Geoffrey Edelsten

Geoffrey Edelsten
Geoffrey Edelsten
Born Geoffrey Walter Edelsten
2 May 1943 (1943-05-02) (age 68)
Melbourne, Australia
Residence Melbourne, Australia
Nationality Australian
Alma mater University of Melbourne
Years active 1966–present
Known for Medical entrepreneur
Former owner of the Sydney Swans
Religion Jewish
Spouse Leanne Nesbitt (1985–1988)
Brynne Gordon (2009–present)
Website
geoffedelsten.com.au

Geoffrey Walter Edelsten (born 2 May 1943) is an Australian medical entrepreneur. He was the first private owner of a major Australian football team when he bought the Sydney Swans Football Club in 1985.[1] Edelsten was formerly a general practitioner, but was deregistered in New South Wales in 1988 and also in Victoria. In 1990, Edelsten spent a year in jail for soliciting an underworld figure, Christopher Dale Flannery, to assault a former patient and for perverting the course of justice.[2][3][4]

Edelsten was known as a flamboyant entrepreneur in the 1980s, transforming the idea of what a doctor's surgery was with chandeliers, grand pianos and 24 hour opening.[5] He also had mink-covered examination benches, mansions and a fleet of Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis sporting number plates such as Macho, Spunky and Sexy.[6]

In 2005, Edelsten, together with a business partner, founded Allied Medical Group, which by 2010 administered 17 medical centres and employed close to 250 general practitioners.[7][8] Edelsten is not, however, a shareholder or owner of the company.[9]

Contents

Early life

Edelsten was born in Carlton, an inner suburb of Melbourne, and attended Princes Hill Public School and, later, Mt. Scopus Memorial College, Australia's first Jewish co-educational school, where he graduated with honours in 1960. He then entered the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne, which he graduated in 1966.

Music career

During the second half of the 1960s, Edelsten branched into the Melbourne music scene, his family owned the Edels record retail chain. Edelsten's company, Hit Productions, had a deal with the music publishers Festival Records.[10]

In 1966, he claimed a co-writing credit on the songs "I can't stop loving you, baby" and "A woman of gradual decline" for the group The Last Straws, whose singles were released on Edelsten's short-lived Scope label.[11][12]

In 1967, Edelsten's Hit Productions company signed the group Cam-Pact. Their first single "Something Easy"/"Michael" charted in Melbourne in early 1968.[10]

Later in 1968, Edelsten co-produced the single "Love Machine" for the studio group Pastoral Symphony, comprising Glenn Shorrock and his band, The Twilights, Ronnie Charles of The Groop, and other musicians.[13]

Medical career

Following his graduation in 1966, Edelsten worked as a resident medical officer at Royal Melbourne Hospital before entering general practice and working in rural and remote regions of New South Wales and Queensland, most notably the towns of Wauchope, Aramac and finally Walgett, where he bought his first private practice. He obtained a private pilot's licence in order to provide services to remote communities, often at no cost to patients as they could not afford to pay for their medical care.[14]

In 1969, he set up a new medical practice with a colleague at the Sydney suburb of Coogee. After training an assistant doctor to perform the work at Walgett, he devoted more time to the Sydney practice, and it soon expanded to Liverpool.[14]

In 1971, Edelsten and colleague Tom Wenkart formed Preventicare.[15][16] The Sydney-based company provided diagnostic tests and computerised history-taking for doctors throughout Australia, using new equipment from the United States which could quickly and cheaply process pathology specimens.[17][18] Preventicare had initially incurred debts because some of its operations were not economically sound and because of slow payment of patients' accounts, totalling far more than the company owed.[17] In July 1971, a provisional liquidator appointed by the Equity Court would act as a temporary business manager to straighten out the company's affairs.[17] By August 1971, General Manager of Preventicare Mr Brian Wickens said the organisation's severe cash-flow problems had been remedied and now felt it was on a sound financial footing.[18] By 1975 (under the new name of Morlea Pathology Services) its annual profits were reportedly $2.5 million to $3 million.[15] Macquarie Professional Services is the successor to Preventicare Pty Ltd.[15] During this time, Edelsten and his colleagues had established eight practices in the Sydney area, and performed obstetrics at three western Sydney hospitals.[14] After three years resident in Los Angeles, California, where he worked in essentially similar fields and endeavours, Edelsten returned to Australia in 1978, resuming his general practice, surgical and obstetric commitments.

From February 1984 onwards, following the establishment of Medicare by the Hawke government, Edelsten became famous for running multi-disciplinary, 24-hour medical centres that featured chandeliers and white grand pianos. His clinics were innovative and the forerunners of corporate medical practices,[5] and were the first in Australia to bulk-bill patients to Medicare so they incurred no direct cost.[14][19] Within four months, the first clinic was seeing 2,000 patients a week. Edelsten's empire grew to thirteen medical centres, with around 200 doctors seeing more than 20,000 patients each week.[20]

Edelsten's medical practices featured in a Four Corners television program broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on 3 November 1984.[21] The program was called Branded and was about tattoos and tattoo removal but also discussed entrepreneurial medicine and Edelsten, who was regarded as a "highflying practitioner of the day".[22]

Sydney Swans

Image of pink and white helicopter which accompanied the voice over "Twenty minutes before the game the now famous pink and white helicopter circled the arena ..." on television program: VFL 1985: Geoff Edelsten buys Sydney Swans[23]

On 31 July 1985, for what was thought to be $6.3 million, Edelsten bought the Sydney Swans football club. In reality it was $2.9 million in cash, with funding and other payments spread over five years. A period of relative on-field success followed, however, success on the field was not translated to financial security, membership or a sustainable structure. Edelsten resigned as chairman after less than twelve months.[1]

In July 1986, Edelsten attempted to buy the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks rugby league team but his offer was refused by the game's administrators.[24][25] His former wife, Leanne, claimed that Edelsten intended to buy the Sharks team as a present for her.[6]

Late 1980s and onward

Edelsten was struck off the New South Wales medical register in 1988 for overservicing and for having unqualified people carry out laser surgery.[26][27]

Edelsten was convicted on 27 July 1990 for perverting the course of justice and also for soliciting[28] an underworld figure, Christopher Dale Flannery, to assault a former patient. A taped conversation of Edelsten was used as evidence in his trial.[6] Edelsten had obtained an adjournment of the trial of Flannery, which had been fixed for 31 January 1984 by providing a medical certificate that Flannery was unfit for trial, claiming his tattoo removal operation had resulted in an infection in order to avoid Flannery being tried by a particular judge.[6][29] Edelsten was jailed for one year.[2][5] He and Mr Flannery's wife both testified to a later Victorian Medical Board hearing that Mr Flannery had been genuinely ill and in hospital at the time, and said Flannery had not had contact with him before or at the time of the assault.[30]

In 1992, New South Wales politician Fred Nile said in Parliament that Edelsten was a "fairly prominent doctor" and that since he was deregistered in New South Wales, he moved to Victoria where he was able to practise.[31] Edelsten was subsequently struck off the Victorian medical register;[32] his application for re-registration in that state has been rejected on four occasions.[26]

In 2001, Edelsten operated a company called "Gene E" which offered paternity testing by mail order.[33]

Edelsten has on a number of occasions sought readmittance as a doctor in New South Wales but has been unsuccessful each time.[34] In 2003, he told the NSW Medical Tribunal that he was regretful about his conduct and unreservedly expressed contrition and remorse.[35] Referring to Edelsten's doctorate in philosophy from the Pacific Western University, counsel assisting the Tribunal said people could be misled, in that use of the words "professor" and "doctor" could lead people to think Edelsten was entitled to practise medicine. Edelsten said if the commission told him he should stop using the doctor honorific, he would.[34] In 2004, the same Tribunal banned Edelsten from making any further applications for four years.[36][37]

In 2008, the Herald Sun reported that Edelsten still owned three medical clinics.[38] Edelsten says he registered the word 'superclinic' as a trademark and is challenging the use of the word by the Federal Government's Health Department initiative to establish "GP Super Clinics" in 31 localities across Australia.[19]

Personal life

He met and married his first wife Leanne Nesbitt when she was a 19-year-old model, and he was associated in the public mind with pink cars and a pink helicopter (although Leanne insisted in later interviews it was blue and white)[6] as well as buying a football team.[23][39][40][41][42][43]

In January 2009, Edelsten announced his intention to marry Brynne Gordon,[44] at the time a 25-year-old fitness instructor from California.[45][46]

The Edelsten-Gordon wedding was held on Sunday, 29 November 2009 in Melbourne, Australia at the Crown Casino. Alleged to have cost approximately $3 million, it featured a helicopter, Bentley, 550 guests, circus performers, Tom Burlinson and other headline acts. Invitees were sent a pre-wedding DVD about Edelsten and Gordon. The DVD featured narration by actor Jason Alexander, who also gave an address at the wedding. Fran Drescher from The Nanny also attended. Neither Alexander nor Drescher had met the couple before, but were nonetheless paid by Edelsten to appear.[47] Brynne Edelsten subsequently appeared in Series 11 of Dancing with the Stars.[48] She was eliminated on 12 June 2011.[49]

References

  1. ^ a b Sydney Swans- A Brief History – Official Website
  2. ^ a b "Edelsten tries to re-enter the ranks of doctors". The Age (Melbourne). 25 November 2003. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/24/1069522536209.html. Retrieved 21 March 2008. 
  3. ^ Brown, Alex (1 July 2004). "A few regrets but Edelsten is still true Blue". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/30/1088488029616.html?from=storylhs. Retrieved 21 March 2008. 
  4. ^ Hornery, Andrew (2 February 2008). "Life & Style – Web of confusion". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/01/1201801031376.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  5. ^ a b c "50 most influential people: 2005" (pdf). Australian Doctor. 2005. p. 12. http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/pdf/TOP50_influential.pdf. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  6. ^ a b c d e McClymont, Kate (12 September 2009). "'Tell him I love my husband, but not that much'". smh.com.au. http://www.smh.com.au/national/tell-him-i-love-my-husband-but-not-that-much-20090911-fkxj.html. Retrieved 12 September 2009. 
  7. ^ Hawthorne, Mark; Collins & Spencer (11 February 2010). "Edelsten at the top of UBS shopping list". SMH. http://www.smh.com.au/business/edelsten-at-the-top-of-ubs-shopping-list-20100210-nsjs.html. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  8. ^ "Geoffrey Edelsten preparing to sell his $200 million chain of GP clinics". news.com.au. 13 July 2010. http://www.news.com.au/business/geoffrey-edelsten-to-sell-200m-chain-of-gp-clinics/story-e6frfm1i-1225891011685. Retrieved 28 September 2011. 
  9. ^ Butler, Ben (4 January 2011). "Mystery still surrounds Allied accounts". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/business/mystery-still-surrounds-allied-accounts-20110103-19dx6.html. Retrieved 28 September 2011. 
  10. ^ a b "CAM-PACT — Melbourne 1967–1970". MILESAGO: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975 — Groups and Solo artists. Duncan Kimball. 9 May 2008. http://www.milesago.com/artists/cam-pact.htm. Retrieved 16 June 2008. 
  11. ^ Laird, Ross. "The Sixties:Australian rock & pop recordings, 1964–1969 (page 167)". National Film and Sound Archive. http://www.nfsa.afc.gov.au/docs/collectionguide_thesixties1964-1969.pdf. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  12. ^ "The Go!!/Scope Labels – Volume Two". Australian Television Memorabilia Guide. 2003. http://www.tvmem.com/OZST/tv/A-Z/G/GOSHOW/GOSHOW.html. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  13. ^ "Pastoral Symphony". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/p/pastoralsymphony.html. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  14. ^ a b c d Medical Tribunal of New South Wales (31 July 2001). "No 40018/00 – In the matter of Geoffrey Walter Edelsten – Reasons for Determination". http://www.nswmb.org.au/system/files/f10/f15/o300//Geoffrey%20Edelsten.pdf. Retrieved 12 September 2009. 
  15. ^ a b c Sampson, John (October 1985). "The Business Side of Pathology". The Sydney Morning Herald (page 4). http://www.geoffreyedelsten.com/The-Sydney-Morning-Herald-Monday-28-October-1985-Page-4.pdf. 
  16. ^ Wynne, J Michael (November 2005). "Tom Wenkart and Macquarie Health – Review of 1971 origin with Dr Edelsten". Corporate Medicine Web Site. University of Wollongong. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080308125344/http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/documents/health/wenkart.html. Retrieved 1 June 2008. 
  17. ^ a b c McIlraith, Shaun (July 1971). "Medical computer company agrees to liquidator". Sydney Morning Herald: p. 8). http://www.geoffreyedelsten.com/The-Sydney-Morning-Herald-Friday-02-July-1971-Page-8.pdf. 
  18. ^ a b "Medical network now being extended". Sydney Morning Herald: p. 28). 13 August 1971. http://www.geoffreyedelsten.com/The-Sydney-Morning-Herald-Friday-13-August-1971-Page-28.pdf. 
  19. ^ a b Smith, Paul (26 June 2008). "What's in a name? 'Superclinic' stoush". Australian Doctor. http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/c4/0c0579c4.asp. Retrieved 25 August 2008. 
  20. ^ Walton, Merrilyn (1998). The Trouble With Medicine. Allen & Unwin. pp. 224. ISBN 1864484713. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=NVw_lEjArkgC&pg=PA40&dq=edelsten+%22medical+centres%22#PPA40,M1. 
  21. ^ "Four Corners timelines for 1984". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/4c40/timelines/1984.htm. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  22. ^ "Chris Masters". Four Corners celebrates 40 years — in 90 minutes: Interviews. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/4c40/interviews/masters.htm. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  23. ^ a b "VFL 1985: Geoff Edelsten buys Sydney Swans" (YouTube video – still from 2 minutes 30 seconds into clip). Seven's Big League. Seven Network ; clip republished on YouTube. 1985. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gr-dXa6WKc. Retrieved 25 August 2008. 
  24. ^ Abouchar, Dom (July 1986). "Edelsten and the Sharks". Rugby League Week. http://www.4eva.com/media/1/980.jpg. Retrieved 25 August 2008. 
  25. ^ "The Edelsten-Sharks Marriage". http://www.sharksforever.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1149. Retrieved 22 March 2008. 
  26. ^ a b "Edelsten determined to take up practice again". Australian Doctor. 17 October 2003. http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/e2/0c01a8e2.asp. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  27. ^ "Geoffrey Edelsten – Reasons for Determination". Medical Tribunal of New South Wales. 29 January 2004. http://www.nswmb.org.au/system/files/f10/f18/o259//Edelsten.G.MTR2004.pdf. Retrieved 14 June 2008. 
  28. ^ R v Edelsten [1990] 51 A Crim R 397. (see copy of volume index and first page)
  29. ^ Grabosky, Peter N.; Russell G. Smith (1998). Crime in the Digital Age: Controlling Telecommunications and Cyberspace. Transaction Publishing. p. page 27. ISBN 0765804581. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=7_z4Ihh49wAC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27. Retrieved 26 March 2008. 
  30. ^ Heath, Sally (17 August 1991). "Flannery evidence proves wrongful conviction: Edelsten". The Age. http://www.geoffreyedelsten.com/1991-08-17-The-Age-Flannery-Evidence-Proves-Wrongful-Comviction-Edelsten.pdf. 
  31. ^ "Hansard Transcript, Legislative Council". Parliament of NSW. 27 October 1992. http://www.anzacatt.org.au/prod/parlment/hanstrans.nsf/V3ByKey/LC19921027. Retrieved 25 March 2008. [dead link]
  32. ^ "The doctor takes a wife - again". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 November 2009. http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/the-doctor-takes-a-wife--again-20091120-iqw3.html. 
  33. ^ 7.30 Report – 5/3/2001: DNA and paternity case may set mammoth precedent
  34. ^ a b Lamont, Leonie (25 November 2003). "Repentant Edelsten wants to practise again". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax). http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/24/1069522537877.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  35. ^ "Edelsten appeals to NSW Medical Tribunal". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 24 November 2003. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/11/24/996048.htm. Retrieved 16 June 2008. 
  36. ^ "Former doctor to remain struck off medical register". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 January 2004. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/01/29/1033873.htm. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 
  37. ^ Anastasopoulos, Christina (13 February 2004). "Edelsten still on the outer". News Briefs (Australian Doctor). "Mr Edelsten represented himself at the hearing, where he admitted he lied to the tribunal at his last attempt to be re-registered in 2001.
    Tribunal deputy chairman Judge John Maguire said while Mr Edelsten might have spent the past 16 years acquiring an impressive array of degrees and doing charitable work, his character was still flawed. He was banned from re-applying for re-registration for four years."     
  38. ^ McArthur, Grant (26 June 2008). "Superclinic doubt, says Geoffrey Edelsten". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23923243-662,00.html. 
  39. ^ Craven, Ian. Australian Popular Culture. Cambridge University Press. p. page 58. ISBN 0521466679. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=bLbo4sr-xfwC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=edelsten+pink+helicopter. 
  40. ^ Hinds, Richard (20 September 2003). "The stripes earned through hype and hardship". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/19/1063625222672.html?from=storyrhs. Retrieved 24 August 2008. 
  41. ^ "Sydney goes for the doctor". The Herald Sun. 23 May 2008. http://150years.com.au/150Moments/Vote/tabid/11389/Default.aspx?page116446=10. Retrieved 24 August 2008. 
  42. ^ Gorman, Sean (2005). Brotherboys: The Story of Jim and Phillip Krakouer. Allen & Unwin. p. page 178. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=eDuMHvDoQpwC&pg=RA1-PA178&vq=edelsten&cad=1_1. Retrieved 25 August 2008. 
  43. ^ Edelsten has claimed that the pink helicopter was non-existent – see Hinds, Richard (19 May 2006). "A compelling history of hardship and helicopters". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/05/18/1147545458255.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1. Retrieved 24 August 2008.  despite contemporary television footage of a pink and white helicopter being associated with him. (see screenshot)
  44. ^ Byrne, Fiona (2 January 2009). "Geoffrey Edelsten to wed Brynne Groden". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24863865-5012974,00.html. Retrieved 12 January 2009. 
  45. ^ "Doc lands busty party girl". The Daily Telegraph. 6 January 2009. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24876037-5012964,00.html?from=public_rsshttp://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24876037-5012964,00.html?from=public_rss. Retrieved 12 January 2009. 
  46. ^ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/disgraced-doctor-geoffrey-edelstens-wedding-for-sale/story-e6frewz9-1225736464174
  47. ^ Brooks, Karen (1 December 2009). "Trivial pursuits of bedroom antics". news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,26426304-27197,00.html. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  48. ^ "'Sack of potatoes' slur gets Edelsten fuming about DWTS judges over boogieing bride Brynne". smh.com.au. 9 May 2011. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/sack-of-potatoes-slur-gets-edelsten-fuming-about-dwts-judges-over-boogieing-bride-brynne-20110509-1eezl.html. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
  49. ^ "Brynne Edelsten off Dancing with the Stars". news.com.au. 12 June 2011. http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/brynne-edelsten-off-dancing-with-the-stars/story-e6frfku9-1226073990960. Retrieved 12 June 2011. 

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