Katharine Jean (Kate) Baillieu is an Australian journalist who was born in Melbourne on 7 January 1946. She is the fourth of seven children of Darren and Diana Baillieu (née Knox).[1] [2] She is a sister of Ted Baillieu, the present Premier of the State of Victoria.
Baillieu is a resident of Portsea, Victoria, one of Australia's most affluent suburbs, which in 2005 was reported to be "Victoria's wealthiest postcode area".[1] In recent years, Baillieu has been Portsea anti-development activist fighting to protect the local Point Nepean area from further development.
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Baillieu was educated at St Catherine's School, Toorak. She then became a journalist and later, a personal assistant to Kerry Packer.[2] In 1977 Baillieu was awarded the Douglas Wilkie Medal by the Anti-Football League. In an interview with The Australian in February 2009, Baillieu revealed that she almost became a reporter for 60 Minutes and said that after she resigned, her pioneering role as an investigative journalist into asbestos was "ever so delicately erased... they airbrushed me out".[3]
Baillieu married Victorian politician and businessman Julian Doyle in October 1983. The marriage to Baillieu was Doyle's second marriage. They had one child together, a daughter, Amy, born in 1986. [4] Baillieu and Doyle had divorced some time prior to his death in 2007.
Baillieu is the older sister of Ted Baillieu the Premier of Victoria.
Baillieu has refused to support her brother publicly and answered the question whether she congratulated him on his promotion to Victorian Liberal Party Leader with: "Has anyone congratulated him on being my brother?"[5]
Baillieu has been involved in public controversies against development in and around Portsea. She has been described in the press as the "general for the old money push" in "a struggle of old and new money" about development in the area.[6] However, Baillieu has denied that her activism is intended to be elitist: "This is a neighbourly, peaceful place. Portsea conjures up an image. But we are not exclusive. Anyone can come here."[7]
Baillieu unsuccessfully opposed development in Portsea by David Deague in the mid-1990s. Baillieu said of Deague: "I saw a lot of his great care and compassion for the landscape when he illegally demolished the house, destroyed the landscape and gardens and tore up the cliffside." [3]
Baillieu was described as a "dogged nemesis" of Lindsay Fox who is her Portsea neighbour. [4] However, Baillieu failed in a court bid to prevent him landing his helicopter at his Portsea house. During court proceedings Baillieu was forced to admit under cross examination that she had landed helicopters in Portsea when she was Kerry Packer's personal assistant. [5][6] [7]
In late 2002 and in 2003 it was reported that the Federal Government was considering selling or leasing part of Point Nepean and that David Deague and Lindsay Fox were among interested purchasers. [8]
Baillieu became an activist against the proposed redevelopment saying "We could end up with is one rich bloke building a couple of houses there. It will be a bloody tragedy, I can tell you" [9] and "If this priceless heritage land falls into private hands there will undoubtedly be a local electoral backlash and I think it will be a matter of national shame, deep shame." [10]
The sale of parts of Point Nepean was prevented by a very strong community campaign which eventually led to Point Nepean being declared a National Park and Heritage listed. [11] [12][13] [14]. In May 2010 it was announced that Point Nepean may get a luxury hotel. Greg Hunt said the cancellation of the coasts and climate centre, which was to be operated by the University of Melbourne, and the establishment of a commercial hotel or hostel on the site was a catastrophic outcome. [15]
The Age reported in 2003 that Baillieu was considering entering politics as an independent.[8] As yet, however, she has not made a run for public office.