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June 9, 2026 — 5:00am
The wedding of one of the nation’s most in-demand defamation solicitors, Rebekah Giles, and her property developer husband, Tim Price, was always going to draw some of the most influential names in legal, political and media circles.
A swarm of CBD favourites were among those who turned out to witness Giles and Price tie the knot at the Sydney Opera House over the weekend.
Among the legal heavyweights in attendance were top silk Arthur Moses, SC, and his partner and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, and high-profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC. Also there was Noel Hutley, SC, the barrister who represented Gina Rinehart in a bitter legal fight involving her children, and counsel to Rinehart’s eldest children, Christopher Withers, SC.
Property types were also out in force, including high-profile architect William Smart, known among other things for his work for billionaire Sydney philanthropist Judith Neilson, along with award-winning architect Richard Francis-Jones, who was the lead architect on the fitout of The Cutaway at Barangaroo. Blainey North, the interior designer whose client list has included everyone from Nicole Kidman to members of the Packer family, was there.
The media contingent was led by Karl Stefanovic, fresh on the heels of inking a new deal with ARN Media, and his wife, Jasmine.
Then there was the gaggle of current and former News Corp faces, including Sky News Australia host Sharri Markson and Elizabeth Colman, editor of the Weekend Australian magazine. Also there was Chris Dore, erstwhile editor-in-chief of The Australian, now editor-in-chief of The West Australian, as was the Seven network’s morning TV boss, Sarah Stinson.
The rest of the guestlist included a mix of boldface Sydney names, including money man Charlie Aitkin and his wife, Ellie, as well as Rafael Bonachela, the Spanish-born choreographer and Kylie Minogue collaborator who has been artistic director at Sydney Dance Company since 2009. Also spotted was Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh. Then there was Greater Western Sydney captain Toby Greene, and Simon Goodwin, director of coaching and performance at the Sydney Swans.
Giles and Price were married by Norah George, wife of Giles’ partner Patrick George. There was even a fake telegram from none other than Luke Sayers for good measure, which we hear had guests in stitches. A big CBD congratulations to the happy couple.
Alan Jones has a friend
Embattled former talkback radio heavyweight Alan Jones may have decided to give Downing Centre Local Court a miss on Tuesday last week, where his lawyer, Bryan Wrench, flagged one of the 27 charges faced by Jones would be dropped.
But that’s not to say Jones, who has previously pleaded not guilty to 25 counts of indecent assault, now standing at 24 counts, and two counts of sexual touching, has gone to ground altogether. (Jones has always maintained his innocence.)
Jones and former NSW MP Michael Yabsley were in Moss Vale on Monday morning, both grinning and captured in a photo Yabsley clearly thought was too good not to post to Facebook. “No amount of slander and distortion dents 50 years of seamless friendship,” Yabsley wrote in the accompanying caption. We bet!
ANU gets financial wobbles
It feels like matters surrounding the Australian National University get more chaotic with each passing day. But you would think that with all the cash ANU is splashing on defending its reputation – or whatever is left of it – the university would at least be able to stay on message.
Take, for instance, this latest wobble: During a Senate estimates hearing just last week, ANU’s acting pro-chancellor Andrew Metcalfe said that a rush of resignations from the university’s council had left it without financial expertise. “They chose to leave us,” this masthead quoted him as saying at the time.
But when we asked about financial expertise among ANU’s leadership ranks on Monday, the university insisted it has financial expertise across both its leadership and governance structures, including Metcalfe and the university’s chief operating officer. Hmm.
“The University Council includes a professor of accounting. The ANU also has a number of financial experts on council’s audit & finance and investment committees,” a university spokeswoman told CBD.
“The chief operating officer and the chief financial officer both hold accounting qualifications and have extensive experience in financial management.”
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