Ned Kelly's latest last
stand
Andrew Rule
Sydney Morning Herald
23 May 2002
source smh.com.au
 The
disgruntled buyer of a mystery photograph sold
in March as a “rare and unique” portrait
of Ned Kelly has bailed up the leading auction
house, Christie's, over the sale.
Christie's yesterday offered to pay back $19,080
to the young Melbourne man known only as Luke
but he has taken a stand, telling his lawyers
to negotiate a tougher settlement over what appears
to be a dud purchase.
Tony Kelly a solicitor
who was known as “Ned” in
his schooldays said Luke had retained him “to
canvass all the issues pertaining to the purchase
of the photograph, not just the refund of the
purchase price”.
His client had been humiliated and denied what
should have been a sound investment, tying up
money that could have been profitably invested
in other ways.
Christie's executive Michael Ludgrove offered
to reimburse Luke for the tiny sepia picture
after a meeting of both sides with a Melbourne
University measurement expert this week.
Geomatics lecturer Cliff Ogleby showed that
the picture was not of Ned Kelly, a conclusion
that was accepted by Christie's. |
Steve
Hart descendant Paul O'Keefe has alerted me to yet
another ridiculous Kelly Gang claim (the latest in a line
of many). Not just content to see Dan escape, this time
around Steve also made a bolt from the Glenrowan Inn
fire (so why was Ned heading back when they had both left?).
Lucky Steve also headed north where he lived a long and
happy life in Queensland under the name of Billy Meade. Apparently
this Meade character confessed about his double identity
on his deathbed in 1938. Well, in that case, it
