ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The latest scuttlebutt from our towns golf courses and hair salons suggests local Baby Boomer-age parents are now flaunting their offspring’s lack of achievements by boasting about the upscale suburbs where they’ve bought their children starter properties.
Gathered around a dining table in Betoota Grove, Helen and David Armitage, of the Armitage cattle family, started the conversation.
“We just got our Jackson a place in Betoota Heights,” Helen began, her voice filled with pride.
“It’s in the new Heights Village development. Off-the-plan. It was only $300 000 down for a two-bedroom apartment. Not bad for a boy who hasn’t worked a day in his life! [laughs] But you can’t be letting your kids rent in this climate, can you?”
David nodded.
“When he gets a job that covers the mortgage payments and his lifestyle, we’re kicking him out of our pool house.”
Not to be outdone, Abigail and Jonathan Thornton from the French Quarter chimed in.
“Well our Maddie got her first starter apartment, too. On the top floor of a Rue de Branlette Art Deco walk-up,” Abigail said, smiling as she cut up another bit of spatchcock.
“Lots of space for her travel photography business. She might not have a real job, but I’d hate for her to end up an equity partner at Ashunt Khunt and Rhimjob like her Jonathan. Law isn’t for a gentle soul like her.”
Jonathan frowned.
“It’s good to have the house back, though. But it’s so big, we might have to follow her and downsize to a French Quarter terrace or something like that.”
Bob and Sue Jenkins, from Betoota Heights, tried to hold their own.
“Well, we managed to get Kevin a one-bedder in Betoota Heights,” Sue said.
“We had to remortgage our place a little bit but not too much. We also had to go guarantor.”
Helen could barely contain her amusement at that.
Just when the conversation seemed to be winding down, the unassuming Beckkett-White family dropped a bombshell. The Beckkett-White family brought poker machines to Queensland. Their daughter, Emily, had recently acquired ‘Daintree’, a well-known restored Queenslander on Point Remienko in Betoota Grove.
“Emily is hoping to get into the family business, philanthropy,” Mr. Beckkett-White said with a chuckle.
Mrs. Beckkett-White added, “So we thought we’d extend the trust out. We used our super fund to buy the place. It’s been placed into a family trust so protect it from any… you know what I mean.”
They all nodded and laughed.
More to come.
