The day police crashed the billionaires’ lockdown soiree – and where the guests hid

Members of Victoria’s wealthiest family flouted the state’s strict lockdown orders in July last year when they hosted a family gathering at their historic Kew mansion Raheen.

Several Victoria Police officers arrived unannounced at the wrought-iron gates of the Pratt family’s estate at about 6.45 pm on the evening of July 23 and were escorted onto the property by a staff member.

They entered a building known as ‘R2’ that adjoins the heritage-listed Italianate mansion, where they found an empty round table set for at least 15 people.

A source with knowledge of the event, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the dinner was hosted by matriarch Jeanne Pratt and billionaire scion Anthony Pratt and his immediate family, who live permanently at Raheen in separate compounds. Guests were mostly family who did not live at the estate.

But The Age and Sydney Morning Herald can reveal that while police were inspecting the property, dinner guests were hiding downstairs.

Video footage has emerged from the night that reveals 10 guests, including Jeanne’s youngest daughter Fiona Geminder and her billionaire husband Raphael, being ushered down a flight of stairs to the basement at 6.47pm, shortly after the police arrived. They are joined by several grand-children of Jeanne Pratt, along with their partners.

Twelve minutes later, after the police had left the property, the same guests are seen emerging from the stairwell at 6.59pm.

Visy chairman and owner Anthony Pratt works from home at the Raheen mansion in 2020.

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald obtained a statement from Victoria Police, video footage of from inside the mansion and a first-hand account of the event, which occurred during the fifth lockdown imposed by the Andrews government.

That lockdown ran from July 16 to 27, when Victorians were confined to their homes following an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Those who breached the orders of the chief health officer faced fines of $1652, which were enforced by a special police taskforce.

More than 50,000 people were fined for disobeying Victoria’s strict COVID-19 public health orders throughout the pandemic.

Guests at Raheen head downstairs to avoid detection on July 23, 2021.Credit:The Age

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed that officers attended Raheen on the night and “spoke with residents and staff at the address, and no offence was detected.”

“Police attended a residence on Studley Park Road, Kew, about 6.45pm on 23 July, 2021 following reports of a breach of chief health officer’s directions,” the police spokeswoman said.

No action was taken against any member of the Pratt family, although police took photographs of the registration plates of several luxury cars parked outside the mansion.

At the time, Premier Daniel Andrews said the hard lockdown was necessary because of the highly infectious nature of the Delta variant. “You only get one chance. You go hard and you go fast,” Andrews said on July 15 last year.

Under the conditions of the lockdown, all public and private gatherings were banned, with residents only permitted to leave their homes to exercise, shop for food, perform authorised work, seek medical care, and get vaccinated or tested.

The family dinner on July 23, 2021, was held to mark Judaism’s day of rest, known as Shabbat, and was attended by up to a dozen guests of the powerful dynasty that has amassed an estimated fortune of almost $25 billion from its global packaging and recycling business.

According to the confidential source, guests were told by security staff that police could be waiting outside the main entrance on Studley Park Road. They were instructed to leave via a separate exit that was usually only used for deliveries and located near a former stable.

Raheen’s general manager Phillip Nikolitsis, who lives permanently at the estate, overseeing an entourage of kitchen staff, cleaners, gardeners and security guards at the estate for the past 20 years, also accompanied the guests to the basement, where his private office is based.

Jeanne and the late Richard Pratt out the front of their Melbourne mansion Raheen.Credit:The Age

Representatives for Pratt and his mother did not respond to requests for comment from The Age.

Fiona and Raphael Geminder did not reply to requests for comment. Phone calls, an SMS request and an email to Nikolitsis were not responded to.

Visy Industries did not reply to an email from The Age.

Anthony Pratt has been executive chairman of Visy Industries since the death of his father Richard in 2009, while also controlling Pratt Industries in the US. His family’s fortune is estimated at $24.3 billion, according to the latest Australian Financial Review Rich List, which ranked them as the fifth-wealthiest family in Australia.

Jeanne Pratt, who is understood to be in ailing health, was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2002 for her charity work and contribution to the arts.

Raheen, which was originally the home of Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel Mannix, has been the Melbourne residence of the Pratt family for more than 40 years, during which time they have hosted hundreds of political fundraisers and charity events.

A string of former prime ministers, including Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull and John Howard have enjoyed the Pratts’ hospitality at Raheen, while Gough Whitlam celebrated his 91st birthday at the historic estate in 2007.

Last month, The Age revealed that the Pratts hosted an exclusive Labor Party fundraising event at the Kew mansion attended by Premier Daniel Andrews and Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, while Visy was bidding for a $500 million contract to operate Victoria’s container deposit scheme.

Entry to that function in August cost almost $5000 per person and included the cost of a donation to the Labor Party.

Last month, an Andrews Government spokesperson insisted “the procurement process for the CDS (container deposit scheme) is being conducted under strict probity guidelines and assessed against predetermined criteria without external influence.”

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