David Panton was occasionally unfavorably referred to as Julie Bishop’s handbag, as if he were merely one of her pricey accessories.
The real estate developer was frequently seen grinning at Bishop’s side at glitzy social events while she served as foreign minister, but she hardly ever spoke in public.
Bishop, 65, has remained quiet to this point while her boyfriend of eight years confirmed their relationship ended last Friday over one last meal.
The 61-year-old Panton told The Sydney Morning Herald, “I’m going to be focused on living in Manly and Melbourne for the foreseeable future.”
“I wish Julie nothing but the best in her continuing exemplary career,”
A year after Prime Minister Tony Abbott appointed Bishop Minister of Foreign Affairs, Panton made his public debut alongside Bishop at the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
At the time, Panton was largely unknown.
They had met through Bruce Baird, a former Liberal politician and close friend of Bishop’s, and they had connected over a shared passion for physical fitness and wellness.
A seemingly endless series of opulent outings would then occur, including numerous invitations to Flemington racecourse marquees, opening nights, and fashion shows.
Together, the couple went to AFL championship games and Melbourne’s illustrious Portsea Polo, where Bishop once carried a $7,350 Louis Vuitton Petite Malle handbag.
At the Australian Open, I had seats next to Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), I had a front-row seat to watch Carlton play West Coast with the US vice-president at the time.
Panton even sat next to Bishop in 2015 while the United Nations General Assembly met in front of some of the most influential people in the world.
On the final night of that year, the couple spent it at Melbourne’s Crown Casino, where they were photographed with James Packer before the latter’s then-girlfriend Mariah Carey gave a performance.
When the couple attended another UN meeting two years later, Bishop claims that then-US First Lady Melania Trump believed Panton to be Australia’s Foreign Minister.
Panton remained on Sydney’s northern beaches for the majority of their relationship, while Bishop resided in Perth, where she practiced law before being elected to the parliament.
She never designated him as her legal “partner,” which would have necessitated listing his financial relationships on the parliamentary register, as is required of MPs’ spouses and those with whom they are in de facto relationships.
But when Panton traveled with Bishop on intrastate and interstate travels, he was considered her “selected person” and qualified for taxpayer-funded domestic travel.
According to a report from 2018, Bishop reportedly paid $32,000 in travel expenses for Panton over the preceding three years.
Panton, who is originally from Melbourne, ran a vineyard and had a pharmacy before switching to real estate development in 2014 when he relocated to Sydney.
Bishop dated the former Lord Mayor of Perth, Peter Nattrass, for at least 12 years before being married to another real estate entrepreneur, Neil Gillon, in 1983.
She previously explained to The Sydney Morning Herald what it was about Panton that appealed to her. Have you seen him? I think that’s self-evident, she said.
“I’m a runner; he’s a swimmer.”
He is a very successful businessman with a strong sense of independence, and he also has a great sense of humor. He is hilarious.
Bishop added that neither had relocated to the other’s city in order to live together.
To keep things interesting, “[David and I] meet frequently, travel together, and go abroad,” she stated.
I believe that long-distance relationships can be quite enjoyable.
Bishop doesn’t have any children, although Panton has three. She earlier admitted to having wanted to have children when she was younger, but she stated the chance had passed and she did not believe she had missed out.
She told Kidspot, “The window closes quite quickly around 40.” So my life is basically devoted to politics.
“I feel really lucky to have had a work that is so engrossing that I don’t feel I have a hole in my life,” the person said.
For her pricey taste in clothing, the woman known as “J-Bish” (and less kindly, “Jewellery Bigshop”), has long enjoyed a second amateur career on the red carpet.
Panton, who accompanied her to these occasions, was frequently referred to as “perma-tanned,” “dapper,” “unbelievably gorgeous,” and, on occasion, as her toy boy.
Panton was referred to as Bishop’s “manbag” by a journalist for Melbourne’s Herald Sun in May 2018, and an aide called to say the minister was not happy.
Bishop and Panton attended the opulent wedding of Today broadcaster Karl Stefanovic and shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough in Cabo, Mexico, in December of the same year.
Bishop has already resigned as foreign minister and declared her intention to leave parliament following the federal election in May 2019.
But even if she went back to living a private life, camera-loving Bishop and Panton would remain in the public eye.
The two went to Perth’s renowned Lexus Ball in October 2019, where radio host Basil Zempilas, who is now the city’s lord mayor, tried the old joke about Panton’s status on Bishop’s arm.
As he made his way through the crowd, Zempilas said to Bishop, “That’s a gorgeous purse you’ve got tonight, Julie.”
Bishop responded, “Thank you, Basil; I’m delighted you noticed.”
David, I don’t mean you, Zempilas, I mean the actual handbag.
With her in Perth and him on the east coast for seven months, the couple’s long-distance romance endured the worst of the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Bishop at the time told The Daily Telegraph, “It isn’t fantastic, but it is all you can do because he can’t get in here, and I can’t go there without having to get an exemption.”
“It is incredibly challenging, but I know a lot of families have been split apart in this way,” the speaker said.
Bishop and Panton dined with Prince Charles in London at St James’s Palace a week after they were spotted together at the state funeral for fashion designer Carla Zampatti in April of last year.
When they went out to dinner on Friday, Panton allegedly told Bishop their relationship had reached its end at the Eastbank restaurant on Sydney’s Macquarie Street.
Even after they part ways, both still have plenty on their plates to keep them busy.
After leaving politics, Bishop founded Julie Bishop & Partners, a consulting company, and later joined the board of the professional services company Palladium. In 2020, she was named Chancellor of the Australian National University.
Panton is the director of Pantonic Health, which during the pandemic emerged as a significant supplier of Covid fast antigen tests.
Along with his daughters Sally and Laura, he manages the business.