After 17 years in exile, Pixie Skase is returning to Melbourne
PIXIE Skase is heading home to Melbourne for good, 17 years after fleeing to Spain with her fugitive husband.
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PIXIE Skase is heading home to Melbourne for good, 17 years after fleeing to Spain with her fugitive husband.
Mrs Skase, 67, says the time is right to settle back in Toorak after years of luxurious exile.
"I am so excited to come back home," she said during a Christmas visit to catch up with family ahead of a permanent move in February.
"I walk in Toorak Village and I see old friends and I have to think hard who they are.
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"And strangers come up to me in the street and say, 'You don't know me Pixie, but I'm glad you're back. How long are you staying, are you staying for good?' People are so kind. I'm getting flowers from friends and strangers, welcoming me back.
"I'm overcome with the generosity of spirit from everyone, many complete strangers.
"I'm happy, so extraordinarily happy, to be able to have daily contact with my daughters Amanda, Kate and Felicity.
"We're all so happy to be together again. The last time we spent Christmas together was in Spain eight years ago before my husband Christopher died. We can't wait for the clock to tick over when we'll all be together again."
Mrs Skase fled Melbourne in 1991 with her husband, who had personal debts of $170 million and corporate debts of $1.7 billion.
She stayed on in Spain after he died in 2001.
The Australian Government spent years and almost $3 million pursuing Christopher Skase before being advised in 2003 that the family fortune was all but gone.
But speculation over Skase's real wealth continues to this day.
Skase's taste for comfort and style was surpassed only by Pixie's at their $3 million villa, La Noria, on the Mediterranean island of Majorca.
Mrs Skase won back her passport in 2004 after disowning her Australian heritage to become a citizen of Dominica in the West Indies to avoid extradition while her husband was alive.
After flitting between Majorca and a Mt Macedon hideaway for a few years, she now longs for the "beautiful, leafy and familiar streets" of Melbourne.
"In 2001, I found myself in the position of having sole responsibility for six large, powerful dogs who needed a lot of exercise," she said.
"As they were dearly loved members of our family I was determined that I would do all in my power to ensure their lives were secure, loving and active.
"At the time I had no idea if I would, or could, return to Australia.
"Transporting all of them was not a viable proposition, both from the financial and safety aspects.
"I was determined that I would not put down or terminate the lives of our treasured loyal dogs.
"I would simply have to wait until each dog reached the end of her life.
"Four months ago, two of the last three dogs died of age-related illnesses, leaving me with a beautiful white husky who will travel back to Australia with me.
"The final project is to find a small home or apartment with a courtyard for the dog.
"Arrangements in Spain are almost complete and I expect to be here, at home, in February."
Mrs Skase has a fourth daughter, Alex, who is visiting from England for the family Christmas.
Mrs Skase said she would miss Spain.
"I have lived there for a longer period consecutively than I have lived anywhere," she said.
"I have loved the feeling of living in the midst of the pages of history, the wonderful courtesy and loyalty of the people and so much more. However, Australia is my home."