Gurrumul’s daughter to apply to administer late singer’s estate after former manager pulls out

The daughter of late music legend Gurrumul will seek to administer her father’s estate after his former manager withdrew his own application.

THE daughter of late Territory music legend Gurrumul will seek to administer her father’s estate after his former manager withdrew his own application in the Supreme Court earlier this year.

Justice Judith Kelly appointed the Public Trustee administrator of Gurrumul’s estate in February after Mark Grose’s lawyer, Christine Osborne, told the court her client had filed his original application “on the basis of the wishes communicated to him” by the singer but had not appreciated the legal issues involved.

“My client’s got no resources to pursue the rabbit holes that you have recommended so my client doesn’t feel equipped to continue with the application and has made the incredibly difficult decision to withdraw the application,” she said.

“He doesn’t have the resources, emotionally or legally, to continue with this and there’s going to be some issues in relation to people that he’s very close to and so it’s really not appropriate for him to pursue the application.”

Mr Grose’s application was based on a will that bequeathed half Gurrumul’s posthumous income to his daughter, Jasmine Yunupingu, and the other half to his Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation.

At the time, Justice Kelly ruled there were others with a legitimate claim to the inheritance, including his wife and another de facto partner.

Gurrumul’s daughter will apply to administer his estate.

Ms Yunupingu’s lawyer at the time, Sean Bowden, said he had learned there was potentially also a third wife/de facto partner who may have an interest in the estate, which could be accommodated under Territory law.

“It does allow an applicant to revert to traditional law and custom which may be entirely applicable in this situation, given the traditional society, the Yolngu society, from which the deceased comes,” he said.

“People know each other, people are close to each other and there’s a concern here to do this carefully and diligently and ensure that things are done right and the full community is in behind the final decision.”

But in applying for an adjournment on Thursday, Ms Yunupingu’s lawyer Jon Bortoli said she was now in a position to apply to administer the estate herself.

“We’re at the stage where we’re almost ready for Ms Yunupingu to sign everything to apply for administration,” he said.

“There’s just a couple of items outstanding and she will fly into Darwin to attend to signing those documents.”

The case will return to court on August 26.