1995 and the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney. I'd flown from NZ for it as did slebs and media from all over the world.

Murdoch got the amazing inner city old Showground for 100 years for $1 a year. It had massive art deco buildings that were perfect for movie studios. Move in, bring the lights , technicians and stars and film Star Wars.

By remarkable co-incidence the state Labor government had been attacked mercilessly by News Ltd newspapers...that eased up after the $1 deal was done.

we were all in pens(where reptiles belong)..local one side, international the other. Tom cruise, Nicole,Schwarzenegger..on and they came as PR's directed them to News Ltd publications for interviews bypassing everyone else.

The top TV show biz reporter for Globo in Brazil with 50 millions viewers was literally in tears by the time Sylvester Stallone ignored him..

Finally Rupert & Wendi arrived..."can I ask a question Mr Murdoch please ?"..I said.."where are you from" said the great man.

I told him..a rival rag.."well fuck off then" he said and continued walking. And I thought I was special being in the international pen !. He's all class
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No-one but me seems to have noticed that Murdoch has split the old Showground into two lots... One is the Fox Studios...the other an 'entertainment' and shopping area meant to be about the movies...cinemas and so on.

By council law it is to remain 'public land' until the 100 years are up. ...the whole place is built like a mini-suburb with a shopping centre..suburban streets and then surrounded by empty land. Just waiting for 20 blocks of high rise apartments. Council rules easily change... Rupert was handed a billion dollar suburb development...for $1 !