By Kishor Napier-Raman and Gemma Grant
Times are a-changin’ at Sydney Grammar, where headmaster Richard Malpass addressed his final assembly in charge of the $45,000-a-year private school this week. He’s off to Singapore to start a new gig as head of senior school at the Tanglin Trust School.
This column last encountered Malpass and Grammar when the headmaster abruptly cancelled a planned talk by former Socceroo turned human rights advocate and outspoken critic of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, Craig Foster, citing concerns about the “wellbeing” of the school community.
Sydney Grammar is caught up in the never-ending buildings arms race.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Despite Foster’s cancellation, those monthly talkfests have been a hit, with Grammar boys hearing from the likes of Julie Bishop and Tony Blair’s spinner turned hit podcaster Alastair Campbell (who to be fair, would talk to a brick wall if given the chance).
But Malpass’ real final legacy to Grammar was a $39 million inner-city expansion, revealed by the Herald last year. The college acquired a quiet block in Darlinghurst that was once Sony’s Australian headquarters, with plans to create new indoor sporting facilities, a statement in the never-ending buildings arms race which has gripped the city’s wealthiest private schools.
Grammar is also in the process of building its $54 million Weigall Sports Complex in Rushcutters Bay, currently an unsightly sprawl of construction work visible from the T4, which was approved in 2021 despite vocal complaints from locals.
But if you thought the Darlinghurst site might be less controversial than Weigall, think again. A few concerned members of the school community have been in touch recently to inform us the new building is right next door to one of Sydney’s oldest legal brothels.
“The school places great store on providing holistic education for our pupils, including physical health and wellbeing,” Malpass said, when announcing the new expansion. Indeed.
While there’s nothing wrong with living next door to a brothel per se, we don’t imagine the kind of characters who patronise such establishments to be whom Grammar parents had in mind as the best role models.
Did the school know, or care, about its new neighbour? We asked them but didn’t hear back.
Something for Malpass’ successor Stuart McPherson, who joins the school with 15 years experience at Eton under his belt, to chew over before he starts in January.
Musical chairs
The election is over, but it’s a busy time for the inmates of Parliament House, with plenty of staffers coming and going.
This column recently reported that Mark Davis (partner of former Guardian political editor Katharine Murphy, another recent ministerial wing departure) was leaving his CoS post with Labor frontbencher Pat Conroy. Nigel Bruce is set to take his place. But that shake-up is really just the tip of the iceberg.
Maggie Lloyd, who real old-heads might recall was a former press secretary to Kevin Rudd, is stepping back from her role as Infrastructure Minister Catherine King’s chief of staff.
Joseph Solomon will return to King’s office to fill Lloyd’s spot – welcome back, Joseph.
And that’s not all. Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s press secretary and former journalist Caitlin Raper is leaving the job after five years for a very well-deserved breather.
The prime minister’s office hasn’t been safe from this staffing exodus either. Prue Mercer, Albo’s advancer (the person responsible for ensuring footage of the PM is free of any visual gaffes), who’s worked in politics for over a decade, announced her departure via a gushing memo on LinkedIn.
Another Albanese senior adviser, Phoebe Drake, is also set to leave Parliament House in July after 13 years working for the boy from Camperdown.
We expect plenty more musical chairs in Canberra. Watch this space.
Le diplomatic incident
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has proven a flop. The drab former public prosecutor was never going to deliver CBD fodder quite like some of his predecessors such as crazy Liz “Lettuce” Truss (a 2019 Midwinter Ball attendee as British trade minister) and crazier Boris Johnson (how long have you got?).
But we were immensely pleased to note that Starmer was recently revealed to be a fan of one the highest form of Aussie produce – and we’re not talking Vegemite.
This week Sunday Times writer Josh Glancy revealed how he caught up with Starmer on a train in Ukraine after meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv along with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“Go on then, just a small one”. But Keir Starmer chose Anglo-French relations over a famous Australian white.Credit: Getty Images
Starmer joined the British media carriage and politely refused a small beer. As Glancy recounted: “Perhaps some Yellow Tail chardonnay? Peer pressure kicks in. “Go on then, just a small one.” He takes a few polite sips.
“After about 10 minutes Starmer’s hyperactive flacks start looking at their watches. ‘I’ve got to go and see Emmanuel,’ he explains. Would he like to take the rest of the Yellow Tail with him, as a gift to Monsieur le President? ‘I think that would probably sink Anglo-French relations,’ he says with a grin.”
Well Sir Keir, you had us and then you lost us.
One suspects the Riverina’s Casella family won’t be rushing to No.10 with a commemorative crate.
And don’t tell us you were going to present Macron with an English Furleigh Estate Dorset Coast Special Reserve wine. He’d tell you to stick it up yer AUKUS.
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