Editing Kerry Packer (section)

==Death==
Kerry Packer died of [[kidney failure]] on 26 December 2005, nine days after his 68th birthday, at home in Sydney, Australia, with his family by his bedside.<ref name="Age-obit"/> Knowing that his health was failing, he instructed his doctors not to treat him with curative intent or by artificially prolonging his life with [[Kidney dialysis|dialysis]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Bhat|first=Devika|title='This is my time' said Packer as he died with dignity|newspaper=[[The Times]]|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/australasia-travel/australia/this-is-my-time-said-packer-as-he-died-with-dignity-spnl28958h2|access-date=2021-08-14|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> He told his cardiologist earlier in the week that he was "running out of petrol" and wanted to "[[die with dignity]]".<ref name=":0" /> His private funeral service was held on 30 December 2005, at the family's country retreat, [[Ellerston]], near [[Scone, New South Wales|Scone]] in the [[Hunter Valley]].<ref name="ninemsn1"/> Having obtained council permission, he was buried on the Ellerston property near the polo field.<ref>{{cite news|last=McMahon|first=Neil|title=Kerry Packer laid to rest in country he loved|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/kerry-packer-laid-to-rest-in-country-he-loved/2005/12/30/1135915692162.html|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=31 December 2005}}</ref> It was reported in November 2011, both in the UK and Australia, that the grave was to be marked by a bronze statue of a horse's head by sculptor [[Nic Fiddian-Green]], popularly known as ''Artemis'' but believed reverted to the name Fiddian-Green originally gave it: ''I Look Beyond for a Distant Land''.<ref name="2011-11-05_News">Vaughan, Owen (15 November 2011), [https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/will-this-giant-horses-head-mark-kerry-packers-grave/news-story/66a0268cb68de0f6e439bb84200c4c2e "Will this giant horse's head mark Kerry Packer's grave? -- Towering sculpture of horse's head is coming to Australia after mystery collector bought it to sit at her husband’s graveside"], [[News.com.au]]. Retrieved 15 January 2022.</ref>

=== State memorial service ===
The Packer family accepted an offer of a [[state funeral|state memorial service]], which was held on 17 February 2006 at the [[Sydney Opera House]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-01-23|title=Date of Packer state funeral announced|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-01-24/date-of-packer-state-funeral-announced/784096|access-date=2021-08-14|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}}</ref> The granting of this taxpayer-funded honour was criticised by some members of the community, as Packer was notorious for his alleged tax minimisation.<ref name="TWT">{{cite news |url= http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1572604.htm | title = Kerry Packer remembered at state memorial service |last=Trembath |first=Brendan |work=[[The World Today (Australian radio program)|The World Today]] |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=17 February 2006 |access-date =27 April 2011}}</ref> At the memorial service, close friend [[Alan Jones (talkback host)|Alan Jones]] was Master of Ceremonies. The service featured speeches from his son, James; [[Russell Crowe]] on behalf of his daughter, Gretel; the Prime Minister in office at the time, [[John Howard]]; and cricket legend [[Richie Benaud]]. Attendees included [[Tom Cruise]] (a friend of James Packer) and his then-partner [[Katie Holmes]]; [[Greg Norman]]; members of the [[Australian cricket team]]; and past and present figures from all sides of politics.<ref name="TWT"/>