Daughter sues mother over $15 million farm after father's 2007 plane crash

Based on · First reported 5 Oct 2026

Sapphire Halliday has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Victoria against her mother, Deborah Lakshmi Halliday, seeking an interest in a Macedon farm following the 2007 death of her father, senior Paladin executive Garnet Halliday, in a plane crash in Malawi.
The estate of Garnet Halliday was valued at about $30.6 million in 2007, including a $3 million stake in the farm and a cattle business; the farm is now estimated at $14‑$15 million. Sapphire claims her mother promised her a $2 million interest in the farm and a 50 percent share of the cattle operation, while Deborah denies the promise and says parts of the arrangement would be legally non‑binding. An interim ruling permits the farm’s sale but requires $2.5 million to be secured for Sapphire’s claim and related debts, and Sapphire lodged a caveat on 1 July 2025 asserting a proprietary estoppel interest.

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