Historical information

A Legatee Grat Grattan with the President of the Melbourne Legacy Widows Club, Mrs Irene Noll, on the occasion of his 100th birthday celebrations at Legacy House. This photo was used in a newspaper article in 'Vetaffairs' October 1994. The article says Oriel John Grattan was born in WA and enlisted in the First AIF in 1916. He served in France and Belgium before he was wounded near Menin Gate. As a Legatee he was widely respected, he was 'something of a father figure - many of the girls were given away at their weddings by this kindly Legatee'.
It continues with an interesting piece on the acquisition of Legacy house. It says: 'Perhaps his most lasting monument is Melbourne Legacy House. Through his friendship with one of the principals of the firm, Brown and Dureau, Legacy was given a donation of 30,000 pounds in 1944.
A condition of the donation was that Legacy had only eight days in which to buy a building. A building across the road from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology was bought for 18,000 pounds and the balance invested.
The building was sold in the early '50s and the proceeds plus the invested money enabled Legacy to buy its headquarters, Dureau House, in Swanston Street in 1955."
Vetaffairs is a newspaper for the veteran community published monthly. The entire 8 page issue is kept but only the Grattan article has been scanned here.

Significance

A record of a Legatee Grattans' achievements, both in the army and in later life and the impact he had on Legacy.

Physical description

Colour photo x 3 of Legatee Grat Grattan for his 100th birthday and article from Vetaffairs.

Inscriptions & markings

Printed on the back "128 0133 N N N 2 2" on Kodak paper.