Latest news with #ScotsCollege
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Shock twist for socialite Vanessa Jacobs Fennell who went on a drunken rampage in her Range Rover after a boozed-up lunch - before assaulting a cop in a ritzy suburb
A Sydney socialite who assaulted a police officer after crashing her Range Rover into a parked Tesla has pleaded guilty to a string of charges. Vanessa Jacobs Fennell has admitted negligent driving, assaulting police, refusing to submit to a breath test and failing to give her particulars to the owner of damaged property. The 54-year-old formally entered the pleas at Waverley Local Court late last month but is still seeking to have the matters dealt with under mental health provisions of the law. Jacobs Fennell was arrested at Bellevue Hill in Sydney's eastern suburbs after crashing her Range Rover on Riddell Street on March 21. The mother-of-two, who was once in the running to be in reality TV show Real Housewives of Sydney, spent a night in a police cell after her run-in with the law. Video obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed Jacobs Fennell immediately after the incident as bystanders tried to persuade her to get out the car. She smiled broadly from the driver's seat as witnesses tried to undo her seatbelt and get her to leave the car for someone else to park. The charity maven and a group of Scots College mums were seen enjoying drinks at Double Bay restaurant Tanuki on the afternoon of the crash, before some of them headed across the road to martini bar Bobbie's. Jacobs Fennell has told friends the driving incident was brought about by drinking two glasses of rosé while she had the antidepressant Celapram in her system, triggering her 'out of character' behaviour. She is understood to suffer from depression and recurring nightmares following the death of a baby daughter. Her recent break-up with prominent Melbourne businessman Nathan Sable has also added to her mental health issues, it is understood. The pair are believed to have been a couple until a few weeks before Valentine's Day when things suddenly cooled. Before dating Mr Sable, Jacobs Fennell was married to private equity banker Tom Fennell, who lives very close to the crash site where she was arrested. Jacobs Fennell made her first appearance at Waverley Local Court on April 1 when she entered not guilty pleas to three charges. On that occasion, she was dressed in a black suit, oversized $830 Louis Vuitton sunglasses and an $8,500 Cartier watch as she carried a $8,600-plus Fendi handbag. The negligent driving charge was added on May 20 when Jacobs Fennell changed her earlier not guilty pleas to guilty. Court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia state Jacobs Fennell allegedly failed to give her required particulars 'within the required time' to the driver of the other car. She is also alleged to have assaulted a male constable during the execution of his duty. Jacobs Fennell was described as 'a charity fundraiser who has been on committees for Sydney Children's Hospital and Murdoch Children's Research Institute'. She is due to appear in court on June 23 when she will apply to have the charges dealt with under Section 14 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Aussie's turned out in force for parade to celebrate King Charles' birthday
Rows of soldiers, police on horseback and a marching band have turned out in force to celebrate the King's birthday in Sydney. Much of Australia is set to celebrate ahead of King Charles III's 77th birthday, with a parade honouring the monarch kicking off the long weekend at Sydney's Government House on Saturday. The Ceremonial Parade, hosted by NSW Governor Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, kicked off with sunny skies on Saturday afternoon. The Scots College Old Boys Popes and Drums carried out a march-on during the event, while a tri-service Australian Defence Force Cadet Royal Guard was marched on by the NSW Police Force Band. Mounted police also followed the tri-service. A Royal Australian Air Force fly-past was featured during the event, while Uncle Chicka Madden delivered a Welcome to Country. The unfurling of The Royal Standard took place on the Parade Ground to symbolise His Majesty's presence. A garden reception was also hosted on Government House's eastern terrace to celebrate the King. Images from the event showed a large marching band performing outside Government House, as well as rows of marching soldiers and police on horseback. A large seated crowd was also pictured on the lawn, watching as the event unfolded. The King's 77th birthday is not until November 14, however it's celebrated at different times of the year depending what part of the globe you're from. The ACT, NSW, Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria will celebrate on June 9 this year, while most in Western Australia will mark the holiday on September 29, followed by Queensland on October 6. NewsWire have created a guide on shop opening hours over the long weekend.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aussies gather to celebrate King's birthday
Rows of soldiers, police on horseback and a marching band have turned out in force to celebrate the King's birthday in Sydney. Much of Australia is set to celebrate ahead of King Charles III's 77th birthday, with a parade honouring the monarch kicking off the long weekend at Sydney's Government House on Saturday. The Ceremonial Parade, hosted by NSW Governor Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, kicked off with sunny skies on Saturday afternoon. The Scots College Old Boys Popes and Drums carried out a march-on during the event, while a tri-service Australian Defence Force Cadet Royal Guard was marched on by the NSW Police Force Band. Mounted police also followed the tri-service. A Royal Australian Air Force fly-past was featured during the event, while Uncle Chicka Madden delivered a Welcome to Country. The unfurling of The Royal Standard took place on the Parade Ground to symbolise His Majesty's presence. A garden reception was also hosted on Government House's eastern terrace to celebrate the King. Images from the event showed a large marching band performing outside Government House, as well as rows of marching soldiers and police on horseback. A large seated crowd was also pictured on the lawn, watching as the event unfolded. The King's 77th birthday is not until November 14, however it's celebrated at different times of the year depending what part of the globe you're from. The ACT, NSW, Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria will celebrate on June 9 this year, while most in Western Australia will mark the holiday on September 29, followed by Queensland on October 6. NewsWire have created a guide on shop opening hours over the long weekend.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Scots College asks parents to donate to its champagne budget
If you thought the grand opening of Scots College's $60 million castle would put an end to us writing about the Bellevue Hill private school, think again. The garish faux-Scottish baronial castle (officially known as the John Cunningham Student Centre) was finally opened last month, seven years after plans were first lodged, at an extravagant ceremony featuring fireworks and a military tattoo, a rather desperate and tacky display of extravagance that didn't make the castle any cheaper or less ugly but did leave some parents grumpy about having to pay extra fees just to attend. Now there is further disgruntlement in the Scots community, in which, after all that pomp accompanying the castle's opening, there seems to be little cash for much else. Last week, parents were shocked to receive an email calling for donations toward funding various events for year 6 students headed for the senior school, including a mother-son dance and a celebration dinner at the suitably janky confines of Randwick Racecourse. That is, on top of the tickets they'll have to purchase. 'We rely heavily on donations to keep these ticket prices as low as possible and afford those 'little extras' to make it a year to remember for the boys,' a fundraising email from the school said. Those 'little extras' are hardly the stuff of a 12-year-old boy's dreams. Loading Helpfully, the school gives parents a budget for the festivities so they can see just what their donations will be going towards. That includes $430 per case of French champagne (their tautology, not ours) because we hear there had been complaints about a function this year at which prosecco was served. The horror! The school also needs $1250 for bowties for the mother-and-son dance, $2000 for celebration dinner cookies and $8000 to design and print the year 6 journal. We asked the college about all this and didn't hear back. But if our experience writing about the castle has taught us anything, it's that nothing comes cheap in Bellevue Hill.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch endangered marsupials return to Australian bushland after 62 years
The University of Sydney and conservation organization Aussie Ark recently released 15 endangered eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus) into a controlled bushland environment. The medium-sized, bushy-tailed, white-spotted nocturnal marsupials were set off into a preserve on the Scots College's Bannockburn property near Nowra on along the southern coast of New South Wales, Australia. Jerrinja tribal leader Ron Carberry conducted a Welcome to Country as the animals examined their new home. A Welcome to Country is delivered by Traditional Owners or Indigenous peoples who have been given permission from Traditional Owners as a way to welcome visitors to their Country. Carberry reflected on a time not so long ago when his ancestors roamed with this 'magic little animal.' Carberry added: 'What is happening today is a magnificent moment. It's about healing Country.' The release marked a first step in rewilding a species that disappeared from Australia's mainland more than 60 years ago. Today, eastern quolls are primarily found in the eastern part of the island of Tasmania, and in farmlands, open grasslands, dry forests, woodlands, coastal scrub, and alpine heathland. Quolls are 'opportunistic hunters that take live prey such as insects, small mammals, birds and reptiles, and scavenge,' according to Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water. They are considered extinct on the Australian mainland primarily due to disease, poisoning, and predation by foxes. Reintroduced populations like this one are being established at sites where introduced predators are managed. Aussie Ark has already established the 400-hectare Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. Ten of the eastern quolls released at this new site at Bannockburn were born and bred at the sanctuary. Thomas Newsome from the University of Sydney's Global Ecology Lab said that the team will prioritize long-term scientific research to better understand how to successfully rewild the species. They plan on using very-high frequency (VHF) radio and global positioning system (GPS) tail transmitters, a camera observation network of 54 camera traps, and quarterly cage trapping to collect data and monitor the quolls. 'This long-term research project provides us with a wonderful opportunity not only to establish a meta-population of eastern quolls on mainland Australia but also deep-dive into the ecology of the species,' Newsome said in a statement. 'We need to better understand the quolls' role in an ecosystem from which it has been absent from for almost 70 years.' 'The release is another powerful step toward one day rewilding the eastern quoll to the mainland of Australia,' Aussie Ark Operations Manager Dean Reid added. 'It follows last year's historic release of our Eastern Quolls into Booderee Botanical Gardens, when Federal Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek personally released one of our quolls.' The site will join the SE NSW Eastern Quoll Hub. This network of sanctuaries is participating in a genetic metapopulation management plan. The goal of this plan is to ensure the long-term genetic and demographic health of eastern quoll populations in areas where they are protected from predators.
