When Belinda Jane learned at Christmas that her mother had secretly transferred the family farm to one sibling, she says the loss involved far more than a $1million asset.
The 46-year-old eldest of seven children says the decision fractured the family and highlighted the dangers of making major inheritance decisions without proper legal advice or open discussion.
Ms Jane said her 72-year-old mother transferred the 64-hectare East Gippsland farm, which had been in the family for generations, to one of her sons without consulting her six other children.
Ms Jane began asking questions after becoming suspicious of her sister-in-law’s behaviour at Christmas 2025. She then obtained land title documents and discovered the 64-hectare sheep farm had been gifted to her oldest brother as an early inheritance.
‘My mother had basically given her whole inheritance to one of my brothers and had not told us, keeping it a secret for 12 months,’ she told Our News Outlet.
‘When I asked why she didn’t tell anyone, she said, “Oh, I meant to, but life got in the way.” That’s an excuse for a week or two, not for 12 months.’
Ms Jane said her mother had frequently spoken about preserving the farming legacy left by her own father.
‘I said to her, “But you neglected to ask whether any of your other children wanted to be part of that legacy,”‘ she said.
Belinda Jane (pictured right) with her mother, who left the family farm to one son among the six siblings
The East Gippsland farm (pictured) is estimated to be worth about $1million and has been held by the family for generations
‘It’s extremely concerning that she never sought proper legal advice or talked to her children about it and just totally obliterated everyone else who had some kind of interest in it.’
Several siblings had previously expressed an interest in buying land or becoming involved in the farm, Ms Jane said, but they were never given a genuine opportunity.
‘I’ve never been interested in the farm, but I know some of the others were,’ Ms Jane said.
‘Some siblings had even offered to buy blocks of land from Mum, which she agreed to before nominating outrageous prices.’
‘I never thought anything would be equal when she passed away, but I thought it would be somewhat fair.’
Ms Jane said the dispute was not primarily about money. Instead, it centred on secrecy, trust and the emotional impact on the six siblings who felt excluded from a major family decision.
‘Mum’s lack of trust in us and lack of communication, honesty and transparency, all of the above, have brought up old hurts for us six other children – and the feeling that we weren’t wanted by her.’
She said the fallout had damaged relationships across generations, including among the family’s eight grandchildren. Some relatives are now uncomfortable attending long-standing gatherings on the property.
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Belinda Jane (pictured) said the dispute is not primarily about money but about secrecy, trust and the emotional impact on six siblings who feel they were shut out of a major family decision
‘I think that’s when Mum’s really going to notice,’ she said.
‘Mum has just stuck her head in the sand and refused to answer some pretty simple questions from the beginning, such as: Who did you talk to? Who did you get advice from? Why did you do this? Why didn’t you tell us?
‘She has flat-out refused to answer those questions. She has since attempted to answer some of them, but she doesn’t seem to see the real issue, which is that she has neglected all the other kids.
‘I’m particularly upset for a few of my siblings who do a lot for her. I don’t. I live in the city, and I’ve never had a great relationship with her.
‘But if you can’t give credit to those kids who still do so much for you… my sister lives around the corner from Mum, and she’s constantly helping her out.
‘Another brother has been very close to Mum, not the one who got the farm, and I just don’t understand how she has seemingly forgotten all that and handed it over to one child.’
Ms Jane said she was also concerned about her mother’s future care after giving away a major asset that could potentially have funded aged care.
‘I asked her what are you going to do when you can’t look after yourself anymore and need to pay for some sort of care, wherever that is?’
Farming in East Gippsland (pictured) is predominantly family-based
‘And her response was, “God will provide.”‘
She said she decided to speak publicly because she believes families need to have open conversations about wills, estate planning and inheritance before disputes arise.
‘I have never been one to shy away from talking about things that most people don’t like to discuss. The only way to educate people is for someone to talk about it.’
Our News Outlet contacted Ms Jane’s mother for comment, but she refused to speak.
Ms Jane’s family dispute comes as Australia enters what has been dubbed the ‘Great Wealth Transfer’, with trillions of dollars in property, superannuation, investments and other assets set to pass from older Australians to younger generations.
The Productivity Commission has estimated Australians aged over 60 will transfer about $3.5trillion in wealth over the coming decades as the Baby Boomer generation ages.
More than $120billion was transferred through inheritances and gifts in 2018, more than double the amount in 2002, with inheritances accounting for about 90 per cent of transfers.
The Commission has projected the value of inheritances could increase around four-fold in real terms by 2050 as Australia’s population ages and decades of rising property and investment values swell the estates being left behind.
