Private Sydney: Francesca the key to Packers' big party

PRIVATE SYDNEY

She made her society debut in Paris just two years ago, but it will be her hometown of Sydney that gets to see the coming of age of one of the country's most eligible heiresses: Francesca Packer Barham, eldest grandchild of the late Kerry Packer.

PS hears a wide circle of Sydney silvertails have received "save the dates" for next month's' 21st birthday, which Francesca will be celebrating as a newly single woman following the demise of her six-month relationship to tattooed rock 'n' roller Joshua Mullane, who at 11 years her senior was considered by some as a bit of a "wild card" boyfriend.

The event is expected to be a lavish affair, though details of where it will be held are a closely guarded secret. Given the Packer family's previous milestone events, PS suspects it will be a celebration on a grand scale, the details of which won't be secret for much longer.

The bubbly Francesca has forged her own path. Photo: Lidia Nikonova

Last week Francesca stepped out on the red carpet for the Brownlow Medal in Melbourne with her "good friend", an erudite young chap named Kelli Holland, however it appears their friendship is just that.

"I think she has her sights set on something a little grander when it comes to boyfriends or potential husbands ... maybe a European prince from some minor royal family ... she is well aware of her station in life and knows how important it is to find the right man," a long-time friend of the Packers informed PS this week.

"Joshua was popular with Francesca's mother Gretel, but I think she will be trying out a few boyfriends before she finds the one ... it's a bit like The Bachelorette goes Uptown."

Francesca Packer Barham and her cavalier Oscar Hoare at le Bal de Debutantes de Paris.

In two years Francesca has firmly cemented herself a position on the society radar, a confident and bubbly young woman, she has forged her own path and maintained a highly public profile, often at the angst of her mother Gretel and father, Gretel's first husband, British money man Nicholas Barham, who these days spends his time between Sydney and the French Riviera.

PS caught up with Francesca in August on Hamilton Island, where she was accompanied by her then boyfriend Mullane, though interestingly she attended various functions by herself.

Initially a little guarded when PS started chatting, she soon warmed up when it came to discussing her university degree, though she became most animated when talking about music and social media, both passions she actively pursues. Her Instagram account boasts no less than 144,000 followers, who have front row seats to a glamorous life of superyachts, private jets, Hollywood A-listers and luxurious destinations around the globe.

Such exposure has left several of the Packers a little uneasy given their generations long tradition of avoiding the spotlight. However, considering her uncle James' highly publicised exploits with Mariah Carey in recent times, clearly the family is moving into a brave new world of public life, whether they like it or not.

Folkes Point Piper stunt misfires

Nick Folkes (pictured left) and fellow representatives from Party For Freedom protest outside Malcolm Turnbull's House. Photo: Supplied

Step aside Pauline Hanson, there's a new defender of the "Australian way of life" – or at least his version of it – on the scene and he's already making his presence felt around our new Prime Minister's Point Piper abode.

Nick Folkes and his cronies from aspiring political movement Party for Freedom opted to dress in traditional Muslim attire, complete with head scarves and tunics for the men and full burqas for the women, when they descended on Malcolm Turnbull's Point Piper home last week with a petition claiming to promote "cultural diversity".

Folkes, armed with a megaphone and playing the Azan – the morning call to pray – then told passers by he proposed having Syrian refugees relocated to the Eastern Suburbs rather than in the Western Suburbs to improve the cultural diversity of suburbs like Point Piper.

However as far as media stunts go, it was a bit of a misfire. Indeed someone had forgotten to alert the media, and the only camera there was one of Folke's team documenting the stunt, which has since been posted on YouTube.

Turnbull himself missed it too, he was not at home though the ever present Federal Police officers tasked with monitoring the Prime Minister's home were there keeping a watchful eye on things.

Folkes, who most recently headed up another campaign to stop the Chinese economic "invasion" by disrupting house auctions across Sydney, also appeared on SBS's Living With The Enemyprogram last year, during which he attempted to debate multi-culturalism with Sudanese refugee Abraham Nouk. In the end it was Nouk who claimed victory, with an outpouring of support on social media following the broadcast.

Life has changed for Lara Worthington

Lara Worthington (Nee Bingle) will be on the covers of Harpers Bazaar Australia. Photo: Harpers Bazaar

The artist formerly known as Lara Bingle graces the cover of Harpers Bazaar Australia next week, and while she still looks like the bikini model Australia was first introduced to nearly a decade ago, apparently our Lara, now aged 28, is a changed woman.

For starters she has dropped the name Bingle in favour of her new husband's surname, 39-year-old actor Sam Worthington, because she "didn't want to be the odd one out". And while she has posed with her new son Rocket inside the magazine, her camera-shy husband has clearly had an impact, the couple banning any use of the images with her baby for publicity – a curious move for someone who made a career out of sharing the most intimate moments of her life to the masses.

A reflective Mrs Worthington tells the magazine: "Looking back, I do think of all those mistakes I made, but everyone has a past – mine was just publicised. I was kind of selling my soul on magazine covers: 'You're fat/You're skinny.' I could say I was naive, but back then I thought I knew what I was doing. You're young, people can tell you but you don't listen, so it's a ticking time bomb. When I stepped away from it, I realised I didn't want to be like that, I don't want to sell my soul, I don't want to do that. Going away, I think, has been the best thing for me. I think I just needed to shut up for a while and get my head around what I wanted to do – I was always chasing everything for everyone else.

Following a whirlwind romance she "secretly" married Worthington in front of immediate family in December last year.

"We wrote the ceremony ourselves and in London I bought a white Louis Vuitton dress, which was hard to find because I was pregnant. We have done it totally backwards, but it's a nice story. It's our story. My life has changed completely."

Everything's hottying up at this year's Melbourne Cup

Terry Biviano. Photo: Belinda Rolland Photography

Millie who?

You may well ask, but apparently a lovely English lass named Millie Mackintosh is about as big as it is going to get in terms of the Celebrity Stakes at this year's Melbourne Cup racing carnival.

It is around this time of year that marquee hosts inside the coveted Birdcage enclosure start teasing the mega-star names on their guests lists, however 2015 looks like being a little leaner than previous years, which have seen the likes of Shane Warne slobbering all over Liz Hurley, Sarah Jessica Parker, Stevie Nicks, Nicole Kidman, Jamie Oliver, Joan Collins, Paris and Nicky Hilton and even a cardboard cut-out of Kim Kardashian hold court.

Jodi Anasta. Photo: Getty Images

Emirates, which is constructing one of the most impressive marquees with a British theme, is bringing Mackintosh, who starred in the Made in Chelsea reality TV series, as its star guest.

Beyond her television career, which sadly most Australians missed, she is also described as a part time model and "influencer" given her huge social media following.

Champagne house Mumm is installing global DJ David Guetta inside its club-themed marquee while over in the Lavazza marquee, it will be Lavazza heir Giuseppe who is flying in from Italy and will be representing the coffee giant, rather than previous year's guests like Snoop Dogg and Dita Von Teese.

Meanwhile on Saturday at Royal Randwick it will be Sydney's turn to marquee hop with an interesting line up of names expected at the Moet & Chandon Spring Stakes. But will the vast new Queen Elizabeth Stand be large enough for the likes of long-time social pages rivals Terry Biviano and Jodi Anasta (nee Gordon)? Biviano is on the guest list for the Moet enclosure while Anasta is due to front up at the Myer marquee. Should be interesting.

Gatecrasher ejected from soiree

Brandon Pietzsch. Photo: Facebook

The politics of Sydney's cocktail circuit is a good lesson in the black arts, but no one does it as well as one of the true queens of public relations and events in this town, Black Communications' founder Naomi Parry.

On Wednesday Parry's team pulled off the 80th anniversary party for long-time client and purveyors of fine pearls Paspaley at its flagship Martin Place boutique.

With a guest list which read like the BRW Rich List, it was an elegant soiree under the enormous Murano chandelier. That is except for the chap lurking in the shadowy corner necking free champagne: Sydney's notorious party gate-crasher Brandon Pietzsch, who manages to talk his way into parties by bamboozling pretty young things with clipboards at the door. Spouting various credentials, PS notes he has 54 followers on social media.

Pietzsch has had considerable success at talking his way into many events, though some would seem a little odd, like the time PS spotted him devouring the free food and wine at the wake for John Hemmes, cracking jokes despite the sombre mood.

But his stay at the Paspaley party was short-lived. Parry soon detected him and marched over to graciously inform him he wasn't welcome. But he didn't budge, well not until the last of his champagne was drained, making an awkward exit with a security guard in his wake.

Self-appointed warden spouts dogma

Jackie Stricker and Dr Kerryn Phelps. Photo: Belinda Rolland

The dog owners of Bundeena are divided.

On one side is high-profile media medico Dr Kerryn Phelps and her wife, former school teacher Jackie Stricker-Phelps, who for years has made a habit of informing dog owners around their weekender about the rules governing dogs on the beach near their prized home.

On the other side are long-term residents who say Stricker has ruined their casual dog walks by becoming a self-appointed dog warden.

"I say people should read the signs and follow the rules," Stricker told PS when asked about having any parting messages for her detractors, some of whom have been rejoicing the news the couple, dog owners themselves of prized poodles Paris and Lou Lou, were selling.

"And another thing, if we don't get the price we want we will keep the house ... and I won't stop reminding people of the rules."