Bequests

Making a Will is an important part of planning for the future. After you have provided for loved ones, you may then consider including the Fort Queenscliff Museum as a beneficiary.

Many people leave monetary gifts to museums and galleries.

Over the years these contributions large and small will contribute significantly to our work.

Your gift enables the Fort Queenscliff Museum to preserve Australia’s military heritage for the future.

Leaving a gift in your will to the Fort Queenscliff Museum is a thoughtful way to continue your legacy.

What is a Bequest?

A bequest is a statement in your will that indicates how you wish to distribute all or part of your estate. A bequest can be a gift of money or property, such as real estate, shares, life insurance policies, life income plans, annuities or trusts, cultural property and works of art.  

Types of Bequests

There are various options when making a bequest to the Fort Queenscliff Museum. Some examples are:

A pecuniary bequest which is a gift of an amount of money;

A specific bequest which is a gift of money where you state the exact amount, nature and purpose of the gift;

A contingent bequest whereby you appoint the Fort Queenscliff Museum as an alternative beneficiary, for example if the person or trust named in your Will does not survive you or no longer exists at the time of your death then you can nominate the Fort Queenscliff Museum to receive the benefit in their stead;

An endowment bequest which uses endowment funds to ensure the permanence of the gift. These are managed in a way that protects the original value of the capital against inflation. The original gift stays intact and only the annual income is used;

A residuary bequest in which the remainder of your estate is bequeathed to the Fort Queenscliff Museum once all other funds and property have been distributed; and/or

A gift to the collection (where possible intellectual property rights should also be assigned with this gift).  

The Fort Queenscliff Museum will follow the wishes of the person making a bequest wherever possible however please be aware that circumstances vary over time. Specific requirements of one time may in the future prove to be no longer necessary  and accordingly affect the ability of the Fort Queenscliff Museum to utilise your gift as you intended if the terms of the direction are very specific.

An unrestricted bequest is one which is made without a designated purpose and will assist with Fort Queenscliff Museums’s priorities at the time.

Therefore if you would particularly like to direct your bequest then you may do this, however, where possible, please use terms within the bequest wording that express your wishes but at the same time allow for flexibility.

How and where to make the bequest

The bequest is a clause within your will. As the clauses of a will must be worded definitively so as to avoid ambiguity it is important to consult a financial and/or legal adviser. Such advisors will compose the bequest so that it best meets your wishes and circumstances. They will also ensure that any relevant laws are complied with.

The Museum’s postal address is:

Fort Queenscliff Museum

King Street

Queenscliff, 3225

For guidance purposes, specimen forms of wording for bequests are as below:

For a Pecuniary Bequest

I give to The Fort Queenscliff Museum Association Incorporated (ABN 70 515 304 492) in Victoria, Australia, the sum of $0.00 free of tax or duty;

Such sum is to be applied to the [general purposes] of the Fort Queenscliff Museum and I direct that a receipt from an authorised officer of the Fort Queenscliff Museum, shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my executors.

For a Residuary Bequest

I give and bequeath /*all the residue of my estates / *one (fraction) share of the residue of my estates / absolutely to The Fort Queenscliff Museum Association Incorporated (ABN 70 515 304 492) in Victoria, Australia, the sum of $0.00 free of tax or duty; Such sum is to be applied to the [general purposes] of the Fort Queenscliff Museum and I direct that a receipt from an authorised officer of the Fort Queenscliff Museum, shall be a good and sufficient discharge to my executors.

If you have already made a Will, perhaps you could consider asking your solicitor to add a codicil, which will incorporate your gift to the Fort Queenscliff Museum.

We understand that making a Will is a very personal matter. However, if you do intend making the Fort Queenscliff Museum one of your beneficiaries, or have already done so, it may be a great help if you could let us know. As well as being of assistance for our future planning, it gives us an opportunity to acknowledge and recognise your generosity and to discuss your wishes. Any information you give us will of course be in the strictest confidence.