A family farm inheritance dispute in East Gippsland has fractured a family after a mother transferred the 64-hectare property, estimated to be worth about $1 million, to one of her seven children without telling the others.
Belinda Jane, 46, said she discovered the land had been gifted to her eldest brother as an early inheritance after becoming suspicious of her sister-in-law’s behaviour at Christmas 2025.
She obtained land title documents and learned that the sheep farm, which had been held by the family for generations, had been transferred in secret around 12 months earlier.
“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,” Ms Jane said.
When she asked her mother why the family had not been told, she said the response was: “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.
She said her mother had often spoken about preserving the farming legacy left by her own father, but had not asked whether any of her other children wanted to be involved.
“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,” Ms Jane said.
Several of the siblings had previously expressed an interest in buying land or becoming involved in the farm, she said. Some had offered to buy blocks, but were later presented with what she described as “outrageous prices”.
Ms Jane said she had never wanted the farm herself and had not expected the inheritance to be divided equally. But she believed the decision should have been fairer and more transparent.
“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 dispute has affected relationships across generations, including among the family’s eight grandchildren. Some relatives are now uncomfortable attending long-standing gatherings at the property.
Ms Jane said the conflict was about more than the value of the East Gippsland farm, and that she was particularly upset for siblings who continued to support their mother.
She said one sister lived nearby and regularly helped their mother, while another brother had been especially close to her. Neither, she said, was the son who received the farm.
“I just don’t understand how she has seemingly forgotten all that and handed it over to one child,” Ms Jane said.
She also questioned how her mother would pay for care in later life after giving away a major asset that could have helped fund it.
When Ms Jane asked what would happen if her mother could no longer look after herself, she said the response was: “God will provide.”
Ms Jane said her mother had refused to answer questions about who she had spoken to, what advice she had received and why she had not told the family about the transfer.
Her mother was approached for comment but declined to speak.
Ms Jane said she had decided to discuss the family inheritance dispute publicly to encourage open conversations about wills, estate planning and major gifts before disagreements arise.
The case comes as Australia enters what has been described as a “Great Wealth Transfer”, with the Productivity Commission estimating that Australians aged over 60 will pass on about $3.5 trillion in wealth over the coming decades.
More than $120 billion was transferred through inheritances and gifts in 2018, with inheritances accounting for about 90 per cent of those transfers. The commission has projected that the value of inheritances could rise by about four times in real terms by 2050.
