The House of Packer: The making of a media empire

Description

The most powerful media dynasty Australia ever produced. The House of Packer by Bridget Griffen-Foley is the sweeping history of the family behind Consolidated Press and the Nine Network — the empire that shaped how Australia saw itself.

It begins with R. C. Packer and his son Sir Frank, who turned newspapers and magazines — including the Daily Telegraph and the Australian Women’s Weekly — into a national empire, then carried the family into television with TCN-9 in Sydney. And it was Frank’s son Kerry who became the most formidable figure of all: the billionaire who bent governments and rivals to his will. Griffen-Foley had remarkable access to the family archives, and the detail is extraordinary.

Authoritative and full of wonderful stories. For media junkies and anyone fascinated by power — Australian style. The definitive account of Australian media’s first family — authoritative and full of stories.

The House of Packer: The Making of a Media Empire

The House of Packer: The Making of a Media Empire by Bridget Griffen-Foley is a sweeping history of the most powerful media dynasty Australia has ever known — the family that built Consolidated Press and the Nine Network.

The story begins with R. C. Packer and his son Sir Frank, who turned a stable of newspapers and magazines — including The Daily Telegraph and The Australian Women’s Weekly — into a national empire, then carried the family into television with the launch of TCN-9 in Sydney. It was Frank’s son Kerry who became the most formidable figure of all: the billionaire who dominated Australian media through Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, launched World Series Cricket, and shaped the nation’s politics and culture for decades.

Griffen-Foley, an Australian historian, draws on deep research to trace four generations of Packer ambition, rivalry, and power — from street-fighting press barons to the glittering world of casinos and cricket. She shows how the family’s newspapers, magazines, and television stations influenced governments and set the national agenda.

Gripping, authoritative, and richly detailed, this is essential reading for anyone fascinated by media history, business empires, and the extraordinary family behind modern Australia.