Skinnyfish label head withdraws action to administer Gurrumul estate

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains an image of a person who has died.

The Supreme Court case in Darwin involving the control of Gurrumul Yunupingu’s estate has taken a twist.

Mark T. Grose, whose Skinnyfish Music signed the musician, had run the estate since the singer-songwriter died in 2017 and had asked the court for permanent authority.

But this week he withdrew it, forcing the court to let the Public Trustee temporarily take control.

As TMN first reported last month, Gurrumul in 2015 gave half of his posthumous income to his daughter, Jasmine Yunupingu, with the other half to his Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation.

But it did not specify who would be the executor or deal with personal property like his musical instruments, which Justice Judith Kelly suggested “might also have substantial value” because of their owner.

Since the musician’s passing, Grose said he had distributed more than $95,000 in “net royalties” between Ms Yunupingu and the foundation.

In the first court hearing in late January, there was to be no other parties involved as Gurumul’s death certificate that he was separated from his second wife Angela Mularawuy Gurruwiwi.

But in a twist, Jasmine Yunupingu announced her father had a third partner, whose agreement would be needed under Northern Territory law.

There was also the possibility that any of the Yunupingu clan could make a counter-claim to be the administrator.

Grose’s solicitor Chris Osborne said their client had neither the financial nor emotional resources to continue with the application.

“My client doesn’t feel equipped to continue with the application.

“[He] has made the incredibly difficult decision to apply to withdraw the application, leaving the opportunity for the appropriate party to … properly manage the estate.”

She added: “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.”

Grose has 14 days to “transfer control of any money in any bank accounts which are established to receive or which have received income from the estate of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu … to the public trustee for the Northern Territory”.

Gurrumul’s music continues to sell around the world and earn royalties, while new projects are planned.

The case returns to court on April 27.