Newshounds in Darwin and elsewhere be aware that arrangements are being made for a possible three way link on February 4 in the latest development in the attempt to get justice for Darwin Aboriginal art gallery owner, Shirley Collins, financially ruined by her involvement in the Bank of America Down Under Tour in an inflated pavilion which was a replica of the Sydney Opera House, part of the build up to the Sydney Olympic Games.
At this stage, the proposed Darwin hook up will be made between the Supreme Court building here , Collins’s Brisbane based representative, accountant Barrie Percival ,and a magistrate in Perth .
This matter was drawn to the attention of the Federal Ombudsman after a strongly disputed rejection by the Department of Finance and Deregulation of her application for an act of grace payment .
Little Darwin has seen assorted documents which indicate she was made the “ scapegoat” for shortcomings in various government agencies and other organisation in what was to be a major promotion for Australia in America .One document sighted was from John Morse , the 2000 managing director of the Australian Tourist Commission , the year of the Bank of America Down Under promotion . In it he says he was based in New York and it was a hectic time. Word came through that there was a problem with the Aboriginal Art exhibition organised by Shirley Collins but it was being handled by Los Angeles .
After the Olympics, on visits to Kakadu as part of a review of tourism for the then Minister for Tourism, Joe Hockey, Morse met Collins and she told him her story about the Bank of America fiasco and produced documentation to back up her claim . This had led him to the conclusion that “Shirley had been used as a scapegoat for the mistakes, and misinformation of others .”
Further informal investigations by Morse had confirmed his initial belief. “There were many factors involved, including an unrealistic commercial assessment by consultants, a naivety on behalf of Australian Tourist Commission officers in the USA as to the commercial opportunity, change of policy by the Bank of America , and subsequently a hard line,unsympathetic approach by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.”
Continuing, he said: “Having seen Shirley’s gallery in operation , and recognising the importance of the fact that that it was one of only two Aboriginal owned galleries operated successfully in this country,I felt strongly that a different approach was necessary ,rather than confiscation of the unsold art (from the US tour ), and recovery( by ATSIC) of all investment monies. "
Morse even took it on himself to visit Canberra and speak with the deputy CEO of ATSIC, without any positive result. During further visits to Darwin,he saw Collins go from a vibrant, successful Aboriginal businesswoman, running an Aboriginal art gallery, to someone who lost everything ,including her business, her health , her home and her dignity. Summing it up in two words - “grossly unjust.”
This local, national and international story has received scant attention by the media in Australia .
No doubt the NT News is gearing up to supply the Wall Street Journal , one of the Murdoch chain, with a feature on this long running sorry saga which involves the Bank of America , an international business and accounting firm, shortcomings in the Australian Tourist Commission operations in America , questionable NT legal advice and much more. Collins worked at the NT News in the 1950s.
On October 23, 1995 former NT Chief Minister and federal president of the Liberal Party,Shane Stone, praised the work Shirley Collins, daughter of a stolen generation woman, had done for Aboriginal arts and craft in the Territory. He congratulated her on the recent opening of the Raintree Gallery in Darwin.
At this stage, the proposed Darwin hook up will be made between the Supreme Court building here , Collins’s Brisbane based representative, accountant Barrie Percival ,and a magistrate in Perth .
This matter was drawn to the attention of the Federal Ombudsman after a strongly disputed rejection by the Department of Finance and Deregulation of her application for an act of grace payment .
Little Darwin has seen assorted documents which indicate she was made the “ scapegoat” for shortcomings in various government agencies and other organisation in what was to be a major promotion for Australia in America .One document sighted was from John Morse , the 2000 managing director of the Australian Tourist Commission , the year of the Bank of America Down Under promotion . In it he says he was based in New York and it was a hectic time. Word came through that there was a problem with the Aboriginal Art exhibition organised by Shirley Collins but it was being handled by Los Angeles .
After the Olympics, on visits to Kakadu as part of a review of tourism for the then Minister for Tourism, Joe Hockey, Morse met Collins and she told him her story about the Bank of America fiasco and produced documentation to back up her claim . This had led him to the conclusion that “Shirley had been used as a scapegoat for the mistakes, and misinformation of others .”
Further informal investigations by Morse had confirmed his initial belief. “There were many factors involved, including an unrealistic commercial assessment by consultants, a naivety on behalf of Australian Tourist Commission officers in the USA as to the commercial opportunity, change of policy by the Bank of America , and subsequently a hard line,unsympathetic approach by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.”
Continuing, he said: “Having seen Shirley’s gallery in operation , and recognising the importance of the fact that that it was one of only two Aboriginal owned galleries operated successfully in this country,I felt strongly that a different approach was necessary ,rather than confiscation of the unsold art (from the US tour ), and recovery( by ATSIC) of all investment monies. "
Morse even took it on himself to visit Canberra and speak with the deputy CEO of ATSIC, without any positive result. During further visits to Darwin,he saw Collins go from a vibrant, successful Aboriginal businesswoman, running an Aboriginal art gallery, to someone who lost everything ,including her business, her health , her home and her dignity. Summing it up in two words - “grossly unjust.”
This local, national and international story has received scant attention by the media in Australia .
No doubt the NT News is gearing up to supply the Wall Street Journal , one of the Murdoch chain, with a feature on this long running sorry saga which involves the Bank of America , an international business and accounting firm, shortcomings in the Australian Tourist Commission operations in America , questionable NT legal advice and much more. Collins worked at the NT News in the 1950s.
On October 23, 1995 former NT Chief Minister and federal president of the Liberal Party,Shane Stone, praised the work Shirley Collins, daughter of a stolen generation woman, had done for Aboriginal arts and craft in the Territory. He congratulated her on the recent opening of the Raintree Gallery in Darwin.
Strangely,trying to get an audience with Aboriginal Affairs Minister , Jenny Macklin, to discuss the matter is proving difficult .
Collins , a pensioner , is not well after a recent operation in Darwin and has had many blood tests.
Collins , a pensioner , is not well after a recent operation in Darwin and has had many blood tests.
