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