paid little attention to his worsening health, but had instead "screeched at him for money". Although there were many quarrels, Hancock and Porteous remained married until his death in 1992.
Legal action relating to the death of Hancock
Porteous rose to prominence in the 1990s as the central figure in a series of lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s launched by her step-daughter, Gina Rinehart. Rinehart is the daughter of Lang Hancock, the late husband of Porteous, and Hope Margaret Nicholas, Hancock's second wife. On 25 June 1992, less than three months after Hancock's death, Porteous married for the fourth time, to Hancock's long-time friend William Porteous
William Porteous
William "Willie" Porteous , an Australian land developer and real estate agent, is best known as the husband of Perth socialite, Rose Porteous, the widow of iron ore mining magnate, Lang Hancock.-Bibliography:...
. Rinehart was indignant at the haste with which her stepmother had remarried.
Central to Rinehart's lawsuits were the accusations that Porteous married Hancock only for his fortune and alleged that her stepmother's actions had contributed to her father's death. According to his daughter, the death was "unexpected" and came "despite strong will to live".
An autopsy showed that he had died of arteriosclerotic
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis".Also known by the name "myoconditis" which is...
heart disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
and police investigation revealed no evidence to contradict that. However, Hancock's daughter insisted that her stepmother had unnaturally hastened his death. Two successive state coroners refused to allow an inquest, but one was eventually granted in 1999 under the direction of WA Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Western Australia
The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia...
, Peter Foss.
After preliminary hearings during 2000, the inquest began in April 2001 with an initial estimate of 63 witnesses to be called over five weeks. The inquest was dominated by claims that Porteous had literally nagged Hancock to death with shrill tantrums and arguments. Porteous denied the allegations, famously explaining: "For anyone else it would be a tantrum, for me it's just raising my voice." In the last few days of Hancock's life, Porteous had attempted to pressure him into changing his will and Hancock eventually took out a restraining order against her. The inquest was put on hold after allegations that Rinehart had paid witnesses to appear and that some had lied in their testimony. It resumed three months later with a smaller witness list and ended with the finding that Hancock had died of natural causes and not as a result of Porteous' behaviour.
With a legal bill of A$2.7m, Rose and William Porteous commenced action against Rinehart, that was eventually settled out of court in 2003.
Other notoriety
Porteous has had other brushes with the legal system including matters relating to insurance fraudInsurance fraud
Insurance fraud is any act committed with the intent to fraudulently obtain payment from an insurer.Insurance fraud has existed ever since the beginning of insurance as a commercial enterprise. Fraudulent claims account for a significant portion of all claims received by insurers, and cost billions...
and prescription fraud. Claiming workers' compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
after an autograph-signing accident at a charity show in 2002, it was reported that her shoe heel got caught in a storm drain
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
that left her unable to work for her own family company. A few months later, Porteous was revealed as one of several Australian celebrities promoting the SPC Ardmona
SPC Ardmona
SPC Ardmona is an Australian-based company that specialises in large fruit packing and owns and operates a canning factory in Shepparton, Victoria. It has many workers and is one of the main sources of income for that area. It was formed in 2002 by the merger of the former Shepparton Preserving...
brand of canned chopped tomatoes with the slogan, Rich and Thick. A short-lived one-off reality TV show titled Rose followed in November 2002.
During 2005 it was reported that Porteous was being sued for in excess of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
14 million by Melbourne-based law firm Slater & Gordon
Slater & Gordon
Slater & Gordon, founded in Melbourne in 1935 by Labor politician William Slater and Hugh Lyon Gordon, is an Australian law firm employing over 800 people across Australia....
in unpaid legal fees. It was reported that the unpaid fees came from court cases and legal actions in which Slater and Gordon represented Porteous, including the 2001 inquiry into the death of Hancock, and the long-running court battle with Rinehart, over his A$400 million-plus estate. It was reported that Porteous defaulted on two monthly payments to the legal firm of A$25,000 each. The dispute was lodged in the Victorian Supreme Court and Porteous unsuccessfully sought to have the matter heard in Western Australia, also claiming the she signed legal agreements in 2005, under duress
Duress
In jurisprudence, duress or coercion refers to a situation whereby a person performs an act as a result of violence, threat or other pressure against the person. Black's Law Dictionary defines duress as "any unlawful threat or coercion used... to induce another to act [or not act] in a manner...
. The matter was settled in November, with Porteous agreeing to pay the law firm A$13.25 million by 31 December 2005.
Wealth
The wealth of Porteous is unknown. In 2007 it was reported that she sold two adjoining penthouses in ToorakToorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
, Melbourne over six months for an estimated A$9 million, a profit of A$4 million.
In March 2006, Porteous commissioned the demolition of her Perth mansion "Prix d'Amour", built with Hancock in 1990 for an estimated cost of A$7 million. The 17-room landmark mansion featured French doors and windows, parquetry and marble floors and wrought iron. The estate, set on 8,100 square metres featured the main house, two guest houses, a tennis court and two swimming pools. The property was then subdivided into ten approximatey 800 m2 lots (each with maximised views) which were put on the market for around A$5 million. In 2008-2009, two of these blocks were resold for a profit of A$1.5 million.
Current
In 2006, it was reported that Porteous had suffered a suspected strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and was unable to attend a court hearing related to the alleged fraudulent altering a prescription medicinal script. The court hearing was held a few days before the planned demolition of "Prix d'Amour".
Celebrating her 60th birthday in 2008, Porteous was planning a low-key affair for 60 guests at her Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
house. Claiming that Porteous now lives a reclusive existence, in 2008 it was reported that musician Paul Dion has written a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on the life of Porteous, and he was seeking financial backers.