Bequest creates mystery

Mystery surrounds an Australian benefactor who bequeathed half her estate towards helping intellectually handicapped children in Dunedin.

The mystery stems from an advertisement placed in the Otago Daily Times on Friday by The Public Trustee of Queensland which is administering Johanna Van Duyn's will.

The advertisement says Mrs Van Duyn, who died in Bundaberg in 2011, left half of her estate to the ``Intellectually Handicapped Children'' at Dunedin in a will dated March 15, 1971.

The advertisement says no such entity existed when Mrs Van Duyn died and the trust was looking for entities claiming to be ``Intellectually Handicapped Children'' at Dunedin.

The half of Mrs Van Duyn's estate could either be paid to a successor organisation or her next of kin, the advertisement said.

The trust did not respond to a request for comment yesterday and the value of the bequest is not known.

IHC national office staff are aware of the advertisement.

Those involved in IHC Dunedin since the 1960s contacted by the ODT could not remember Mrs Van Duyn.

Former IHC Dunedin branch president Marilyn Withnall said the advertisement was intriguing but she could not remember Mrs Van Duyn.

It was possible she did not have an association with IHC and chose the charity from a list given to her by a lawyer, Ms Withnall said.

Her husband, Colin Withnall QC, said if IHC successfully claimed half of the estate it would likely have to spend the money in Dunedin because the city was referenced in Mrs Van Duyn's will.

Another past-president, Ian Hope, who joined the organisation in 1970, said he and his wife had tried but could not remember the name.

``It's a bit of a mystery,'' Mr Hope said.

Most older members of IHC had died, but he pointed the ODT to Kath Munro (94), who joined about 1960 when her now 58-year-old Down syndrome son was less than a year old.

Mrs Munro, who lives with her son, said she did not recognise the name,

but said it was a ``lovely thought'' that half of Mrs Van Duyn's estate could go towards helping intellectually handicapped children in Dunedin.

IHC programmes general manager Janine Stewart said the organisation was aware of the advertisement.

``We are unable to talk about specifics, but can say that people often stipulate what the money they leave is to be used for.

``In general, money donated to IHC is used for a range of things including advocating for people with intellectual disabilities, supporting the country's largest intellectual disability library, running our successful volunteering programme and funding community projects and events,'' Ms Stewart said.

vaughan.elder@odt.co.nz


 

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