Family Fractures After Souvenir Teaspoon Collection Bequeathed to Youngest Cousin

Sandy Shores | Editor in Chief | Sutherland Shire Gazette

17 May 2025

OYSTER BAY - A long-standing family unit is teetering on the edge of collapse this week after the late Aunt Lorraine’s prized souvenir teaspoon collection was left solely to her youngest niece, 23-year-old Caitlin, bypassing four older cousins and triggering what experts are now calling "a classic display cabinet incident."

The will - read aloud in what one cousin described as a “highly charged Bunnings-style pergola area” - made no mention of shared custody, rotating rosters, or even a shadow box display for neutral viewing. Instead, Caitlin was awarded the full 87-spoon set, including rare pieces from Expo '88, the Big Banana, and a slightly bent spoon bearing the crest of the Dubbo Zoo.

The oldest cousin reportedly declared, “I don’t even want the spoons. I’m just annoyed I wasn’t offered them,” comparing the snub to “not wanting to go to a party, but still wanting the invite.”

One cousin has already unfollowed three family members and is now threatening to start a rival display cabinet of novelty fridge magnets “with much better curation and LED lighting.”

“Caitlin doesn’t even know where Victor Harbor is,” Darren said, still visibly shaken. “She thought the Katherine spoon was from someone called Katherine.”

The extended family WhatsApp group - “Lorraine’s Legacy 💔” - has since seen 42 unread messages, two cryptic memes, and one aunt typing “disappointed but not surprised” three times before deleting it.

Meanwhile, Caitlin has announced plans to honour her great-aunt by giving the spoons “a fresh, modern twist” and is reportedly exploring a TikTok series titled Stirring Up Drama.

The family reunion scheduled for June is currently on hold. The spoons, according to sources, remain highly polished and deeply divisive.