The Palace in the sleepy inner-western Sydney suburb of Mortlake is not where you would usually meet an investment banker – let alone one with the pedigree of Anthony Miller. A former Goldman Sachs partner who, via Deutsche Bank’s local outpost, was recently named the next chief executive of Westpac, his tastes shouldn’t just be gold-plated. They should be platinum.

Yet, here I am, sitting on the patio at a brown brick corner pub a short drive up from the banks of the Parramatta River. The ageing rotator fan above is working hard to keep the place cool on a balmy Sydney day. Luckily, it’s supplemented by a brisk breeze that has come up from the watercourse.