Len Buckeridge
{{short description|Australian businessman}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Len Buckeridge
| birth_name = Leonard Walter Buckeridge
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|6|15|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|03|11|1936|6|15|df=y}}
| death_place = Mosman Park, Western Australia, Australia
| nationality = Australian
| education = Perth Modern School
| alma_mater = Perth Technical College
| occupation = {{ubl|Architect|Property developer}}
| years_active = 1959–2014
| organization = Buckeridge Group of Companies
| known_for = Architecture, construction
| notable_works =
| style =
| spouse = Judith Lyon
| partner = Siok Puay Koh
(aka Tootsie Ambrose)
| children = 6
}}
Leonard Walter Buckeridge (15 June 1936 – 11 March 2014{{cite web |url=http://www.heavenaddress.com/Leonard-Len-Walter-Buckeridge/467691/ |title=Leonard (Len) Walter Buckeridge |work=Heaven Address |date=n.d. |access-date=30 November 2020 }}) was an Australian businessman known for founding the Buckeridge Group of Companies.{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/leonard-buckeridge/ |title=The World's Billionaires - Leonard Buckeridge |work=Forbes |date=March 2012 |access-date=28 January 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/premiers-potentially-costly-len-buckeridge-gaffe-20121106-28vyl.html |title=Premier's potentially costly Len Buckeridge gaffe |work=WA Today |date=6 November 2012 |access-date=28 January 2013 | author=Trenwith, Courtney}}{{cite news |url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/billionaire-sues-forklift-driver/story-e6frg12c-1226463141439 |title=Billionaire sues forklift driver |work=The Sunday Times |date=1 September 2012 | access-date=28 January 2013 |author=Cordingley, Glen}}
Early life
Buckeridge attended Perth Modern School then trained as an architect at Perth Technical College.{{cite book |publisher=Perth Technical College. Dept. of Architecture |author=Buckeridge, Len |chapter=Chapel of S.S. Mary & George [Guildford] : [plan] |title=Historic buildings |publication-date=1947 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/159519590 |access-date=30 November 2020 |via=Trove, National Library of Australia }}{{cite news |title=WA's Rich List |work=The West Australian |date=20 October 2011 |author=Macdonald, Kim |page=28}} In his final year of studies Buckeridge won the James Hardie Prize for his thesis "The Economical House".{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
Career
Buckeridge built high-rise buildings in Perth and elsewhere through his company, Buckeridge Group of Companies. He also owned James Point Pty Ltd.
In September 2012, Buckeridge sued a former fork-lift driver who allegedly posted defamatory comments on Facebook about him. The former employee was backed by United Voice.
In November 2012, he sued the Government of Western Australia for {{AUD}}1 billion regarding a delay in construction on Cockburn Sound.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-06/buckeridge-sues-over-private-port-delays/4355248 |title=Buckeridge sues over private port delays|work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=6 November 2012 |access-date=28 January 2013 |author=Powell, Graeme |author2=O'Connor, Andrew |author3=Macmillan, Jade }} Premier Colin Barnett counselled him to drop the lawsuit.{{cite news |url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/15324822/premier-urges-buckeridge-to-drop-1b-lawsuit/ |title=Premier urges Buckeridge to drop $1b lawsuit |work=The West Australian |date=7 November 2012 |access-date=28 January 2013}} Buckeridge also sued about a delay in the construction of the Perth Arena.{{cite news |url=http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/perth-arena-cost-blows-out-to-5487-million-20111228-1pc74.html | title=Perth arena cost blows out to $548.7 million |work=WA Today |date=28 December 2011 |access-date=28 January 2013}}{{cite news | url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/bgcs-len-buckeridge-baulks-at-perth-arena-penalty-fees/story-e6frg2ru-1226087122157 |title=BGC's Len Buckeridge baulks at Perth Arena penalty fees |work=Perth Now |date=4 July 2011 |agency=AAP |access-date=28 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116030411/http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/bgcs-len-buckeridge-baulks-at-perth-arena-penalty-fees/story-e6frg2ru-1226087122157 |archive-date=16 January 2012 |df=dmy-all }}
Personal life
Buckeridge married Judith Lyon, and they had five children Lise, Rachel, Andrew, Sam, Joshua. His de facto partner for forty years was Siok Puay Koh, also known as Tootsie Ambrose,{{cite news |url=https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/forward-planning/advice-and-hot-topics/title-tattle/102127-len-buckeridge-s-longtime-partner-tootsie-buys-in-mosman-park-4.html |title=Len Buckeridge's longtime partner Tootsie buys in Mosman Park |work=Property Observer |date=1 August 2019 |access-date=30 November 2020 }} mother of Julian.{{cite news |last=Murrell |first=Andrew |title=Brawl over Billions builds up to a boil |newspaper=The Weekend Australian |date=9 October 2016 }}{{cite news|last=Orr |first=Aleisha |title=Perth billionaire Len Buckeridge dead |url=http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/perth-billionaire-len-buckeridge-dead-20140311-34jiu.html |access-date=11 March 2014 |newspaper=WA Today |date=11 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311080807/http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/perth-billionaire-len-buckeridge-dead-20140311-34jiu.html |archive-date=11 March 2014 }}
He lived in the Perth suburb of Mosman Park. Prior to his death, in January 2013, his net worth was estimated as {{USD}}1.4 billion. He died of a heart attack at his home on 11 March 2014, aged 77 years.{{cite news|last=Burrell|first=Andrew|title=Len Buckeridge, founder of builder BGC, has died age 77|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/len-buckeridge-founder-of-builder-bgc-has-died-age-77/story-e6frg9df-1226851608356|access-date=11 March 2014|newspaper=The Australian|date=11 March 2014}} In 2016, 22 family members initiated three separate proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia to contest his {{AUD}}2.5 billion estate.{{cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/inquirer/brawl-over-property-tycoon-len-buckeridges-billions-boils-over/news-story/03c4d8b40be76d1430020f9459345991 |title=Brawl over property tycoon Len Buckeridge's billions boils over |work=The Australian |date=8 October 2016 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-24/len-buckeridge-heirs-decide-to-sell-bgc-after-will-dispute/9796510 |title=BGC construction firm put up for sale to resolve Len Buckeridge heirs' family feud |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=25 May 2018 |access-date=30 November 2020 }}{{cite news |author=Clarke, Tim |url=https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/fight-over-buckeridge-billions-ng-ya-127771 |title=Fight over Buckeridge billions |work=The West Australian |date=22 August 2015 |access-date=30 November 2020 }} Under Buckeridge's 2008 will which vested in 2019, his empire was divided among 15 heirs — his six children, eight grandchildren and partner, Tootsie Ambrose.{{cite news |author=Newell, Daniel |url=https://thewest.com.au/business/construction/buckeridge-sons-stepson-step-back-from-bgc-group-roles-with-sale-of-building-and-materials-construction-businesses-on-indefinite-hold-ng-b881120944z |title=Buckeridge sons, stepson step back from BGC Group roles, with sale of building and materials construction businesses on indefinite hold |work=The West Australian |date=28 February 2019 |access-date=30 November 2020 }}
References
{{reflist |30em}}
Further reading
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- {{cite Q |Q131576577 |mode=cs1 |page=9 |access-date=2024-12-28 }}
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{{subject bar |auto=0 |portal1=Western Australia |portal2=Biography }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckeridge, Leonard}}
Category:Australian billionaires