Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Thursday 12 March 1931, page 42


The Ellis Rowan Pictures.

SIX years ago the Commonwealth Government, in an outburst of extravagance, gave £5000 for 952 paintings by the late Mrs. Ellis Rowan. The

collection was probably well worth the money, but since the pictures were bought they have been stacked in some room in the Commonwealth Treasury in Melbourne. The incident has aroused the anger of the Commonwealth Auditor-General (Mr. C. J. Cerutty), who writes:—"Athough six years have elapsed since these pictures were acquired for the nation, nothing further has been done to enable the public to view these studies, depicting bird and flower life in Australia, Papua, and New Guinea, and they still remain bidden away in their dust-proof binders. Those persons who so strongly urged the purchase appear to have lost further interest in the pictures immediately the purchase was made, and it is to be noted that those who were to benefit from study of the pictures have made no demand for them to be made available. It is desirable that some return should be obtained by the people for this costly purchase either by exposing the pictures to view or selling them. If held for a long period deterioration may occur."