Mixing Guangzhou, John Garnaut and Chau Chak Wing

Illustration: Rod Clement

Who was the mystery “NSW politician” that Australian-Chinese billionaire Chau Chak Wing sought counsel from after his first encounter with Fairfax journalist-turned-Turnbull ­adviser John Garnaut?

That was one of many questions left dangling in Sydney’s Federal Court 19A yesterday as first Chau (last valued on the Stensholt Index at $1.63 billion) and later Garnaut (now working for himself as a consultant) faced off on the second trial day of one of the most intriguing cases of the year.

What a venue for it.

There were views of a sparkling Sydney Harbour for court attendees on the window side of the room where, after giving his evidence, Chau sat next to a tea-sipping, thermos-carrying associate. On Chau’s other side was his daughter Winky Chow, once a staffer for NSW premier Bob Carr and now the managing ­director of her billionaire father’s Sydney-based, Chinese-language daily newspaper, the New Express Daily.

Gazers could look across to Darling Point (where Winky and her mother — Chau’s wife So Chun Chau — recently snapped up a new trophy home for $31.8 million) and further, past Rose Bay (and president Graeme Bailey’s ­unhappy Royal Sydney members) to Vaucluse, home of the mansion Chau bought, reportedly sight unseen, for $70m from fellow billionaire James Packer in 2015.

Chau Chak Wing leaves the Federal Court in Sydney yesterday. Picture: AAP

More often, Chau resides at what Garnaut yesterday told the court was a “castle”-like structure at the property mogul’s business base in Guangzhou, in southern China.

It was at Chau’s Guangzhou castle, in 2009, that Garnaut — the son of Australia’s former ambassador to China Ross Garnaut — first met and interviewed the billionaire.

According to Garnaut, the Kingold Group chairman had done his research.

“He knew a lot about me, including my zodiac sign,” Garnaut said.

“I was a tiger and he was a horse,” Garnaut added.

Apparently, that’s a good match.

Garnaut said the encounter had hardly begun before Chau, with a “twinkle in his eye”, offered him a job.

“He said he would build an internet platform around my journalism,” said Garnaut.

The day ended with showbags, one for Garnaut, one for his assistant, with — all up — six bottles of Chateau Latour, the 1986 and 1994 vintages, and some of Bordeaux’s best stuff.

“I thought this was a major problem,” said Garnaut.

“I thought he was trying to bring me into his web of patronage.”

The half dozen were later sold at auction for $7000 with the proceeds given to charity.

Garnaut’s interview was woven into a major Sydney Morning Herald investigation published in July 2009 that put the intensely private Chau on the Australian political map, where he remains.

That piece titled “Behind the mysterious Dr Chau” led to Chau’s phone call with the mysterious NSW politician, who assured a concerned Chau it was all OK. It was just the Australian media at work.

And, as Garnaut explained to the court, it all began with a university assignment done by “an unusually talented UTS student Nic Christensen”, who is now a corporate spinner at Hugh Marks’ Nine.

The hearing continues.

Powering up

Semi-retirement from corporate Australia can be a dangerous game.

Former Fortescue Metals Group boss Nev Power, who finished up at Andrew Forrest’s iron ore empire in mid-February, was a late scratching for his keynote address to the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies convention in Perth yesterday.

Power, almost 60, sent through a note explaining he’d had a run-in with a cow on his cattle station and shattered a kneecap.

“For those wondering how the cow fared, it was delicious,” said Power, who after his seven years leading Fortescue recently became Perth Airport chairman.

Grisly.

And far from the bucolic life Power envisaged when he announced his Fortescue exit last September to spend more time in retirement “helping my son on the cattle station”.

It’s not the first bust-up of a Fortescue-related leg out west.

In October 2015, Power’s then boss Forrest almost had his leg amputated after a horror incident in the West Australian Kimberley region.

The billionaire was hiking through the outback when he fell into a billabong and wedged his leg so wretchedly that amputation was considered.

As Forrest said after the fall, we shudder to think about it.

Tall tales

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce’s tell-all book will be out in as little as six weeks time. The saga continues.

Yesterday, the New England backbencher, who is on personal leave, disclosed on the register of interests his publishing deal with New Holland Publishing for his political and personal tome, Weatherboard and Iron.

A New Holland spokesman confirmed to Margin Call the book would hit the market in August and would be a complete tell-all of Joyce’s controversial and high-profile political and personal life.

“The book will be a ‘warts-and-all’ account of his personal story and commitment to people in the bush, as well as his public stoush with actor Johnny Depp, his citizenship crisis, his resignation as the leader of the National Party (and as deputy prime minister), the inside story of the media frenzy concerning his personal life and the joy of welcoming baby Sebastian,” the publisher said.

And presumably a few words on his favourite rural building materials and the voters who live within them.

“I think this book gives Barnaby the chance to answer what is important to him as a politician, man, father and partner,” Joyce’s publisher Alan Whiticker said.

“What comes through is his love of ‘the bush’, his passion for his job and yes, his concern for those closest to him. I believe his story will surprise those people who think they ‘know’ what he stands for.

He’s a very good writer with a larrikin sense of humour.”

There’s not a peep of disclosure, however, on Joyce’s presumably much larger deal with billionaire Kerry Stokes’ listed Seven Network for his reportedly $150,000 interview with reporter Alex Cullen on the broadcaster’s flagship current affairs program Sunday Night, which aired on June 3.

His disclosure on his publishing deal was dated June 5 but was processed by the powers that be in Parliament House only yesterday.

Perhaps they are struggling with paperwork in Joyce’s heavily downsized office.