Millionaire’s Bequests

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30745, 8 May 1965, Page 15

Millionaire’s Bequests

<N Z. Press Assn—Copyright) MELBOURNE, May 7. Mr William Lionel Buckland, the “quiet

millionaire” of Toorak, Melbourne, who died on November 22, left a net estate of £4,815,473.

A William Buckland charitable trust—the largest charitable trust in Victoria —will be set up with assets of more than £4m.

Half of the income from the trust will go to public hospitals, public benevolent institutions or societies in Victoria, and the other half to public scientific, or public education purposes.

Most of Mr Buckland’s assets were in the Australian Capital Territory, where his family companies were registered. His assets there included a large holding in shares and debentures in Ampol Petroleum, Ltd. He left £114.471 in New South Wales, £145,316 in England, and a £62,500 yacht in Jersey. Last week his house in Windelsham Moor, Surrey, England, was sold to the Eng-

lish holiday camp king, Sir William Butlin, for £86.500. Once, before she came to the throne, the Queen and Prince Philip occupied this house when their own home was burnt.

The yacht will he auctioned later this month. It was chartered for a time to a film company, and is seen in the Gina Lollobrigida film, “Woman of Straw.” Mr Buckland was 64 when he died. He is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.

Mr Buckland left his wife

£25,000 to buy a house, a lump sum of £lO,OOO, and an income of £7500 a year. He left his daughter, Shirley, a house (or £7500), and £3500 a year.

Substantial legacies to his son, grandchildren, friends and charities totalled £65,000. In addition, he left life incomes ranging from £lOOO a year to £lOO, to 13 relatives and friends. Mr Buckland directed that the rest of his estate be formed into a charitable fund to be known as the William Buckland Foundation.