All eyes were on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and fiancee Jodie Haydon. She hired stylist Donny Galella who, with the Carla Zampatti team, reimagined their designer red crepe waterfall dress especially for her for the night.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley went for an edgy, modern look, pairing a white off-the-shoulder gown from fashion forward local designer Rebecca Vallance with metallic silver pumps.
Victorian Labor MP Josh Burns was shod in Zette vegan leather shoes, a black dinner suit and a clip-on bow tie. The footwear choice was possibly influenced by his Animal Justice Victorian state MP partner Georgie Purcell.
The couple, who hard-launched their relationship last year at the ball, debuted their baby bump; they are expecting their first child in early 2026. Purcell wore a black Bec and Bridge satin dress, purple heels, a vintage bag and Millie Savage jewellery. She said she was on a FIFO mission, and had to dash back to the Victorian parliament, which was also sitting, pronto.
Labor MP Josh Burns and partner Georgie Purcell, who is expecting a child.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Observers felt what the evening lacked in terms of chief executives, it made up for in the attendance of celebrities.
Frock drama! Rona Glynn-McDonald, founder of Common Ground, a First Nations storytelling platform, and partner of TV presenter Tony Armstrong, endured a nervous Wednesday after her ballgown failed to arrive on time. In the end, she had to buy another dress.
Armstrong came with a mission in mind. “I’m praying to meet David Pocock.”
Glynn-McDonald and Armstrong were guests of Sentiment Agency, a cultural impact and civic engagement outfit, founded by former Pocock staffer and singer Holly Rankin, who performs under the moniker of Jack River.
Rankin also hosted singer Kate Ceberano and her husband, Lee Rogers, as well as Paralympian tennis champion Dylan Alcott.
“This night is very important for our national fabric and interconnectedness between sectors. It is a critical time in the world,” Rankin told CBD, offering a strong support for the ball.
But before formalities had kicked off, there was a flurry of drama as a late bidding war gripped the Midwinter Ball’s silent auction, which raised $74,881 for charity by the time of closing at 5pm on Wednesday.
YouTuber Konrad Benjamin and TV host Tony Armstrong.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Among the hot ticket items was a “mystery flight” with the opposition leader, accompanied by a “classic Australian pub lunch” and “ripping yarns over a cold Australian lager”.
None other than Climate 200 founder and teal independent bankroller Simon Holmes a Court splashed out $15,000 on the auction item, making the bid on behalf of 18-year-old climate activist Katya Zheluk, who will also take along a climate scientist on the flight with Ley, who is facing a backbench revolt over the Coalition’s stance on net zero.
This year Press Gallery event raised $370,000 in total for charity. A record amount.
Nationals senator and Qantas tormentor, the opposition’s transport spokeswoman, Bridget McKenzie, tackled the night’s theme in a black three-piece Hugo Boss women’s tuxedo with a Jack of Spades card as a lapel accessory, worn with bright red patent leather heels.
“Who knew a tux is the perfect Midwinter Ball go-to after a busy day in parliament guys?” McKenzie told CBD. “The Black Jack is a nod to Nats House political legend (Black Jack) McEwen. The toughest doesn’t always wear a crown.” McKenzie headed for the table hosted by the Sydney Airport Corporation.
Seating plans: who sat where
But not everyone could make it. After a thumping election loss, the Coalition had to adjust to a loss of status and corresponding invites to the $25,000 corporate tables, leading to previous star ball attendees skipping the event, including Michaelia Cash, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Jane Hume and born-again Liberal MP and teal slayer Tim Wilson.
Senator Bridget McKenzie and Sydney Airport head of public affairs, Joe Dennis.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Canberra-based Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and her daughter were a recent cancellation. CBD had looked forward to meeting Sam Marles, the mixed martial arts fighting champion son of deputy prime minister Richard Marles, but the defence minister prioritised a Washington meeting with the fitness fanatic US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth. Who knows if Marles inserted into the chitchat any details about his son’s career choice, which is surely MAGA-approved?
For the AFL, the late ball clashed with the approach of the finals season, the AFL Awards on Thursday and Dreamtime game in Darwin on Friday, meaning chair Richard Goyder, government relations guru Jude Donnelly and chief executive Andrew Dillon were absent this year.
Seven West Media proprietor Kerry Stokes was not at the media company’s table, but it can still pull the names. Albanese recently opened the network’s shiny new studios in Melbourne’s Docklands, and on Wednesday night, low-profile chief executive, numbers guy Jeff Howard reeled in a big get, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his journalist wife, Laura.
Nine Entertainment vied with the ABC for the most tables, but a clash with the release of its annual results meant the corporation, which publishes this masthead, had to give up its corporate table, and chief executive Matt Stanton and chair Catherine West were absent from proceedings. Nine donated a rugby league package for the auction instead. Nine board member Andrew Lancaster, chief executive of WIN, and his wife, Elizabeth, were hosted on the Australian Financial Review table.
Politicians hosted by Nine outlets and publications included Foreign Minister Penny Wong and opposition treasury spokesman Ted OBrien, as well as in-the-news eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who brought along her daughter.
Guardian Australia hosted teal MP Allegra Spender and Labor Environment Minster Murray Watt.
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil with singer Kate Ceberano.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Chairman Kim Williams was absent from the ABC tables, instead attending the 50th anniversary of the Science Show. This left the spotlight for managing director Hugh Marks (the former boss of Nine Entertainment), who was chaperoned by ABC luminaries David Speers, Sarah Ferguson and Patricia Karvelas.
Rupert Murdoch was not at the News Corp table, but his niece, and chair of the Herald & Weekly Times, Penny Fowler, attended along with executive chair Australasia Michael Miller and outgoing government relations and all-round troubleshooter Campbell Reid, who hosted Education Minister Jason Clare, Liberal MP Julian Leeser, South Australian Liberal factional warrior Don Farrell and Tasmanian Liberal senator Claire Chandler.
Matt Golding.Credit:
The Australian’s editor-in-chief, Michelle Gunn, hosted Senator James Patterson and Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth.
Foxtel, newly divested from News Corp and now in the hands of British streaming service DAZN, was represented by chief executive Patrick Delany, who hosted Attorney-General Rowland and husband Michael Chaaya, as well as Liberal communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh and her husband, Stuart, a former canoeing Olympian.
Lachlan Murdoch was not at the Sky News table, but his long-time consigliere, Siobhan McKenna was.
News Corp hosted Mornington Peninsula Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie, deputy opposition leader in the Senate, Anne Ruston, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie and Labor numbers boffin Andrew Charlton.
Press Gallery president Jane Norman hosted Albanese and Haydon, Speaker Dick, and entertainers Jonathan Biggins and Mandy Bishop, of the much-missed Wharf Revue.
Press Gallery vice president Katina Curtis hosted Ley, Senate president Sue Lines, and Nationals leader David Littleproud.
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Corporate and political match-ups
Corporate tables were once again oversubscribed and made for some interesting corporate and political match-ups.
Mining behemoth Fortescue founder Andrew Forrest was not at the Fortescue table, but the company hosted Small Business Minister Anne Aly and climate change warrior and teal independent Zali Steggall.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and her husband, secretary of the NSW Treasury, Michael Coutts-Trotter, were hosted by Macquarie Bank.
And if Midwinter Ball psephologists detected more decorum than in previous years, they were right. A change in parliamentary policy regarding the serving of alcohol meant that the drinks cauldrons that formed the centrepiece of each table were not automatically replenished as in times past, and at the same time, additional water services were deployed. It seemed to suit the times.
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