'Going back to my roots': Aussie supermodel Jess Hart says she wants to raise her children, Baby-Rae and Glorious, in Ballarat after decades overseas
The 39-year-old, who was born in Sydney and raised in Melbourne, has lived overseas since she was a teenager, first moving to Paris at age 15 to pursue her modelling career after winning Dolly magazine's Model Search in 2000.
Hart's career took off quickly, with high-profile campaigns for brands including Victoria's Secret, Guess, L'Oréal, Louis Vuitton and Max Mara.
She's graced the pages of Vogue and Sports Illustrated, and called cities like London, New York and Los Angeles home.
But now, with four-year-old daughter Baby-Rae, three-year-old son Glorious, and 11-year-old stepdaughter Wren in tow, Hart says she's preparing to lay down roots back in Victoria.
"I want my children to be half-Australian and half-American- not just Americans with Australian passports," she told Harper's Bazaar.
"I want them to be immersed in Australian culture and grow up the way we did."
The supermodel, known for her cheeky gap-toothed grin, is reportedly eyeing a permanent base near Ballarat in regional Victoria- the same area where her late mother Rae's family once lived.
Rae tragically died in January 2023 after a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"It would make my mum so happy," Hart said.
"[The region is] where her family had homes. I'm going back to my roots, my heritage."
She also revealed she's currently exploring schooling options that would allow the family to split their time between both countries.
While it's unclear whether Hart and her longtime partner, American NASCAR driver James Kirkham, are still together, she's made no secret of her desire to reconnect with Australia.
In September, Hart starred in a Qantas campaign alongside First Nations model Charlee Fraser, with creative direction from Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.
When asked what she misses most about home, Hart quickly responded: "My friends and family."
More recently, the supermodel shared a string of sweet snaps from her trip back to Australia on Instagram, including time spent at Sydney's Crown with her children.
"Three little monkeys…. Just busy creating winter memories in Australia," she captioned the post.
She also made an appearance at Australian Fashion Week in May, opening the Bianca Spender show to the delight of fashion insiders.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
I always went for the ‘red flag' boys, until I met my husband
This story is part of the July 6 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. Rachel Khoo's father gave her a good grounding in science, but food was always her passion, says the cookbook author and judge on The Great Australian Bake Off. Here, the 44-year-old discusses the influential men in her life, her 'crush' on cookbook author Donna Hay, and why her views on marriage changed when she met her now husband. My dad, Kheng, was born in Malaysia and got a scholarship to study at the University of Bath in the UK when he was 18. He comes from a big family and his eldest brother had to support him while studying abroad. My grandad wasn't alive, so my uncle was the next in line to help the family financially. It was also expensive to fly home in those days, so he spent his holidays with a school friend's family. Dad comes from a hard-working immigrant family and taught me that nothing comes from nothing. He worked in IT. He's retired now and loves to play chess. As kids, my brother Michael and I would go to chess club. It wasn't really my thing and I'd sneak off to the tuckshop to buy sweets, but Dad made sure Michael and I knew a lot about science, from black-hole theories to Stephen Hawking. My parents met in a pub in London after my Austrian mum came to the UK aged 19 to work as an au pair. Dad is 10 years older than her, and he is traditional, but at the same time he never said you can't do this because you're a woman. He taught us to study hard and to work hard. I remember our first family trip to Malaysia when I was eight. It was a big culture shock for me – Dad's family ate an entire roast suckling pig. Coming from suburban London, it was very different. Loading My brother Michael is three years younger than me. He lives in Vienna and is way more laid-back than I am – I was the bossy older sister. We played a lot as kids, but we'd fight over the TV remote control. Michael works with Bitcoin now and has a knack of connecting people. I am more the introvert and he is the extrovert in the family. I went to a convent school in Germany from the age of 12 to 17 because my dad got work there. The only male teacher I had was a priest. I had a disagreement with him in front of the class about how he pronounced my name. Let's say we didn't see eye to eye. My celebrity crushes as a teen were bands like Take That and East 17 – I switched between liking Robbie Williams and Mark Owen, depending on my mood. I also had a crush on Australian cookbook author Donna Hay – I couldn't afford her books but always admired her styling and recipes. I built up the courage to approach her in Dubai some years back. I was so nervous.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
I always went for the ‘red flag' boys, until I met my husband
This story is part of the July 6 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. Rachel Khoo's father gave her a good grounding in science, but food was always her passion, says the cookbook author and judge on The Great Australian Bake Off. Here, the 44-year-old discusses the influential men in her life, her 'crush' on cookbook author Donna Hay, and why her views on marriage changed when she met her now husband. My dad, Kheng, was born in Malaysia and got a scholarship to study at the University of Bath in the UK when he was 18. He comes from a big family and his eldest brother had to support him while studying abroad. My grandad wasn't alive, so my uncle was the next in line to help the family financially. It was also expensive to fly home in those days, so he spent his holidays with a school friend's family. Dad comes from a hard-working immigrant family and taught me that nothing comes from nothing. He worked in IT. He's retired now and loves to play chess. As kids, my brother Michael and I would go to chess club. It wasn't really my thing and I'd sneak off to the tuckshop to buy sweets, but Dad made sure Michael and I knew a lot about science, from black-hole theories to Stephen Hawking. My parents met in a pub in London after my Austrian mum came to the UK aged 19 to work as an au pair. Dad is 10 years older than her, and he is traditional, but at the same time he never said you can't do this because you're a woman. He taught us to study hard and to work hard. I remember our first family trip to Malaysia when I was eight. It was a big culture shock for me – Dad's family ate an entire roast suckling pig. Coming from suburban London, it was very different. Loading My brother Michael is three years younger than me. He lives in Vienna and is way more laid-back than I am – I was the bossy older sister. We played a lot as kids, but we'd fight over the TV remote control. Michael works with Bitcoin now and has a knack of connecting people. I am more the introvert and he is the extrovert in the family. I went to a convent school in Germany from the age of 12 to 17 because my dad got work there. The only male teacher I had was a priest. I had a disagreement with him in front of the class about how he pronounced my name. Let's say we didn't see eye to eye. My celebrity crushes as a teen were bands like Take That and East 17 – I switched between liking Robbie Williams and Mark Owen, depending on my mood. I also had a crush on Australian cookbook author Donna Hay – I couldn't afford her books but always admired her styling and recipes. I built up the courage to approach her in Dubai some years back. I was so nervous.
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Alyssa Milano pays heartfelt tribute to Julian McMahon
Alyssa Milano feels "heartbroken" over Julian McMahon's passing. The actor died from cancer on July 2, aged 56, and Milano took to social media to pay a glowing tribute to her former Charmed co-star. She wrote on Instagram: "I'm heartbroken. "Julian McMahon was magic. That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up—not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding. "We spent years together on Charmed - years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments. He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other." Milano hailed the late actor as a "dear friend", and she also offered her condolences to his family. The Australian actor's death was announced by his wife Kelly on Friday. In a statement given to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible." Alyssa Milano feels "heartbroken" over Julian McMahon's passing. The actor died from cancer on July 2, aged 56, and Milano took to social media to pay a glowing tribute to her former Charmed co-star. She wrote on Instagram: "I'm heartbroken. "Julian McMahon was magic. That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up—not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding. "We spent years together on Charmed - years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments. He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other." Milano hailed the late actor as a "dear friend", and she also offered her condolences to his family. The Australian actor's death was announced by his wife Kelly on Friday. In a statement given to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible." Alyssa Milano feels "heartbroken" over Julian McMahon's passing. The actor died from cancer on July 2, aged 56, and Milano took to social media to pay a glowing tribute to her former Charmed co-star. She wrote on Instagram: "I'm heartbroken. "Julian McMahon was magic. That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up—not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding. "We spent years together on Charmed - years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments. He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other." Milano hailed the late actor as a "dear friend", and she also offered her condolences to his family. The Australian actor's death was announced by his wife Kelly on Friday. In a statement given to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible." Alyssa Milano feels "heartbroken" over Julian McMahon's passing. The actor died from cancer on July 2, aged 56, and Milano took to social media to pay a glowing tribute to her former Charmed co-star. She wrote on Instagram: "I'm heartbroken. "Julian McMahon was magic. That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up—not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding. "We spent years together on Charmed - years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments. He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other." Milano hailed the late actor as a "dear friend", and she also offered her condolences to his family. The Australian actor's death was announced by his wife Kelly on Friday. In a statement given to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible."
