'Pauline's paradise lost' needs the right touch
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday February 16, 2010
The Hanson legacy is her home's main selling point. Please explain, aks Tom Reilly. REAL ESTATE agents are famous for portraying things in the best possible light and the man selling Pauline Hanson's Queensland home has turned his skills not just to her property but also to the former One Nation leader's political career.After the Herald reported yesterday that Ms Hanson was preparing to start a new life in Britain, the realtor Keith Edwards has been given the job of drumming up interest in her $1 million-plus, 59-hectare homestead."I must be the happiest estate agent in Australia," he said. "The phones have been ringing off the hook and I've already been round to Pauline's place to take down the sign twice so that TV crews could film me putting it back up."The marketing material for the home in Coleyville - about 65 kilometres south-west of Brisbane - makes great use of Ms Hanson's career. Under the heading "Pauline's paradise lost," the copy reads, "Arguably the most instantly recognisable woman in Australia, Pauline Hanson, the creator of One Nation, the party that took on and shook the Australian political scene to its very core, has said 'Enough is enough!"'Mr Edwards is not ruling out a supporter of the former federal MP bidding for the four-bedroom home."Pauline was a hugely popular politician and I'm sure there would be some people who would like the idea of living in her former home."The news of Ms Hanson's impending departure sparked debate across Australia. While the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, said he could understand if people were disappointed with her move, the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, called on the electorate to recall how Ms Hanson's anti-immigration policies hurt Australia's international standing.Ms Hanson's former political svengali David Oldfield even suggested the move to England - where the far right British National Party won seats in the European Parliament last year - could spark another bid for power. "Is she retiring or is going to become involved in politics in England?"Ms Hanson put out a statement yesterday insisting she would never give up being "an Aussie"."I have no intention of ever renouncing my Australian citizenship," she said.Photos of Ms Hanson's property give an intriguing insight into her personal style - or lack thereof, according to Herald style writer, Melissa Penfold."I'm afraid it's really a lesson in not what to do with a home," said the co-author of Australian Style. "When you look at the heavy woods, cheap fittings and poor lighting it's no surprise she's keen to say goodbye to the property."Among the items on display in the 15 year-old home are a wooden clock in the shape of Australia, a statue of three prancing horses on the dining table and what appears to be a portrait of Ms Hanson in the living room.While Mr Edwards is hopeful a Hanson devotee may want the home, he is equally aware that many might be just as keen not to live in "Pauline's paradise lost"."I guess quite a few people may be put off the property because of its current owner."Letters€” Page 8smh.com.auA look inside Hanson's home
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald
