Atlassian’s Mike Cannon Brookes to keep Ireland Funds event going

Fairwater’s harbour view. Picture: Golden Eye Media

It’s the most exciting news for the Australian Irish diaspora since Paul Keating made a pilgrimage to Tynagh back when he was PM.

The Ireland Funds Australia’s flagship Sydney garden party is returning to Fairwater. Thanks be to Saint Patrick!

Under the harbourside mansion’s previous owner Lady Mary Fairfax - wife of the newspaper mogul Sir Warwick - the charity lunch became a fixture on the Sydney social calendar.

So there was anxiety when Atlassian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes (the one with the beard) and his wife Annie bought the historic home almost exactly one year ago for $100 million.

Fairwater is adjacent to the Elaine mansion which was snapped up a year earlier for $71 million by Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar (the one with the stubble) and his wife Kim Jackson.

Sir Warwick and Lady Mary Fairfax. Picture: Supplied

Annie and Mike Cannon-Brookes. Picture: Christian Gilles

Margin Call had spotted Mike and Annie at the garden party in recent years. But it wasn’t clear if they would take over as hosts.

Fitting of the property’s new generation owners, they have slightly reimagined the event.

Take the dress code: “Ancient, Barefoot, Bohemian, Saint, Scholar … Sinner”.

Barefoot?

Never would have happened in Lady Mary’s era.