A special solo lecture by Dr Sarah McKibbin, recorded to ensure students have the essential material while our regular dialogue episode is still in production.
Sarah takes you on a journey through one of equity's most practical doctrines — estoppel. Starting with the story of David Stone, who worked a farm for 23 years based on a promise of inheritance, this lecture explores when and why the law holds people to their promises even without a contract.
This narrative lecture weaves together:
- Why William Money couldn't rely on a promise of debt forgiveness in the 1840s, and how that revealed a crucial gap in the law
- The wartime promise that launched promissory estoppel (and why Denning J's most important words were technically just 'obiter')
- How the Mahers' demolished building in Nowra changed Australian law forever
- The human story behind Kramer v Stone — substandard housing, holes in the roof, and a third of average wages for decades
- Why the High Court's 2024 decision in Kramer matters: when is a promise itself enough?
- Justice Gleeson's powerful dissent in Kramer and what it reveals about ongoing tensions in the law
- The difference between standing by silently (acquiescence) and making promises (encouragement) — and why it matters
- When courts award money versus making promises come true
Note: This solo lecture was recorded to support student learning while our regular conversational episode is being produced. The full episode with our student co-host will explore these themes through dialogue and additional examples.
Key points
- Duration: 15:06
- Format: Narrative journey through estoppel's development
- Focus: Making complex doctrine accessible through stories and clear explanation
- Essential listening before classes on equitable estoppel
Produced by Dr Sarah McKibbin for the University of Southern Queensland
