Alan Jones’ niece Tonia Taylor is set to inherit her uncle’s fortune

IF THE rumours are to be believed, when broadcaster Alan Jones finally meets his maker, his niece — a pony-loving mum — will inherit the lion’s share of the Struggle Street champion’s fortune.

Tonia Elizabeth Taylor with her uncle, 2GB radio presenter Alan Jones.

IF THE rumours are to be believed, when broadcaster Alan Jones finally meets his maker — which would be more on his mind now, given his ongoing health issues and a propensity for life threatening blood clots — a pony-loving mum will inherit the lion’s share of the Struggle Street champion’s fortune.

Tonia Taylor, or Tonia Elizabeth Taylor as she calls herself on social media, is the daughter of Jones’ only sister, Colleen Bayley, and it appears since her teen years Tonia has been in training to be the perfect companion for Uncle Alan.

Tonia’s life for the past 25 years or so has been greatly shaped by the thoughts and values of her famously opinionated uncle: If he takes a set against someone on traditional media, Tonia takes a set against them on social media and the circuit is closed.

Alan Jones’ sister Colleen Bayley.

Alan Jones has battled poor health in recents times

The ex-wives of some successful male celebrities, loved by Jones, have spoken of the experience of being ostracised by the niece they’d once regarded as a good friend.

Uncle Alan’s obvious fondness for Tonia should put her well ahead of her only sibling, brother Justin, and the children of Jones’ estranged older brother Bob when the broadcaster’s last will and testament is read out in future years, say friends and associates of the Joneses.

Tonia (pronounced Tone-ya) has been a source of intrigue in radio circles for some 15 years — so close is she to her Uncle Alan.

She works for him, she lives with him and when she married in 1999 and became a mother, Jones built her a house on his Fitzroy Falls property — as cosy as two peas.

It is said she has even modelled herself on the women Jones likes best — his adored mother Elizabeth and an unnamed Queensland woman Jones’ former teaching colleagues once predicted he would marry.

Tonia Taylor and her husband Justin.

Like that woman, Tonia too once harboured ambitions to be a tennis star — a sport at which Uncle Alan excelled in his younger days.

With her parents’ blessing, after leaving school early Tonia quit her Toowoomba home town and relocated to Sydney to live with Jones, then a Sydney radio star at 2UE, who set up camp in a converted Newtown warehouse in 1989 after his then agent, Harry M. Miller, talked him into the purchase.

Jones’ “factory”, as it was then known, soon became a meeting place for the young sportsmen who were mentored by the former Wallabies coach.

Some, such as retired league player Ian Roberts and swimmer Scott Miller, even moved in for a time.

It must have been an exciting place for young Tonia to live and she has related to former friends about having “crushes” on the handsome young wounded-duck footballers who visited Jones.

Once in Sydney, Tonia was introduced to Jones’ Davis Cup associates and would receive coaching lessons from some Davis Cup vets.

Proving his faith in her, Jones sponsored his niece on a low-level European satellite circuit for a couple of years, but when her tennis career didn’t propel her, Tonia returned home to start working as assistant to Jones’ secretary — a role that has evolved slightly to PA two decades later.

Justin (left) with his twin brother Craig.

When Uncle Alan finally quit Newtown for a city/country domestic arrangement — a luxury apartment with a city-based butler in the Circular Quay “Toaster” on weekdays, an expansive farm in the Southern Highlands at weekends with a different butler, two housekeepers, a chef and gardeners — Tonia sensibly followed and the pair nurtured their joint love of equine sports, his in racing, hers in dressage.

In 1999 Tonia became Mrs Justin Taylor, wife of a handy Wollongong tennis player who had an identical twin, Craig, also a capable tennis player and, Tonia confided to some, the first Taylor to turn her head.

Today Tonia and Justin, who has worked periodically for Jones but is now employed as a tennis coach at Frensham School, Mittagong, are the parents to three children — the eldest of whom, a son, boards at The King’s School, an institution that once employed Jones as its senior English master.

Jones is said to dote on the younger two children at his Fitzroy Falls property, Elizabeth Farm — named for Jones’ mother.

As the niece of a man who is described as the most powerful broadcaster in the country, Tonia is no stranger to power and has built a loyal following in the Southern Highlands and on the dressage circuit where she and her children are considered stalwarts — Jones even buying a top-of-the-range RV vehicle for their frequent interstate championship trips. Tonia’s family also goes on luxurious holidays abroad with their devoted patron.

Jones’ estate, which could be worth as much as $50 million and includes farms in two states, multi-million-dollar apartments, stables and horse flesh, may one day pass to the devoted Tonia, whose only daughter has been named Elizabeth after Jones’ mother, whose titian hair he used to regularly brush as he now does the child named in her honour.