STRZELECKI’S ESTATE

Evening Star, Issue 22382, 4 July 1936, Page 11

STRZELECKI’S ESTATE

UNUSUAL DEMANDS A “ memorandum of petition ” to the Commonwealth and British Parliaments, on the application of Bole-slaw J. Strzclecki, as heir-at-law of Count Paul Edmund dc Strzelccki, whose name figured prominently in Australian exploration, invests with interest a cable message from Warsaw last October. The petition—a printed document—is marked “ Non-official copy.” The cable message stated that it was proposed to hand to the Commonwealth Government a demand by the heirs of Count Strzelecki in respect to mineral rights conferred on him, but surrendered, it was alleged, by his private secretary following a lawsuit. The present claim, it was added, would lapse by effluxion of time this year, and consequently funds had been raised to proceed with it if it was not settled out of court. In the petition Boleslav,- J. fCrzelecki, a resident of the city of New York, sets out that he is a legal representative of the heirs of Count Paul Edmund Strzclecki, who died in London. The petition adds; “ On the basis of authority vested in me by the aforementioned legal heirs residing in Poland, the United States of America, and ohter parts of the world,'l am filing this petition in their and my behalf to the Australian and British Parliaments for a return of the remainder of the estate in land, all benefits arising from

mining rights, currency, security, and real and personal property, wherever they may be, in whatever form, remaining in the hands of illegal administrators. Various reclaimed possessions of the deceased, in whatever form, will be divided among legal heirs who shall prove family relationship.” SOME OF THE DEMANDS. The demands set out in the petition include the refund by March 1, 1936, of 560,000d01, stated to have been expended from the family estates of Count Strzelecki’s exploration work in Australia; the return of “ Strzclecki Province,” in Victoria, which is claimed to be the property of the count’s legal heirs; the full return, without any obligation, of gold mines in Wellington, Bathurst, and Hartley, or payment in respect to them in United States currency of 1,350,000,000d01, ■ f Among many other claims, running into vast figures, is one that the Treasurers of New South Wales and the Commonwealth shall return to the count’s heirs 1,500,000d0l as damages “ for the collected rents during the occupation of Mount Kosciusko region,” of which, in a preface to the petition, the count is described as the discoverer. Freedom of settlement in Australia “ on the estate of the heirs or other parts of Australia ” is also claimed on behalf of those perosns. It is also demanded, in furtherance of the claim, that the Australian and British Parliaments shall agree on a commission of three persons, the commission to be financed by two Parliaments to a “ maximum of £25,000 sterling.” The petition, it is pointed out, has been published at the expense of heirs-at-law for the information of members of the Australian and British Parliaments. According to the petition, the answer to it “expires April 1, 1930.” One of the prayers in the petition is that the “ resting place of Count SirzoIccla be revealed.”