![]() Perhaps I've been dismissed because I'm not to be taken seriously. NICOLA FORREST: And as reluctant as I am to be in the public eye, I've decided that if not me, then who? And I also realise that I have the opportunity to speak to people that other people may not have access to. More than 20 per cent of our kids have health or developmental vulnerabilities when they start school. I want to talk to you today about what I believe is the greatest travesty facing our nation. (National Press Club speech, Nicola Forrest) GRACE FORREST, DAUGHTER: For a long time, Mum genuinely believed that the best thing she can do is not take up space in the public eye, and I think something that has shifted in that is realising that she herself could become a lever and a voice for drawing a line in the sand on issues that she's been working on for two decades and has seen too little progress on. It protected me and I didn't want a profile so that was fine. So I did walk two steps behind, so I would never be in the photographs. ![]() He warned me and he said, I think it's really important, you know, for the children's sake and for your own sake that you don't ever get photographed with Andrew because then people won't know who you are. NICOLA FORREST: Some very good advice early on with a with a great friend who was a media adviser to Andrew at the time. While I'm so immensely proud of the work dad does it's frustrating when your own work is constantly tied to that. But it is really frustrating to see the media repeatedly always refer to her as 'Andrew Forrest's wife'. I think it's an attribute to how strong their marriage is that they can work so entwined and not kill each other. SOPHIA, DAUGHTER: Mum and Dad, I think, have always worked together as a team so with the enormous success that Dad has had, Mum's always been right there behind him. But what I would say is that no one is more critical than we are of ourselves. And maybe sometimes they probably agree with some of the criticisms that people make of us. NICOLA FORREST: I'm well aware that we've had a lot of criticism and our children hear the criticisms as well. But clearly they've made a big commitment to supporting a whole range of causes that are unambiguously good. You might have questions about the industry they operate in, about the way they've made their money. And not everyone likes the way they've gone about it. MARK BEYER, SENIOR EDITOR, BUSINESS NEWS: Nicola and Andrew Forrest have been very public in their philanthropy and that invites a lot of close scrutiny. And I mean, how do you say no to that? Which Sydney likes always joke, like, I don't think it's legally binding to ask a six year old that and take their word for for it. But we have more money than we need and what do you think about giving it all away?'. ![]() And it was, 'Hey, kids, we're thinking like, we're always going to be there to take care of you and we'll make sure you never starve to death. SOPHIA, DAUGHTER: We were all driving, it was like a school pickup or something like that. Nicola's this little soul who fills the house. NICOLA FORREST: Children don't benefit from thinking they're going to inherit a huge amount of money. ![]() NICOLA FORREST: So we just said, let's give the rest of it away.Īnd so he said, 'Andrew Forrest and I have a serious track record'.ĪNDREW FORREST: The decision to give away everything but the personal things and the goods and chattels was really quite an easy decision. My influence being don't waste it, don't waste NICOLA FORREST: We live in a beautiful home and you know, I have I have a great life, but the things that are most important, money doesn't buy that. If it was too perfect people would think we just bought them. But yeah, of course, now we are reaping the rewards of the dividends. You know how we've got shares in Fortescue? It's not real money'. NICOLA FORREST: My son came home from school one day and said, 'Mummy, what's a billionaire?' I said, 'You know what, sweetheart, it's all just figures in books. Nicola is stepping into the spotlight to campaign on issues she and I care about deeply. Together Andrew and Nicola have set themselves the challenge of giving away the vast majority of their fortune in their lifetime. Why would I want to support a billionaire philanthropist, who couldn't possibly understand the needs of everyday women? For decades, Nicola Forrest has been in the shadow of her controversial husband, mining magnate Andrew Forrest. When I joined forces with the subject of tonight's Australian Story to campaign on women's issues, some of my friends were surprised. INTRODUCTION: Hello, I'm Wendy McCarthy, mentor, writer and feminist activist. ![]()
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