Roslyn Redman Packer (born née Weedon, in ) is an Australian philanthropist and widow of media mogul Kerry Packer.
Early life
Packer was born Roslyn Redman Weedon in Wagga Wagga, the daughter of Doctor Stephen Hertford Weedon and socialite Phyllis Bragg. Packer’s parents were married on Saturday September 1, 1934 at Christ Church of England Cootamundra. The reception was held in the Wagga Wagga Town Hall. The honeymoon included a trip to Canberra followed by a cruise in Cairns. Packer’s mother was a native of Cootamundra, a town within the Riverina region of New South Wales. She was an organiser for the Country Women’s Association and followed various sports including hockey, golf and tennis. Packer’s father, Stephen Weedon, was born on 15 February 1887 and served in World War I as a medical officer holding the rank of major. Stephen Weedon departed Sydney on the HMAT Borda A3 on 17 October 1916. From 1923, Stephen Weedon, alongside Doctor Walter Wallace Martin, operated Welwyn Private Hospital on Simmons Street, Wagga Wagga. The hospital accommodated approximately 10 patients daily, the hospital was closed in March 1946 and was later sold to the Department of Main Roads on 26 July 1946. Stephen Weedon died 27 April 1965 in Double Bay.
Family
Marriage to Kerry Packer
Packer married Kerry Packer at St Mark’s Church, Darling Point on 30 August 1963. The couple were married until Kerry Packer died of kidney failure on December 26, 2005. Speaking to the Australian Women's Weekly, Packer said: "I don't hear his voice so much anymore, but it was a good 18 months before the reality sank in that he isn't going to walk through the front door again ... that when the phone rings, it won't be him to say he'll be home soon." Packer has two children, James and Gretel Packer, with Kerry Packer.
Gretel Packer
Packer's daughter, Gretel Lees Packer, married Nick Barham in July 1991 in Sussex. The wedding was held near the Packer family’s English estate of Fyning Hill. They have two children, Francesca and Ben. Gretel later married Shane Murray and they have one child named William. Packer and Murray married at a private ceremony 15 days before Kerry Packer’s death. Gretel Packer said of her late father, Kerry Packer:
"As a child, I didn't think that my life was at all unusual... as I grew older I realised what an incredible gift dad was..."
Gretel Packer established a $200 million National Philanthropic Fund on 22 July 2014. This fund was established under a 10 year joint commitment with Crown Resorts and the Packer Family Foundation. The funds have been distributed to not-for-profit organisations with a focus on Indigenous education, arts, culture, community welfare and medical research programs. As of the 2018/2019 Crown Resorts annual review, $83 million had been allocated to 300 grant recipients. Gretel Packer is a trustee of the Sydney Theatre Company Foundation, a board member of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and a member of the Taronga Zoo Foundation.
James Packer
James was educated briefly at Tudor House for two years. Packer visited James fortnightly by car and often stayed at Milton Park with the Baillieus — who were cousins of Kerry Packer. The manager of the Packer family’s Newcastle Waters Station, Dick Wilson, said about James Packer: "There was a lot of his mother in him and she was one of the nicest women you'll ever meet."
Inheritance Dispute
Packer’s children, James and Gretel, were involved in a legal battle when dividing up Kerry Packer’s fortune. Roslyn helped "broker a peace treaty" between the two children. The settlement, negotiated in October 2015, included a A$1.25 billion portfolio of cash and preference shareholdings in Consolidated Press Holdings.
Philanthropy
In 2007 Packer was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community as a major supporter of and fundraiser for a broad range of arts, cultural, medical research and health care organisations.