A few months ago, I wrote about Marie Shaw KC.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
This piece is about Graham Edmonds-Wilson KC, whom I have known for many years, as his brother is one of my best mates.
I find it interesting the journey Graham had, from being on the farm at Coonalpyn and doing his entire schooling at Coomandook Area School, to becoming one of the top commercial barristers in Adelaide.
I have known for many years of Graham's intellect and focus. For those that have known him for a long time, it was no surprise he ended up in the law. He always had a very intellectual and curious outlook on life.
Graham has reflected on his childhood experiences that assisted him to get him to where he is now.
He was always an avid reader and, for obvious reasons, this has stood him in good stead. Back in the day, the books were posted from the library for him to read. Graham was also taught how to type at school - as was I. This skill has assisted us across the years.
Graham also recounted a story from primary school, where a group of boys, including Graham, got up to some shenanigans.
He said he came up with an elaborate story to get the teacher off the scent of what really happened. I think that story demonstrate the seeds of being a barrister in court were sown very early.
In some ways Graham's journey has come full circle. His formative years were spent on the farm and this shaped him in lots of ways, particularly in the areas of self-reliance and not having easy access to the necessary resources to assist his educational passage.
A lot of Graham's work these days, as a senior barrister, is in wills and estate disputes relating to farming assets, particularly land.
These can be cautionary tales, given the increase in the value of agricultural land in recent times. Another area of contention Graham sees is undocumented promises of ownership in the future.
We have all heard the stories of words uttered such as "one day this will be yours".
This phrase is best backed up with documentation. I have seen these types of promises come unstuck a few times, as has Graham.
I have written in previous pieces about the necessity to have succession planning and, by logical extension, wills up to date. For farming assets, this almost always means obtaining specialist advice to ensure the house is in order.
Time and money invested now will make things much smoother down the track.
The sooner these conversations occur and strategies are put in place, the better for all parties involved. Peace of mind is a big thing in farming and estate planning is definitely a big piece of the puzzle.
I think growing up on a farm gives anyone a great grounding for whatever vocation they choose.
In lots of cases, it's farming. But for other people it can be anything they want.
I think it's only when older, we realise how good growing up on a farm was.
