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Daily Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
Meet our NSW farming blue bloods
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. They are our salt of the earth, like so many before them - multi-generational farmers continuing the family tradition of working on the land. It's in their blood, but it takes true grit to keep their livelihoods afloat and agriculture a strong cornerstone of the national economy, with challenges around every corner. The Saturday Telegraph sat down with five farming families across NSW to hear their challenges and concerns, the pride they take in acting as custodians of the land, and why, man or woman, there's nothing else they'd rather do to make a living, with the soils of this state in their very DNA. TONGUE FAMILY Their connection to the Tamworth region stretches back almost 150 years. Kevin Tongue, 76, and the family patriarch, is New England pastoral royalty. Proud of his ancestry – his great grandfather came to the district in the late 1800s – he also shows no signs of slowing down. 'No intention of retiring mate, not while I can still do things here,' Kevin says from a sprawling property where with adult sons Paul and Ben, they run beef, prime lambs and pigs, grow barley, lucerne and canola, and operate a grain haulage business via a half dozen semi-trailers housed on the farm. The Tongue family marking lambs in the late 1950s on their property outside Tamworth. Picture: Supplied 'All I want to do is benefit the boys and our family, and the agricultural community around us, because there will be a time when I won't be able to do that. 'That's the aim of the exercise mate. To keep improving the country, so we can increase the production of food and fibre for generations to come. I want to leave this farming country we own and work in better condition than when we got it.' Tongue backs words with actions. He speaks regularly to National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce, who was born in Tamworth, and to the local State MP Kevin Anderson, to keep farmers' issues on their radars. 'That's important to me,' he said. 'We've got to advocate to all parts of government for the benefit of agriculture. It's a huge money making venture for the country and the state. Look at what we produce and export and what comes back to State and Federal governments. Three generations of the Tongue family on their NSW property. Picture: Rohan Kelly 'We've got to keep pushing too, because during the last federal election there was not a word come out from the Labor government about agriculture. That really concerns me. 'We've got these city centric representatives down there in Canberra and Sydney who don't really know too much about agriculture, and that's frightening.' His hot topic at present is energy. 'We've got a challenge at the moment with this renewable energy push,' Mr Tongue added. 'Putting these solar factories and wind farms on prime agricultural land, they're taking away from us that ability to produce food. And it's not going to be the ants' pants to our energy needs. I've spoken with environment Ministers and they don't seem to get it. 'But you get the sense the bureaucrats are running the show and telling them what to do. The Ministers virtually have no bloody control.' Tongue and wife Janelle, their two sons and seven grandchildren, live in three houses spread across five adjoining properties the family have aggregated some 25km out of Tamworth. Ken, George and Nelson Tongue with the wool clip leaving their farm more than half a century ago. Picture: Supplied They own another property 4km 'up the road'. A total landholding of almost 2000 hectares. A third son, 44-year-old Alan, left the farm when he was 17 to pursue a rugby league career in Canberra, and still lives in the nation's capital. Alan played 220 games for the Raiders and was Dally M Lock and Captain of the Year in 2008. Two years earlier he had on display the work ethic that characterises his dad – Alan set an NRL record of 1087 tackles in a season. MURRAY FAMILY Martin Murray just wants a 'fair go' for young farmers. For those on the land to have access to the same life-shaping opportunities currently reserved for their city cousins. 'Stamp duty exemptions,' says the Chair of the NSW Young Farmer Council. 'With most people, their first farm is also their first home. But you only escape stamp duty if you're inheriting the family property. If you're buying an outside farm, it doesn't apply. 'We're only asking for the same concessions as first home buyers receive. Our farms are more than our businesses. Inverell farmer Martin Murray with his wife Rachel, their son John, 5, and daughter Evie, 2. Picture: Supplied 'They're also our places of residence. Farms are more than an asset, they can be linked to people's identities. We should be helping people to buy them.' Mr Murray, who has just sold his 340-hectare mixed cropping farm at Inverell to focus on cattle, is married to Rachel. The couple have a son John, 5, and daughter Evie, 2. A fourth generational farmer, he is keen to see more young families enter the world of agriculture, but says it won't happen unless incentives make it more affordable. 'Couples buying these farms will have kids going to local schools, they'll be supporting the community from small businesses to footy clubs and everything in between,' Mr Murray said. 'Making their first farm more attainable will certainly help make that happen.' Mr Murray grew up in a farming family with its roots running deep in the rich soil of Griffith in the NSW Riverina. A property near Inverell in NSW. His great grandfather purchased land initially as part of a soldier settlement scheme. Post World War II, his grandfather bought a neighbouring property. 'My father and his brother got a place of their own in the late 1980s,' Mr Murray added. 'Dad has bought and sold farms since and we bought here in 2020.' After five years, with properties on his borders being snapped up by corporate interests and killing prospects of expansion, Mr Murray is changing tack. He is swapping crops for live beasts. 'We've always had a few cattle on the side of the cropping operations and my wife ran a cattle stud before she met me. I brought her over to the dark side of diesel and machinery,' he laughed. 'For me there was always this immense satisfaction in watching a crop grow. It's hard to describe and articulate. Just knowing you've managed it, managed the systems, and been able to make it happen. 'Then you're out at night sitting in your tractor, seeing all the headlights flickering in the distance and knowing everyone's out there doing the same thing as you are. It's hard to put into words. 'I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't farming.' SHOKER FAMILY The agricultural sector is a victim of its own evolution, according to a farmer based in banana heartland at Coffs Harbour. Paul Shoker, whose family's farming history goes back to the Punjab region of India, says: 'Technology and equipment advancements mean we've got less people growing more food – the problem is that gives us far fewer votes. 'So when it comes to governments, they take us for granted. When you need policy changes or assistance, we're just not their priority. 'Evidence of that is the slow support for the farmers affected by the recent floods on the NSW north coast.' Coffs Harbour banana grower Paul Shoker. Picture: Nathan Edwards Based 2km west of the Big Banana, Shoker works 25 hectares of bananas and avocadoes. Back in the 1970s, he says, there were 1000 banana growers between the Clarence and Macleay Rivers in northern NSW. 'Nowadays there are probably 15 to 18,' he said. 'And in the 1980s, around 50 per cent of Australian bananas came out of NSW. These days NSW produces about 3 per cent of the market, with 95 per cent from Queensland. 'Basically they had access to cheaper land, had lesser regulatory burdens and they don't have the winters we have. It really helped grow their industry up north.' But Shoker is determined to keep embracing tradition. 'We've had three to four major floods since Covid and over the years a lot of older producers might have said 'that will do us' and be forced off the land,' he said. 'I'm 37, that's not an option, but regardless of the challenges I just want to grow bananas and feed people. The attraction for me is that we can make a real difference to people's lives. The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. Picture: Getty Images 'There's something really rewarding in knowing that something you're growing is a healthy product, that we look after the environment, and we're leaving behind a good legacy.' Shoker's parents bought an 8 hectare section of the farm in 1991, with the family expanding the landholding with a 2008 purchase after Paul graduated from university. A business degree, with majors in accounting and finance, lead the father of four children under the age of six to approach farming from an efficiency perspective. 'We saw the need to diversify,' he added. 'So we harvest all year round with avocadoes making up for the lesser demand and production of bananas over winter. 'The unique thing about bananas is that they're a wholly domestic market. All the bananas grown in Australia are also consumed here. It's pretty special.' CHESWORTH FAMILY When a millennial drought threatened their business, opportunity emerged from adversity on the Chesworth dairy farm near Dubbo. Industry tradition had rarely been challenged. Dawn and dusk milking, twice a day, cups on, cows were happy, job done. But in 2007 as grazing grasses continued to wilt and hand feeding was needed to keep the herd nourished, Erika and Steven Chesworth brainstormed ways to reverse declining profits. 'We started milking three times a day,' said Erika. 'Cows are like women. The more you take, the more they make. Erika and Steven Chesworth on their dairy farm in Rawsonville, near Dubbo. Picture: Clancy Paine 'So we were actually able to increase production by about 18 per cent in that first year. 'The cost input was a little more electricity to run the dairy and a few more kilograms of grain a day. But not only did we save our business we were able to turn things around really quickly. 'You get more out of your investment milking your cows more often. Back in the day mum and dad milked just morning and night. It's just what the industry did. 'But we needed to try something fast and it worked.' According to Erika, it makes for more contented cows. Given the couple are both sixth generation dairy farmers, her opinion is based on experience. 'We know more about them now in terms of feeding, nutrition, and we know it actually improves their health when they're getting milked more regularly,' she said. The Chesworths have 1000 milking cows on 970 hectares after moving to Dubbo from the Hunter Valley more than 20 years ago. Steven Chesworth, Erika Chesworth, Campbell Chesworth, Emma Elliot and Grace Duncan at Little Big Dairy. Picture: Clancy Paine They produce 11 million litres of milk a year, with half of it processed for their own line Little Big Dairy – created in 2012 – and the rest distributed to a major Australian dairy retailer. 'We control the Little Big Dairy product from start to finish, from milking through to processing and into the bottle,' said Erika. 'It is single source milk and each of our cows are tagged, so we can trace their health and their production, it's a really intimate process. 'One of the lovely things about the dairy industry is that we have lots of contact with the animals. 'Our large herd of Holsteins were born and raised on our farm. Each of them has a name. We know them all by sight.' Steven and Erika can trace their family trees back to the 19th Century, to farm holdings in the UK. 'We're pretty tragic – because it's all dairy heritage,' Erika says. 'But Steven and I feel privileged to be able to help feed the nation. We take that really seriously.' It's also a tradition set to continue. Two of the Chesworths adult children, Emma and Campbell, work in the business while a third, Duncan, has bought his own dairy farm in Victoria. BRIGHENTI-BARNARD FAMILY Jo Brighenti-Barnard is a warrior for the citrus industry. As NSW Farmers' Horticulture Committee chair, she frequently agitates on behalf of growers, waging battle with governments and major supermarkets. Earlier this year as inflation numbers started to drop, Brighenti-Barnard demanded to know why fruit and vegetable prices had been going the other way. 'Data shows that consumers are still paying through the nose to put food on the table while most farmers aren't receiving any greater returns for what they're growing,' she told media. 'Without price transparency, the major supermarkets are still likely to … extract huge profits from farmers and families alike.' The defiance is driven by her love for the land and the fruit her family has been growing just outside Griffith in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, since her great-grandfather planted the first trees in 1913. Together with her parents, husband Philip, and brother Bart, Ms Brighenti-Barnard works a 450 hectares landholding that delivers an annual citrus production – primarily naval and juicing oranges – of around 5000 tonnes. Eighty per cent is exported to South-East Asia and the USA. 'I've grown up on the farms we're still running and there's a real feeling of pride in doing what we do,' the mother of three says. 'I laugh and tell friends that most of us can't keep pot plants alive, but I'll give credit to my brother, he manages to keep all these trees alive and in good health through heatwaves and floods. 'It's in your DNA, there's a real intuition you develop. It comes from experiencing it season after season, building on that every year as you put a little more of the pieces together. 'I do love it…especially this time of year where all the fruit is fully coloured and on the trees. 'You go out there and just see this sea of bright orange and gold amongst this forest of green … and you see the bins full of fruit … it gives you a real sense of achievement.' But off the farm there is also work to do as the committee chair warrior persona returns. 'Availability of irrigation water has been reduced, productivity levels are going backwards because our prices have been squeezed as costs rise, and levels of debt are an issue,' Ms Brighenti-Barnard added. 'We need governments to listen.' Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email tips@
Daily Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
The big problem with F1: The Movie
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Formula 1 fans have so much access to the sport that a fictional production can't match the real highs of racing. The real thing feels far less predictable than Hollywood's drive to milk corporate sponsors and cash in on F1's popularity. All the parts were in place to make F1: The Movie unforgettable. MORE: The Aussie driving rite of passage dying out Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, left, and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in a scene from "F1 The Movie." Picture: Apple TV+ via AP There were superstar actors in Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, ably supported by Kerry Condon and Damson Idris. A blockbuster director in Joseph Kosinski, fresh from the success of Top Gun: Maverick. Guidance from racing legend Lewis Hamilton and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali to make sure it didn't run off course. And unprecedented access to the drivers, cars, circuits and trackside action that make Formula 1 the pinnacle of motorsport. The last bit is where F1 fans might feel short-changed. F1 used to be elusive and exclusive. MORE: Australia in fight to beat Chinese batteries Damson Idris stars in F1: The Movie. Picture: Supplied Former boss Bernie Ecclestone was a magician who wowed onlookers without revealing his tricks, putting on a show while keeping the audience at a distance. But the sport has thrown open its doors to live broadcasts, social media, Netflix, podcasts and more that take us deep into the world of Grand Prix racing. We've gone from a couple of hours of racing every other week to an unprecedented level of access to racing's cast and crew. Racing fans can consume countless hours of content each week. MORE: Insane features in 'preposterous' new EV The Top Gun: Maverick treatment did not translate to F1. Picture: Paramount That's where F1: The Movie differs from Top Gun: Maverick. There's a lot of mystery surrounding fighter pilots, their jets and missions. Top Gun pulls viewers into a world off-limits to civilians. But F1 offers a fictionalised spin on a world its fans are intimately familiar with. Racing fans are spoiled. It's everywhere you look. And its real stories are better than what Hollywood scripted. Brad Pitt, right, plays an ageing racer called into action by Javier Bardem. Picture: Apple TV+ via AP F1: The Movie is about a struggling team owner (Ruben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem) who turns to a retired racing star of the 1990s (Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt) in a desperate ploy to win a race. There's friction from young teammate Joshua (played by Damson Idris) and team technical director Kate (played by Kerry Condon), before everyone works together to get their trophy. MORE: How Netflix changed F1 forever Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, left, and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in a scene from "F1 The Movie." Picture: Apple TV+ via AP It's a poor substitute for the real drama of F1. Fans will never forget the career-defining battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, culminating in the controversy of Abu Dhabi's season finale in 2021. Look at that pair. There's rich material in Verstappen's well-documented struggle with an abusive father, or the way Hamilton's raw talent drove him through adversity. There's Michael Schumacher's tragic skiing accident and his son Mick's ultimately futile drive to follow his path. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton clashed at Monza in 2021. Photo: PeterOr Jack Doohan striving for F1 for his entire life only to be thrown on the scrap heap after half a dozen races. Robert Kubica last week completed a fairytale story by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans – arguably the world's biggest race – in a Ferrari, years after a near-fatal rally crash prevented him from driving for Ferrari in Formula 1. Hours later, the battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris boiled over in Canada. Piastri, ice-cold, unflappable and inscrutable, went wheel to wheel with a Norris plagued by a lack of confidence in his clearly immense ability. The Mercedes-AMG GT stars in F1: The Movie. Picture: Supplied My invitation to the Australian premiere of F1: The Movie included a drive of a $400,000 Mercedes-AMG sports car that features in the film, the opportunity to wear the same $45,000 IWC watch shown on screen, and all the alcohol-free Heineken I could drink. Which isn't much. The best racing movies are underpinned by real stories. Rush (2013) faithfully tells the gripping story of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, pitched in a do-or-die battle with brutal consequences. Ford v Ferrari (2019) has Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles beating the odds to win Le Mans, and the biographical Senna (2010) is told with more care than Kosinski managed. Matt Damon and Christian Bale in a scene from the movie Ford V Ferrari. I'd even argue Will Ferrell's silly NASCAR flick Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) has more heart, humour and audience appeal than a none-too-convincing Brad Pitt trying to climb onto the podium. Sure, the film might give F1 a further bump in popularity. But fans won't find much beyond what they already see on Grand Prix Sundays. F1: The Movie reaches Australian screens on June 26. Originally published as Is F1: The Movie any good?
Daily Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
AFL 2025: Justin Longmuir OK with Shai Bolton's scoreboard taunt
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says star Shai Bolton plays on the 'edge' but has no issue with his on-field attitude after he taunted Essendon players by pointing to the scoreboard after a goal during Thursday night's romp. Tensions boiled over in the second quarter when Bolton pointed to the scoreboard during a scuffle, letting the severely undermanned Bombers outfit, littered with first-year players including debutant ruckman Vigo Visentini, know exactly who was in control. The margin was 23 points. The former Richmond star then slotted a goal of his own a minute later and had words with Bomber Jaxon Prior, who had given away the free kick that allowed him the shot on goal. Shai Bolton got under the Bombers' skin. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images That only further stoked the fire as tempers flared again but Longmuir, who said he didn't see the scoreboard gesture, had no issue with Bolton's approach. 'I didn't see that, but I like the edge he plays with,' he said. 'I think largely Shai valued the right things tonight. I thought his pressure and contests were really strong from the get-go. 'He plays with flair and isn't afraid and likes to get in the opposition's face. 'So I didn't see the pointing at the scoreboard, but I don't mind the way he played.' Bolton finished with two goals from 15 disposals. The Dockers' fifth consecutive win takes their season record to 9-5, with a game against St Kilda next week, again in Perth. Bolton likes to get in the opposition's face. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images Longmuir praised his team's commitment to the contest, calling out Nathan O'Driscoll's bravery as a standout moment. The young midfielder crashed into Bomber Will Setterfield in the third quarter, setting up a goal from the next play. 'I mentioned it after the game,' he said. 'I asked the players for a really strong trademark game. I thought we were just a little bit off with that last week. 'Not necessarily the physicality aspect of it, more probably the communication and the connection between our roles and having each other's backs. 'I probably thought that was a little bit off last week. I thought that was tremendous today. 'And I mentioned squaring the ball up inside forward 50 and none of our forwards looked to kick goals with U-turns, they all fed it back to players in better positions. 'Then we had guys going back and putting their body on the line for the team. That moment was fantastic, along with a lot of different trademark moments throughout the night. 'It's one of many.' Originally published as Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir didn't see Shai Bolton's scoreboard taunt against Essendon but was OK with it anyway
Daily Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Trump to make decision ‘within the next two weeks'
Welcome to our live coverage of the escalating situation in the Middle East. Israel's Defence Minister warned that Iran's supreme leader 'can no longer be allowed to exist' after a hospital was hit in an Iranian missile strike on Thursday, spiking tensions in the week-old war. Israel, fearing Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched air strikes against its arch enemy last week, triggering a conflict that has left more than 200 people dead on both sides. As President Donald Trump dangled the prospect of US involvement, Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba was left in flames by a bombardment that Iran said targeted a military and intelligence base. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would 'pay a heavy price' for the hospital strike, while Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 'Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed – he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals,' Mr Katz told reporters. 'He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump will make a decision about the country's potential involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict within the next two weeks. But Russia has warned the US not to get involved, stressing it 'would radically destabilise the entire situation'. Follow on for more updates. Originally published as Israel-Iran conflict live updates: Trump to make decision 'within the next two weeks'
Daily Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Barbara Corcoran reveals her controversial moves to boost career
A real estate mogul has revealed the controversial steps she took to boost her career and did several 'unhinged things' to make a name for herself. Barbara Corcoran took to TikTok to lift the lid on the ways she attempted to boost her real estate company, The Corcoran Group — which was founded in 1973 — in its earliest days, Realtor reports. The 76-year-old 'Shark Tank' star posted a series of throwback photos from the earliest days in her real estate career, which she launched in New York City. Noting that her business was the 'first brokerage on the internet,' Ms Corcoran explained that she took to tracking the prospective URLs of her competitors so she could see who joined the web behind her. 'When I was the first brokerage on the internet, I registered my competitors' URLs so I could keep track of when everyone else woke up,' she shared, adding: 'The big guys came calling last.' Ms Corcoran then revealed that she came up with a genius idea to use a market crash to her advantage by essentially conducting a real estate fire sale, one that ultimately netted her an incredible profit. '[I] priced 88 apartments alike during a market crash and sold out within an hour. I made $US1 million commission in a single day,' she added. MORE: Bombers star finalises new $2m+ deal Where Aus tenants pay the most Developer's bold plan for $50m Melbourne site The entrepreneur also confessed that she had to bet on herself and aim high — even at the beginning of her career — noting that, to a certain extent, she had to fake it until she made it, at least where her status within the industry was concerned. To that end, the 'Shark Tank' investor wrote her own self-titled industry analysis, called The Corcoran Report, which she first published during a recession, relying solely on data from her own sales in order to offer a market evaluation. '[I] wrote The Corcoran Report, declaring that NYC prices hit an all-time low, based only on my 14 sales for the year,' she confessed in the TikTok video. Despite the lack of data in the report, her strategy worked, with Ms Corcoran revealing in a previous LinkedIn post that she was stunned to find herself quoted in a New York Times piece just days after she'd published it. 'They quoted my report, and I couldn't believe my eyes!' she recalled. 'And right after that, our phones never stopped ringing. It immediately put us on the map. I could hear my salespeople answer the phones and say, 'Oh, you've heard of us?!' 'I was still the same small company I was the week before, but I now had the power of the press behind me, and everyone treated us differently.' But still, Ms Corcoran didn't stop her efforts to woo more clients — as well as their pets. In fact, the industry expert shared that she even drew in new customers by appealing to pet owners and acting as both a real estate mogul and dog trainer. 'When the co-op board revealed they would start interviewing dogs, I taught dogs how to shake hands in Central Park,' she said. And she didn't just drive business by training dogs, she also 'took a job as a messenger delivering packages at night to help make ends meet.' Unlike many other businesses at the time, Ms Corcoran used the press to her advantage and even invited them to 'open the elusive safe in the Guggenheim mansion without knowing what was inside.' She revealed the safe ended up being 'empty.' And she even dressed up to draw attention. 'I threw a company party where everyone dressed as nuns. It was a riot,' she said alongside a snap of members of the real estate company dressed up. In addition to pretending it was Halloween, Ms Corcoran revealed she also recruited the help of farm animals to make sales. 'I put real cows on the penthouse roof to help sell Stewart Mott's overpriced apartment and got major press for it. (Yes, Mott of the applesauce empire),' she revealed. Lastly, to establish herself in the celebrity home market, Ms Corcoran threw out an A-lister's name — who wasn't her client — and flew to success. 'I published the Madonna report based on what I imagined Madonna would want in a home,' the 76-year-old said. 'The media went wild and started calling me the 'broker to the stars.' She wasn't even my client.' Just days before she candidly revealed her 'unhinged' behaviour, Ms Corcoran welcomed Caleb Simpson, the TikTok star-turned-real estate influencer, into her NYC dwelling for one last time. She offers an intimate glimpse of the property's most impressive amenities, including jaw-dropping views of Manhattan's iconic skyline. In Simpson's viral video, Ms Corcoran joked that even her most dedicated followers likely wouldn't have 'recognised' the pad when it was first listed, because she had removed all of her possessions in order to stage it for sale. Though she seemed firm in her decision to offload the abode — which she first came across in 1992, 23 years before she bought it in 2015 — she confessed that she 'can't believe' she's bidding farewell to the home after so many years. Ms Corcoran first came across the penthouse dwelling on the Upper East Side in 1992 when she was working as a messenger to make ends meet and delivered a letter to the unit's resident. At the time, the opulent home wasn't on the market — nor would it have been anywhere close to fitting within Corcoran's budget if it had been. Yet, she couldn't get the property out of her mind. 'I thought, 'My God, I've never seen anything as beautiful in my life,'' she told the New York Times. So, she asked the then-owner to get in touch if she ever decided to sell her penthouse — a decision that she ended up making more than two decades later. Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Huge star slams 'violent' Trump after quitting US 'Wrong side': Ellen loses $8m+ overnight 'Gone, everything': Gibson on trashed pad
