MELBA'S GRAVE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20549, 18 May 1932, Page 2

MELBA'S GRAVE.

WILL NOT COMPLIED WITH. AN IMPOSSIBLE CONDITION. irnoH our own corkesponmot.) SYDNEY, May 12. The wilfof Dame Nellie Melba has been before the Courts this week for a direction as to what action the trustees should" take in connexion with a bequest of £BOOO to the Albert Street Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne. It' was explained that a condition had become impossible of performance owing to the decision of the diva, during her last illness, not to be buried at the place mentioned in her will. It was explained that the Victorian section of the estate had been valued for probate purposes at £17,000, but her property in other parts of the world has not yet been fully valued. It is believed, however, that the total amount will be well over £IOO,OOO. . Only one clause of the will is involved, in the proceedings that have been commenced. This directed the trustees to "set aside a fund of £BOOO, and to apply the income thereof, in perpetuity, towards a scholarship for music, to be known as tho Melba Scholarship, at the Albert Street Conservatorium of Music; or if that institution ceased -to exist then at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium, in the hope that another Melba may arise, provided always that the Conservatorium shall, out of the income, maintain the memorial erected on my grave at Mount Mary to the satisfaction of my trustees."

Cause of Complications. In her will Melba expressed a wish that she should be buried on her land known as Mount Mary, near Coombe Cottage, and she wished her trustees to erect a suitable memorial, the cost to be left entirely to her trustees. The complication has been caused by the faet that Melba was not buried at' Mount Mary, but in the Lilydale cemetery. When she was ill at Coombe Cottage she told her trustees, when the will was made, that as her American investments had fallen so in value she desired to be buried, not at Mount Mary, but alongside her father at Lilydale. At the time she was too ill to be worried, and for that reason she delayed making a codicil to the will to give effect to her wishes. She proposed to do that when she went to Sydney, but in Sydney she became worse, and died without making the change. The problem for the courts to decide is whether the gift to either of the conservatoriums can stand in view of the fact that the condition attached to it is impossible of fulfilment.

VISITORS TO CHRISTCHURCH.

United Service Hotel: Miss Ensor (Dunedin), Mrs J. Matheson and Miss M. Matheson (Timaru), Miss Pat Dwyer (Sydney), Miss E. Warton (England), and Mrs N. C. Lea (New York), New City Hotel: Misa K. "W. Carter (Greymouth) and Miss J. A..Thomson (Timaru). Guests at Kenilworth include Mr and Mrs E. C. Babington (Dunedin), Mr and Mrs, Archenhold (Christchurch), Mrs Quin and Mrs Foster (Blackball). Among foe guests at Stonehurst Private Hotel, Latimer square, are: Mr and Mrs A. J. Ing-lis (Hawke's Bay), Mr and Mrs W. H. Oattell, Miss S. G. Helyer (England), Miss Mclntyre, Miss Moir, Miss W. Robinson (Dunedin), Mr and Mrs Gibson (Auckland), Miss Sheather (Nelson), Misses Vesty (2) (Ashburton), Mr John Kirkness (Oamaru), | Mr W. Hutching (Wanganui), Mrs Mules,,; Mrs Fielden-Taylor, Mr and Mrs Goddard, Mr J. Brodie, Mr Clement May, and Mr C. O. Boyd (Wellington). Hotel Federal: Mr F. R. Hogarth (Wellington), Mr C. W. Weller (Wellington), Mr and Mrs Wange (Hawera), Mr John Brown (Lowcliffe), Mr A. M. Barnett (Morven), Mr P. R. Talbot (Timaru), Mr R. Wild (Hokitika), Mr A. Power (Wellington), Mr R. B. Meek (Oamaru). Miss A. Mummery (Timaru), Miss O. Perry (Timaru).

A tennis tournament, arranged by Mrs C. L. Hart, to augment the funds of tho Women's Auxiliary of the Returned Soldiers' Association, is to be held on the Eimwood courts, starting at 1 o'clock this afternoon. Appropriate prizes will bo awarded, and the Women's Auxiliary will provide afternoon tea.

The New Brighton Unemployed Association organised a social and dance in the Pier Hall, which was attended by about 30 couples, who danced to music supplied by Miss Maisie Ottey with Mr R.. Kennedy as M.C The arrangements were carried out by a committee consisting of Messrs C C. Goodwin, R. Kennedy, J. O. Smith, and A. C. O'Cbnnel, the secretary.

Have you anything to sell—Do you wish to buy? If so a small advertisement in the classified section of Thb Press will be all you need. 12 words Isj threa> insertions 2a 6d. ■ s-&