Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131994
miningreview Two decades after Queen Elizabeth II coined her infamous annus horribilis speech, it's tempting to ponder whether Australia's mining monarch, Gina Rinehart, has ever wondered the same about her life in the past 18 months. Much, of course, depends on what you read, and your interpretation of those reports. Similar to the Queen, Ms Rinehart rarely gives interviews. In fact, when seeking comment for this story, OUTthere was informed that Ms Rinehart does not have a media officer, and was invited to email an interview request to Hancock Prospecting. Based purely on media reports, it's been a colourful 18 months for Ms Rinehart, to say the least. In April, The Daily Telegraph reported that the 18-month "family feud" between Ms Rinehart and two of her children over the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust has been scheduled for a court hearing on October 1. Apparently, Ms Rinehart is likely to "be required to attend for crossexamination" in the case brought by her two eldest children, John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, who are seeking her removal as head of the trust, citing allegations of "serious misconduct". By way of background, her third child, Hope, retreated from the same case due to "financial troubles", a court heard in March. Ms Rinehart's youngest daughter, Ginia, has stood by her mother since the action was launched in 2011. Then there was the issue of Ms Rinehart, who is Fairfax Media's largest shareholder with a stake of 14.99 per cent, being denied a seat on the board after she declined to sign a charter of editorial independence. Due to the nature of the story, the Australian media had a field day, with Ms Rinehart making headlines and becoming the subject of much industry commentary around the nation. She continued to make headlines over another issue when she stated Australia needs to become more competitive, citing, among other things, high wages. "Africans want to work and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 a day. Such statistics make me worry for this country's future," she reportedly said. Her comments followed hot on the heels of her comment that Australians should "spend less time drinking, or smoking and socialising, and more time working". It would be difficult to deny that Ms Rinehart knows a thing or two about hard work. While some cynics are quick to cite the fact that she inherited Hancock Prospecting from her late father, Lang Hancock, and was therefore born with a silver spoon in her mouth, it's not that simple. Sure, you can inherit all the coin in the world, but it takes drive and determination to continue building an empire. Just ask America's Hilton family why the patriarch of the hotel chain and grandfather of socialite Paris decided to entrust 97 per cent of the Hilton fortune to charity instead. Back in this country, it could be argued Lang Hancock was no fool, leaving his fortune in the hands of his daughter, who, like many successful women, has had to contend with a macho Australian mining and business culture. There can be little doubt Ms Rinehart's major traits are persistence and perseverance. Last year BRW crowned Ms Rinehart the world's richest woman, but since then she has been surpassed by L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and Wal-Mart heiresses Christy and Alice Walton, dropping to fourth place. Again, depending on how you view the world, and possibly how many billions you have in the bank, this is either bad news or no big deal. Latest available figures from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index place Ms Rinehart as the world's 37th richest person with an estimated worth of $18.6 billion, so it could be argued that things aren't all that grim in this department. "Lang Hancock was no fool … There can be little doubt Ms Rinehart's major traits are persistence and perseverance." 63