Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 3 : Presscuttings, Sept 1959 - Sept 1967

"AUSTRALIAN" 1 5 ,11 ll i~Dl ";jlt ,V-'il ' I Man for trial in Picasso theft A IZ•Jtar-old laborcr wa • oent for trial ye•ltrday acau,ed of • I • a 11 n I a U00,000 ,Plca••o palnllnr from lbe Queonaland ~•Iler,, I Robert Ronald Richard Ferguson pleaded not 11ullty 10 lhe charge In B r I sbane Magistrate's ! Court end was commit• Perth, W.A led to the District Court I 1 ~i~'.ings beginning on July 6-1. Ferguson wa, allowed \ $1000 bail with a $1000 surnty, or two $500 au relies. USJRALIAN, SATURDAY, JULY 15, The acting director of the Queensland Art Gal– lery, Miss R. Hill, told the court yesterday that she knew of a suugestion !01 'I the possible sale ot' paintings left to the galler~• by Major H. de Vahl Rubin. MAN FO'RTRIAL OVER PAINTING MIH HIii said she \ thought the suggestion for the sale first came ·up In November, 1965. She ,aid she had resigned lrom the gallery from August 1 because of some trouble with Sir Leon Trout, one of the aallery's trustees. BRISBANE, "Frlday.-Robert Ronald Richard Ferguson (22), labourer, of New Zealand, wu today committed for trial In the Brisbane Dl1trlct Court on a charge of having broken and entered the Queensland Art Gallery between .June II and 6 and stolen the Plcassi p11lntlng "La Belle Hol– landaise." Miss HIil suld she had been severely repriman– ded but had received a letter askln11 her to withdraw her resignation. NOT GUARDED She aald 1he believed hat the 1tolen Plcaaso alntlnll, La Bellt Ho! andalae, would be un aleable on the open arket. Miss HIii told Mr R. S. atson (for Ferauson) hat there was no burala !arm sy1tem operatln pstaln In the gallery. oor leadlna downstairs here the palntln1 wa ept, was 1!10 unguarde y a burglar alarm. Askin& for ball, atson said that evldenc !ready given Indicate hat Ferguson did no ntend to permanenll eprlve the owners o[ th painting. He had had It lot' les than a week and ha then given II to th widow ol the donor, During the hearing in the Magistrate's Court ~ police claimed that Ferguson had hidden the painting unde r blankets In bush country during rainy weather for five days at two places on the outskirts of Bris– bane. Evidence was given tha t F e rg uson had hand– ed the pa inting back to Mrs Julie Rubin, widow of Major Harold Rubin who had donated It to the gallery. Ferguson a Jlcgcdly told Mrs Rubin to keep the painting [or a month be– fore handing it lo the gallery. However, the day a(ter Mrs Rubin received the painting the · police exe– cuted a search wul'l'ant at her home and took custody o f the painting. NO ALARM The assista n t director o[ the galle ry, Miss Robin Hill 123), said to• day the re was no burg- Hobart, Tas. Jar alarm In the section ol the gallery from which "La Belle Hol– landaise" was ta ken. She said that because of differences with the president of the trustees 1 Sit• Leon Trout, she haa resigned from the 11:al· lery lt'Om August 1. Earlier In the hearing Sir Leon h ad said paint• lngs at the gallery were valued at $1 mllllon. Ferguson was commit• ted for trial at the D1s– tl'ict Court criminal ; Ungs beginning on .J' · 31. He was allowed lie 1 of $1,000, with a $1;000 surety. 1 5 JUL.:...::.19~67~. __ on charge Picasso art -Mg;; l for trial of stealing BRISBANE. - Robert Ferguson, a 22-year-old lobou!er, of New Ze~lond, esterda was committed for trial on a charge of having stolen the Picasso ~inting~ "La Belle HollandL'.-'from the Queensland Art Gallery between June S and 6 this year. Fergu&on wRS also char8· was •lated that painting• at \Ina! Court sittings begin• ed with breaking and en• the gallery we e valued al nln" on July 31. t I $1000000 Mr. Buker. S.M., nllowed er ng. t·ergus~n •a• committed him hall nf $1,0UO, with During the hcartn" ln the for trtal he District Crim• $1 000 , uretv. Magistrate•' Court It wno ' • claimed by police that Fer· guson had hidden the paint· Ing under some blanket• In bush country for five day• Evidence was Riven du · Ing the hea~lng that Fergu• ,on handed the painting back to Mrs. Julie Rubin, widow of Mn.tor Harold Ruh, tn, who donntcd the paint• Ing 10 t.he gnller)'. Fergu&on alle~edly told Mr,. llubln to keep the painting for a month be• fore handing It over to the gallery. However, the dny after Mrs. llubln wns ~lven pos• ,cs&lon of the palntln ~. pol– ice !H!:Rrchcd her suhurhnn home nnd took custody of the pointing. v e,1cr<111y the assistant rllrcctnr or thn art ~nllcr) 1 , Ml" ttohln llill. ,aid lhoro wa!ii nn tmrclar nlnrm tu thr 11ertlnn or the cnllcry from which " I.a f1 elle llnllnnd• al&e" wn!' ~t n1l'n. Earlier In the henrlnll, II Melbourne, Vic. 15 JYL 1':Jb/ For trial over art theft BRISBANE. - Robert ~onald Richard Ferguson • laborer, of New Zea.: tand, was committed :or rial yesterday on 11 charge of having broken rnd entered t he Queens– /nd Art Gallery between unc 5 nnd 6 and stolen the P icasso painting :.ii Be lle Hollandaise ' Durin g the hcarl;,g In th MaJ1strnle's Court poll e ~~ P~ri: 1 uson hnd' hldd.:':: a nt ng for fil'e days u nde r-bi ... on t.he outsldran...,t., In bush durtna rain 14 of Brisbane Evlden Y weather Ferguaon °tani=c. llthven thn t Ing back e paln t – Rubtn1 wld~ llfra. Julie Harola Rubi O MaJor palnttna IA> 3; 9 wh0 11 gave the Ferrruao 118 ery. Mrs Rubflt allegedly told P&h1tlng fo to keep the h anding t ro~e~~!'t11 1 befot'I! Jery .., l 1e gaJ- Ferau · of ,18 ~hallowed ball surety, ' . a 11000 "EXAMINER" l 5 JUL 1967Launct1ton, TH. c.:abourer painting for trial: · BRISBANE. - Robert rerguaon, • 22-year-old labourer from New ZtalalHI yesterday was co111mitted for trial OIi a charge of ha.ing stolen the Piceno painting, La lellt HollondaiN, from Queensland Art Gallery, on June 5 or 6 this year. _Ferguson wo• also chnrged Rubin was elven possession of woth t?reaklng and entering, the painting, police executed Durmg the hearing In the a seorch worrant at her sub• Magistrate's Court, It wns urban home and took · custody claimed by police that Ferguson of the painting. had hidden the painting under y t cla I di blankets In bush country for cs er Y thc·nss slonl rec- flvc days tor of the art gallery (Miss Evlde~~e was given that Fer- Robin Hill ) sold there was no guson handed the painting bock burglar alarm In the section of to Mrs Julie Ruhln, widow or the gallery from which Lo Belle Maj. Harold Rubin. who dnnnt· Hollondolse was stolen. cd the pointing to the gallery. Eorller In the hearing, It was Ferguson ollegcdly told Mro stated that pointing• at the Rubin to keep the pointing for gnllery were valued al $1 mH· a _month before handing It over lion. to the gullcry. Ferguson was committed for However, the Mrs trial al the District Criminal Court sittings to begin on July 31. "MORNING HERALD" 15 J LJL ljo rydney, H.S.W. Trial for theft of painting BRISBANE, Friday.- Robert Ronnld Richard Fer– guson, 22, labourer, of New 2.ealand, today wa, com– mitted for trial in the Dis– trict Criminal Coun on a charge of having hroken nnd entered the Qucen,lnnd Art Gnllcry he1wcen June ~ and 6 . n~d stolen ·the Plcns,o pamtmg, T.n Belle Hollan– dal,c. Police clnimcd thut Fer– guoon stole the pointing and hid it lnr five dny, be: fore giving it to Mrs Julie Ruhin, widow of Mn!or H ~rold Rubin. who gave the pnmtons to the gnllery. Ferguson ~ , allowed nil or $1,000 .,th n Sl,000 ·urel y,