Editing Frank Packer

{{short description|Australian media proprietor (1906–1974)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]]
| name                      = Frank Packer 
| honorific_suffix          = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|sep=,|size=100%|KBE|OStJ}}
| image                     = Frank Packer 1968 (cropped).jpg
| caption                   = Packer in 1968
| birth_name                = Douglas Frank Hewson Packer
| birth_date                = {{birth date|df=yes|1906|12|03}}
| birth_place               = [[Kings Cross, New South Wales|Kings Cross]], [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], Australia
| death_date                = {{death date and age|df=yes|1974|05|01|1906|12|03}}
| death_place               = [[Royal Prince Alfred Hospital]], Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| resting_place             = [[South Head General Cemetery|South Head Cemetery]], [[Vaucluse, New South Wales|Vaucluse]], Sydney
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| other_names               = 
| known_for                 = [[Australian Consolidated Press]]<br />[[Nine Network]]
| education                 = [[Sydney Church of England Grammar School]]
| employer                  = 
| occupation                = Media proprietor
| years active              = 1923–1972
| title                     = 
| height                    = 
| term                      = 
| predecessor               = 
| successor                 = 
| party                     = 
| boards                    = 
| spouse                    = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Gretel Bullmore |1934|1960}}
* {{marriage|Florence Vincent, nee Porges |1964|1974}}
}}
| partner                   = 
| children                  = [[Clyde Packer]] (eldest son)<br />[[Kerry Packer]] (youngest son)
| parents                   = [[Robert Clyde Packer|R. C. Packer]] (father)<br />Ethel Maude, née Hewson (mother)
| relatives                 = [[Packer family]]
| website                   = 
| footnotes                 = 
}}

'''Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|sep=,|KBE|OStJ}} (3 December 1906{{spaced ndash}}1 May 1974), was an Australian [[media proprietor]] who controlled [[Australian Consolidated Press]] and the [[Nine Network]]. He was a patriarch of the [[Packer family]].

==Early life==
Frank Packer was born in [[Kings Cross, New South Wales|Kings Cross]], in the [[Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)|eastern suburbs]] of Sydney, [[New South Wales]]. His parents were Ethel Maude Packer (née Hewson; 1878–1947) and [[Robert Clyde Packer]] (1879–1934), who started the family's association with the media as a journalist in New South Wales. His father, R. C. Packer, became editor of ''The Sunday Times'' and was a founder of ''[[Smith's Weekly]]'' and the ''[[Daily Guardian (Sydney)|Daily Guardian]]'', which was published by Smith's Newspapers Ltd.<ref name="conley">{{cite book|last=Conley|first=D.|title=The Daily Miracle|year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=South Melbourne, Victoria|isbn=0-19-554024-7|pages=24}}</ref>

"A mischievous youngster and a poor student", Packer frequently switched schools, attending Turramurra College, [[Abbotsholme College]], Wahroonga Grammar School, and [[Sydney Church of England Grammar School]] at various times. He did not sit for the [[Intermediate Certificate (Australia)|Intermediate Certificate]].<ref>[http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/packer-sir-douglas-frank-11326 Packer, Sir Douglas Frank (1906–1974)], ''[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]]'', Vol. 15, 2000.</ref>

==Career==
In 1923, Packer became a cadet journalist on his father's paper, the ''[[Daily Guardian (Sydney)|Daily Guardian]]''.<ref name="conley" /> Four years later, he was a director of the company. In 1933, Packer started ''[[The Australian Women's Weekly]]'' and then transformed ''[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]]'' into one of Australia's leading newspapers.

Packer inherited his media interests on his father's death in 1934. In 1936, he joined with [[Ted Theodore]]'s Sydney Newspapers and Associated Newspapers to form [[Australian Consolidated Press]].<ref name="henningham">{{cite book|last=Henningham|first=J.|title=Institutions in Australian Society|year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=South Melbourne, Victoria|isbn=0-19-551050-X|pages=282}}</ref> He was chairman of ACP from 1936 until 1974.

When television was introduced to Australia in 1956, Packer, along with the other major newspaper publishers ([[John Fairfax|Fairfax]], [[The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd|HWT]] and [[The Age|David Syme]]), became a significant television network shareholder under the federal government's "dual formula", which allowed each capital city to have two commercial networks and one [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]].<ref name="henningham" />  He launched the first Australian station to broadcast a regular schedule, [[TCN]] in Sydney, which became the nucleus of the [[Nine Network]].

The Packer media empire was known for its conservative leanings, and was a strong backer of long-serving [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[Robert Menzies]].{{citation needed|date = December 2021}}

Packer was a keen yachtsman, boxer, golfer and polo player. He was on the [[Australian Jockey Club]]'s committee for 12 years and won the [[Caulfield Cup]] with his horse Columnist. He was also chairman of a syndicate that built the yachts ''Gretel'' and ''[[Gretel II]]'' to challenge for the [[America's Cup]] in 1962 and 1970.

In 1972, Sir Frank Packer sold his newspaper flagship, ''The Daily Telegraph'', to [[Rupert Murdoch]].

In 1992, journalist [[Max Walsh]] told the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Print Media that Frank Packer had exerted undue newsroom influence. "Sir Frank was knee-deep in [the] editorial policy of the ''Telegraph''", Walsh said.<ref>House of Representatives Select Committee on the Print Media 1992, ''News and Fair Facts: The Australian Print Media Industry'', Report, AGPS, Canberra, p. 263</ref>

==Family life==
Frank Packer was married to Gretel Joyce Bullmore (1907–1960) on 24 July 1934 at All Saints Anglican Church, [[Woollahra]]. He had two sons, [[Clyde Packer|Clyde]] and [[Kerry Packer|Kerry]], with his first wife, Gretel. Gretel Packer died in 1960.

Packer married for the second time in June 1964 to Florence Adeline Vincent (née Porges) in London. She died in 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hornery|first=Andrew|title=Genteel society loses a Packer|url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/private-sydney/genteel-society-loses-a-packer-20121228-2bz9f.html|access-date=29 December 2012|newspaper=smh.com.au|date=29 December 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Packers.JPG|thumb|right|The Packer family tomb at [[South Head General Cemetery|South Head Cemetery]] in [[Vaucluse, New South Wales]]]]

==Death==
On 1 May 1974, Packer died of heart failure at [[Royal Prince Alfred Hospital|The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital]], [[Camperdown, New South Wales|Camperdown]] of "[[Pneumonia]] and reticulum cell [[sarcoma]]". He was cremated at [[Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney|Northern Suburbs Crematorium]] and his ashes were interred within the Packer family mausoleum at [[South Head General Cemetery|South Head Cemetery]].

His estate was valued for probate in 1975 at $2,393,703.11 which, adjusted for inflation, would account to $23,232,745.54 in 2023. Notable items declared in his estate, were paintings and sketches from some of Australia's most renowned artists, located at the family home, 'Cairnton' at [[Bellevue Hill, New South Wales|Bellevue Hill]] was:

'''[[Penleigh Boyd]]''': 
* "''Wattle Tree'', signed and dated 1912" (oil on canvas)

'''[[Rupert Bunny]]''':
* "''Feeding the Ducks'', signed" 
* "''Seated Woman with White Shawl'', signed" (oil on canvas)

'''Sir [[William Dobell]]''':   
* "Sketch of [[Winston Churchill|Churchill's]] Hand giving the [[V sign|'V' for victory]] sign, signed" 
* "''The Artist's Garden at [[Wangi Wangi, New South Wales|Wangi]]'', signed" (ink on paper) 
* "''The Artist's Garden and Balcony overlooking the [[Lake Macquarie|Lake]] at Wangi'', signed" 
* "''Woman in a Hamburger'', signed and dated 1944" (oil on board) 
* "''Portrait of Helena Rubenstein'', signed and dated 1959" (oil on board) 
* "''Boy in a white Lap Lap'', signed and dated 1952" (oil on board)

'''Sir [[Russell Drysdale]]''': 
* "''The Hangar''" (watercolour and ink on pencil) 
* "''Men and Bird - Bass Straight'', signed" (oil on canvas)

'''[[Robin Hill (Australian artist)|Robin Hill]]''': 
* "''Grey Goshawke'', signed, titled and dated 1958" (water colour)

'''[[John Perceval]]''': 
* "''Cow bogged in a Swamp'', signed and dated 1960"

'''[[Albert Tucker (artist)|Albert Tucker]]''': 
* "''The Card Game'', signed and dated 1958" (oil on board)

==Honours==
Frank Packer was appointed a Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[1951 Birthday Honours|King's Birthday Honours of 1951]].<ref>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1065093 It's an Honour: CBE]</ref>

He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the [[1959 Birthday Honours|Queen's Birthday Honours of 1959]], for services to journalism and the newspaper industry.<ref>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1083654 It's an Honour: Knight Bachelor]</ref>

In the [[1971 New Year Honours|New Year's Honours of 1971]] Sir Frank Packer was promoted within the [[Order of the British Empire]] to Knight Commander (KBE), for services to Australian and international yachting.<ref>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1082151 It's an Honour: KBE]</ref>

Since 1980 the [[Frank Packer Plate]] has been conducted at [[Randwick Racecourse]].

He was inducted into the [[America's Cup Hall of Fame]] in 1999.

==Portrayal in media==

In the 1984 television miniseries ''[[Bodyline (miniseries)|Bodyline]]'', Packer, as employer of [[Donald Bradman]], released him from a writing contract so he could play in the [[English cricket team in Australia in 1932–33|1932–1933 Ashes]]; he was portrayed by Brian McDermott.

In the 1988 television miniseries ''[[True Believers (miniseries)|The True Believers]]'', Packer was portrayed by Australian actor [[Max Phipps]].

In the 2007 television biopic ''[[The King (2007 film)|The King]]'' about comedian [[Graham Kennedy]], Packer was portrayed by Australian actor Leo Taylor.

In the 2011 television miniseries ''[[Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo]]'', Packer was portrayed by Australian actor [[Tony Barry]].

In the 2013 television miniseries ''[[Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War]]'', Packer was played by Australian actor [[Lachy Hulme]], who had previously portrayed Kerry Packer in ''[[Howzat! Kerry Packer's War]]'' the previous year.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=Whitington, R. S. |author-link=R. S. Whitington |title=Sir Frank – The Frank Packer Story |publisher=Cassell Australia |year=1971 |isbn=0-3049-3997-8 }}
*{{cite book |author=Griffen-Foley, Bridget |author-link=Bridget Griffen-Foley |title=Sir Frank Packer: The Young Master |publisher=Harper Collins |year=2000 |isbn=0-7322-6422-7 }}
*Griffen-Foley, Bridget (2014). ''Sir Frank Packer: a biography.'' Sydney University Press. {{ISBN|9781743323823}}.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Packer, Frank}}
[[Category:1906 births]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:1962 America's Cup sailors]]
[[Category:Australian people of English descent]]
[[Category:Australian mass media company founders]]
[[Category:Australian television company founders]]
[[Category:Australian male sailors (sport)]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Australian Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Sydney]]
[[Category:Packer family|Frank]]
[[Category:1967 America's Cup sailors]]
[[Category:People educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian businesspeople]]
[[Category:The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) people]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Australian polo players]]