The Tank Stream once divided the working class area of The Rocks from the grand sandstone buildings of the government in the east.
It was on the east side and up the hill that I crossed paths with three generations of a powerful and exceptionally wealthy family. Remaining inconspicuous was not their plan, with a private security entourage leading, surrounding and trailing the family, heading towards Govenor Phillip Tower.
A man stopped at the lights of Phillip Street had some knowledge he was clearly eager to share. He was well dressed but unkept, with whispy black hair and drandruff on the shoulders of his dark blue suit - a well established lawyer type, noticibly eccentric.
He said, "you know who they are?"
Max shrugged.
"Old money," the man replied. "Schiffer family, from Germany. People like that don't make a trip to Sydney without good reason."
The whispy-haired gent continued, "Great-Grandfather Schiffer made the family's fortune in copper and railroads then set up mining interests on the family's vast land holdings." I nodded to indicate I was listening and a little interested. Then as if trying to convince me he said, "the economies of Europe are stuggling to generate good returns for people like the Schiffers, and their money must find safety in hard assets like manufacturing and natural resources."
He then offered me his business card and said, "here, take this, the more people that know what's going on the better."
Strange man I thought, and put the card in my pocket.
So old money is heading to the antipodes and the safety of Australia's natural resourses. Maybe because China and Africa are too politically and financially risky, and it's easier for the Schiffer's to say "g'day" than "ni-hao" or "jambo."
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