After a successful farming life in Cressy, Tasmania, Bruce Wall’s legacy is living on through a perpetual trust that continues to grow and benefit people in Tasmania and beyond.
Among the beneficiaries are 131 students from northern Tasmania who were awarded Bruce Wall Springboard to Higher Education scholarships. The trust also supported 19 students through other undergraduate scholarships and 21 through honours scholarships.
“He has left a wonderful legacy for Tasmania, a legacy that will continue in perpetuity,” Trustee Brian Faulkner said.
Brian managed Bruce’s stock and share portfolio and was a trustee for his Will. It was a responsibility he and a fellow trustee have continued to honour for over two decades.
The farm was given to Bruce through the Soldier Settlement Scheme, which operated after the Second World War to provide returned servicemen with land to farm. Bruce would have been 27 or 28 years old at the time.
The 500-acre property, known as Lake House, is now part of the National Trust. The house had a cellar that was once a stop for convicts on their way between postings. Bruce went on to buy another 500 acres next door and ran Corriedale sheep, Poll Herefords and commercial cattle, as well as crops.
From the information the trustees have compiled, the success of this venture was largely due to Bruce’s positive and knowledgeable approach to agriculture, which included applying the latest methods and practices in farming.
“It was a beautiful farm with hawthorn hedges all around it that he trimmed himself,” Brian said.
Bruce was President of the Longford Golf Club and a dedicated member of the Tasmanian Farmers and Stockowners Association and the National Trust in Tasmania.
According to Brian, Bruce led a simple life. “When he came home from the war, he left his army trunk complete with all his gear and necessities in the centre of an upstairs room, and there it stayed until his death,” Brian said.
Upon Bruce’s death, the trustees, assisted by Brian’s wife, Wendy, put the property up for auction, having sorted through and sold Bruce’s personal collection and memorabilia. It was to be one of the most complete and acclaimed collections of Tasmanian work and included furniture, paintings, literature and drawings. The army trunk was donated to the Longford RSL club.
Managing the estate and distributing the funds has been a labour of love for the trustees. “It’s all going to charity, which we’re very pleased with,” Brian said.
One former student who benefited from Bruce’s generosity is Tessa King-Grey.
Tessa received a Springboard to Higher Education Scholarship at the end of Grade 10 at Campbell Town District High School. The scholarship assisted her during Grades 11 and 12 at Newstead College in Launceston.
“The Springboard scholarship helped with living away from home costs and in purchasing textbooks and stationery,” Tessa said.
The Bruce Wall Trust then helped Tessa through her two degrees at the University of Tasmania, where she recently completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in sociology and criminology, and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in ecology.
“There was a while when I was sick and not able to work outside of my university studies,” she said. “The scholarship was very useful at that time.”
Tessa King-Grey
The support continued throughout her studies, with the scholarship providing a safety net, meaning she didn't have to go without essentials.
“It took off the financial stress so I could focus more on my studies, which benefited my grades and meant I could finish uni,” Tessa said.
“I want to say thank you. I’ve appreciated it so much, to have that support was so valuable.”
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