How a lawn bowls enthusiast orchestrated a bizarre $1million revenge from beyond the grave

A Melbourne lawn bowler caused a legal stoush when he died and left his entire estate to a rival bowls club – and some club members believe the move is revenge from beyond the grave.

Bruce Hallman was a member of Melbourne’s Doncaster Bowls Club for 15 years, and after he passed away in 2022 he left a bequest worth more than $1million to the sport he loved.

However, Doncaster Bowls Club didn’t get a cent. Instead, Bruce left everything to a rival club that he had only visited once – Donvale Bowls Club.

The only time Bruce had set foot on the Donvale premises was when he visited for a new membership in 2019, and the experience must have been good. 

Several months later, Bruce met with a solicitor and asked him to leave his entire estate to Donvale.

‘If any member has memories or knowledge of Bruce Hallman, we invite you to share them with us,’ wrote puzzled Donvale chairman Ian Bramstedt in a club newsletter.

‘His positive experience and admiration for our club’s friendliness and community offerings led to this generous bequest.’

Doncaster Bowls Club were ‘shocked’ and believed there must have been a mistake, so they hired a lawyer in anticipation of a legal fight. 

Donvale Bowls Club (pictured) received more than $1million from Hallman – and he’d only set foot on the premises once

But they were advised that the matter wasn’t worth pursuing. 

‘We did contest the will to a point,’ Doncaster Bowling Club executive chairman Trevor Dawson told News Corp.

‘But there was no value in going any further.

‘The matter is finished as far as we’re concerned. Donvale got the money and there’s nothing we can do about it.’

There’s reported speculation from club members that Bruce had been unhappy with people from Doncaster and might have changed his will as payback.

Mr Dawson disagreed with those claims, however. 

Representatives of Doncaster Bowls Club (pictured) were shocked when they heard the news and hired a lawyer

‘There was no tension between Bruce and any of our members,’ he said.

Donvale are excited about the windfall and already have plans for upgrading their facilities – including covering the greens with a dome to play all year around and installing lights for night games. 

‘We’re going to be one of only a handful of clubs without pokies to have these type of facilities,’ said chairman Ian Bramstedt.

‘A once-in-a-lifetime bequest like this deserves a once-in-a-lifetime infrastructure improvement.’