During the height of the Great Depression, 26-year-old Frank Packer launched what would become the largest-selling magazine in Australia: The Australian Women's Weekly.
It was hoped the magazine would lift the morale of women across Australia. Initially published as a black and white newspaper, the first edition sold 121,162 copies – far more than the 50,000 anticipated.
As the magazine went from strength to strength, Packer combined The Australian Women's Weekly with The Daily Telegraph newspaper to form Consolidated Press. Allen Allen & Hemsley was appointed the company's solicitors. Gabriel Reichenbach, a senior and highly effective litigator, managed the work.
Australian Womens Weekly cover, 1954.
'I have always seen [Packer] as the dragon, shooting fire from his eyes and brimstone from his nostrils'.
Packer thrived on taking risks and he kept the firm busy with a steady stream of litigation. In 1960 Packer saw an opportunity to take over a struggling Angus & Robertson, another longstanding client of the firm. Partner Sir Norman Cowper was chairman of Angus & Robertson at the time and resisted Packer's efforts to acquire the company. Although Sir Norman and Packer had worked together for almost 30 years, they didn't hold back in expressing their strongly opposing views, which were published in Packer's The Daily Telegraph newspaper. When Packer called Cowper a dragon, Cowper responded, 'I have always seen him as the dragon, shooting fire from his eyes and brimstone from his nostrils'.
Cowper and Reichenbach found themselves on opposing sides of Packer's pursuit of Angus & Robertson, writing each other strongly worded letters from adjoining offices. Eventually, Packer conceded defeat and sold his shares to a group of British publishers.
The firm advised Sir Frank Packer for many years and also his son Kerry, including on his formation of the controversial World Series Cricket competition.