Pittwater Life May 2024 Issue

High Flyers
Life Stories
Couple Juanita Phillips and Greg
Combet discuss the media, politics…
and Greg’s passion for finch breeding.
just time to do something winter. Phillips describes it
different.”
as “the Taj Mahal of the bird
Story by Steve Meacham
This morning, the man world – a monument to Greg’s
who has been compared to “a love of finches!”
When Juanita Phillips questions!’”
lanky Clark Kent” is showing Growing up on Penfold’s
interviewed Greg It was five years before me the aviary in their back Minchinbury Estate in
Combet for The they met again and – both
garden featuring 16 of the western Sydney (he’s a
Bulletin magazine in 2007, she recently divorced – they
tiny, endangered birds – passionate Penrith Panthers
already knew he had a soft
five of them born over the fan), Combet’s winemaker
began a life together.
spot for Gouldian finches.
summer.
father introduced his son
These days, that life is
“That brownie-looking one to birds as soon as he could
She’d done her research, and based in Avalon Beach, where
is a baby,” Combet says. “It’s walk. “Pigeons, poultry,
after quizzing the then-head Greg still breeds Gouldians,
with its father. It will change peacocks, pheasants,” he
of the Australian Council as he prepares to start his
colour later.” Then there’s remembers. “The Gouldian
of Trade Unions (ACTU) latest role as chairman of
an iconic rainbow finch finches came later. The blue
about the 1998 waterfront the Future Fund, the Federal
which will eventually sport ones can only be bred in
dispute (during which time Government’s largest asset. a red face, blue bib, yellow captivity. Some people get
Combet was ACTU assistant Phillips recently left the waistcoat and green back quite crazy about them.”
secretary), his political ABC after 21 years as the feathers – first identified by Both Phillips and Combet
ambitions and his successful national broadcaster’s NSW the British-born ornithologist have a long association with
prosecution of James Hardie 7pm news presenter, the John Gould in 1824 and Avalon Beach, although
on behalf of asbestos victims, longest serving after the found only in the Northern neither realised that when
she went in hard.
legendary James Dibble Territory, the Kimberley and they first met. Phillips, who
“I said to him, ‘why do you (1956-’83).
Far North Queensland.
grew up in Brisbane, has lived
like birds so much?’ And this “I’ve worked as a journalist Combet designed this there on and off “for the best
tough union leader sighed full-time for the past 42 aviary himself, including part of 30 years”, and wrote
deeply, and said, ‘Because years,” she said. “But I’m glass louvres to control the her children’s books series
they don’t ask me any
definitely not retiring. It’s breeze, and a heater for The Newspaper Kids in the
32 MAY 2024
The Local Voice Since 1991