To: Crime Stoppers

Level 18, 412 St Kilda Road

Melbourne VIC 3004

12 May, 2014

Dear Crimestoppers,

I’m writing to report the theft of two paintings and hundreds of thousands of dollars from the estate of my deceased mother, Mrs Valda A. D. McKeon, formerly of 33 Langmore Lane, Berwick Vic 3806, who died on 4th March, 2012, by my nephew, Mr Paul Osborne of 14 Clearview Court Garfield Vic 3814, the Executor of her estate, and the principal beneficiaries of her Will other than myself, my brother Rowan McKeon of 6 Coopers Road, Macclesfield Vic 3782 and sister Anne Osborne of 9 Landor Court, Narre Warren 3805.

The first is my own artwork which I left with Mum many years ago and last sighted in October 2007, 18 months before she moved to a nursing home, a “Bird” painting (1) in poster paint on 61 cm x 76 cm white cardboard framed behind glass on hardboard, which I signed under the name Philip Short after my great grandfather and dated 1977. The painting has a nominal value of $20,000 as it’s image is intended for commercial use and has been trialled on t-shirts and accessories. It was located in the entrance hall of her residence during the decades before her death. My brother, Rowan McKeon and sister, Anne Osborne, removed the contents of Mum’s residence and prepared the property for sale, refusing my offers of assistance. My brother's response to my inquiry as to the whereabouts of the “Bird” painting was initially that it may have been taken by his daughter Stephanie (2), only later to refute this. He’s ignored my request for details of any insurance coverage Mum had or to give a statement about it’s theft to Police. (3)

The second painting is by my great grandfather William Short Snr, a Victorian heritage painting on canvas 115cm x 165cm entitled “Hanging Rock Races” (4), signed and dated 1898 and framed in a thick gold coloured heritage frame. This painting was gifted equally to Rowan McKeon, Anne Osborne myself in Mum’s Will.

A few days after Mum passed I requested that the painting, which I was informed was in Rowan McKeon’s custody in a bushfire prone district and was periodically transported to Anne Osborne’s residence uncrated in a horse float during periods of high bushfire risk, be valued and adequately insured, which Rowan McKeon, Anne Osborne and the Paul Osborne all refused.

After further requests, on 17 January, 2013 Paul Osborne informed me that “Regarding the painting; Rowan was planning to have this valued but I’m not 100% certain that he has – please contact him directly about this one as he is looking after it." (5)

No valuation was forthcoming despite ongoing promises, then on 10 September, 2013 Rowan McKeon wrote to me that “the painting is no longer at our place” (2).

Rowan McKeon has since declined to respond to my request of 25 October, 2013 that “the first thing you should do is disclose it's location and commit to never again playing hide and go seek with property I part own. I require this commitment also from Anne.” (3)

On 27 October, 2013, Rowan McKeon informed me that he “found the old valuation of the painting. Anne had it”(3), a document with a dubious valuation from a dealer unfamiliar with the artist of $45,000 he, Anne Osborne and Paul Osborne had been concealing from me for twenty months following my initial request.

On 1 November, 2013 Rowan McKeon forwarded me a more recent valuation of $55,000 conducted by the same dealer without my consent. I have since received information that Rowan McKeon and Anne Osborne are also soliciting the sale of the painting, again without my consent.

I have been refused information about the whereabouts and condition of this painting, whether it's insured and if so at what value, under what conditions it's being kept or whether it's been sold. Rowan McKeon, Anne Osborne and from Paul Osborne have stolen all my rights over property I part own.

Additionally, neither Paul Osborne, Rowan McKeon or Anne Osborne will respond to my concern that the proceeds from two holiday houses Mum owned on the Mornington Peninsula during the 1990s valued together then at around $200,000, probably twice that now, appears also to have been stolen. When I asked Paul Osborne to forward copies of Mum’s financial accounts over the past seven years he responded that he did “not have the financials you have requested as my duties only started upon Valda’s death. Please contact Rowan directly regarding this as he may or may not have some financial documents.” (5)

Rowan McKeon, who obtained power of attorney over mum’s affairs in the two years before she passed, gave me several assurances over twenty months that he would provide me information to explain the missing hundreds of thousands of dollars, most recently that he’d “love to tell [me], but it will take a long time” (6), however I’ve never received an explanation and he's ceased communicating with me altogether as he had threatened, as Anne McKeon and Paul Osborne have done.

Mum was the daughter of the Lord Mayor of Flinders and Sandringham Shires. She was of moderate wealth and lived frugally on a Public Service pension in her final years. In 2007 Rowan McKeon, Anne Osborne and Paul Osborne coerced her into changing her Will to benefit themselves when she was frail, elderly and had become dependent on them at age 90 years. It’s a strange coincidence that according to Paul Osborne and Rowan McKeon, she had become depleted of funds exactly at the time she died, her savings stripped entirely. She wasn’t even left sufficient finds to pay for her own funeral.

Thanks for any attention you may give to to this matter,

Kind regards,

Philip McKeon

406/43 Morehead Street

Redfern NSW 2016

ph: 02 9698 059

mob: 0404254328

1.

2.

Re: Mum's estate

10/09/2013 9:06 PM

I think he was joking Phil. Have you returned the release form to him? I think it's part of the legal process. Since we were away for a month during August the painting is no longer at our place. We visited mum's cousin Ivan recently. He has a number of William Short paintings. He wrote to us only a few days ago saying that his nephew might be interested in buying hanging rock. It would need the agreement of the three of us. However we have no plans to sell it. What do you think? I can't find the Bird painting in mum's room (which is still in a mess). I'll look under the house again and ask Steph, who helped clear out some of the stuff from Langmore Lane. Rowan.

philip wrote:

Hi Rowan,

I requested more information about his adjustments last Thursday and he said he was going to spend my inheritance on his mortgage so I’m instructing a Solicitor this Friday. Have you located the “Bird” painting yet?

Also, can you please forward copies of ownership papers for the heritage painting and insurance documentation.

Thanks Philip

3.

Re: Paintings etc.

27/10/2013 11:03 PM

Philip,

I found the old valuation of the painting. Anne had it. When we pay Lorraine Diggins $330 she will provide a new valuation certificate directed to the 3 of us. I am led to believe that the value will have improved slightly. I would prefer that we all agree on what should be done with it. I thought you supported the idea of lending it to a gallery where it would be properly and professionally cared for. Do you have any reasonable suggestions that we could possibly agree on or are you going to continue to carry on with threats and crazy statements like selling it on eBay, seizing it, having it delivered to Brigitte's house, gifting it to you? If you continue to threaten and insult me this may be the last email you may ever get from me. I really can't take much more of this Philip.

Bye,

Rowan.

On 25/10/2013 12:50 AM, philip wrote:

> Dear Rowan,

>

> Thanks for your email.

>

> You always promise but you never deliver.

>

> I need a Police report on the stolen Bird painting to contribute to

> it's provenance, please provide or I'll do it myself if you're a bit shy.

> What you're claiming is MUM'S HOUSE WAS BURGLED, is that correct?

>

> I also look forward to receipt of the documented version of what you'd

> love to tell me about Mum's financial accounts.

>

> If you wish to avoid litigation over the heritage painting the first

> thing you should do is disclose it's location and commit to never

> again playing hide and go seek with property I part own.

> I require this commitment also from Anne. Next you should forward me

> copies of all documentation you have with regard to the painting.

> Since you've declined to provide me with a copy of Lorraine's first

> valuation I can only assume you don't expect me to contribute to the

> cost of a second.

>

> And why would you seek to place the patrons of the Bendigo Art Gallery

> before a part owner's privilege to view his property.

>

> In all conscience you should both gift me your share and tell that to

> Lorraine.

>

> Best Wishes,

>

> Philip

4.

5.

From an email on the hard drive of my broken laptop which I understand can be recovered.

6.

From: Rowan & Yvonne

Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 10:19 PM

To: philip@2mf.net

Subject: Paintings etc.

Hi Philip,

1. I have not seen the bird painting for years. Mum kept your painting of people and trees (I think you said it was Redfern Park) in her music room, but that's the only painting I remember seeing at Langmore Lane, and I returned it to you in August this year. I asked Steph about it and showed her the T-shirt you gave me (she helped clean up Langmore Lane). She thought it might have been in a cardboard tube but I thought it was stretched on a frame. She'll get back to me if she remembers more. I found some more boxes of your stuff under our house but none big enough to hold your bird. I'll bring them up to you one day soon. I've talked to Anne several times about the bird. She thinks she remembers a yellow/orange version and a blue/green version but she hasn't seen them for years. She can't even say how many years it might have been since she saw them.

2. Paul, as executor, provided you with detailed statements of his calculations. If you want to know about all the years mum lived alone at Langmore Lane, then at BUPA Berwick, then at Macclesfield, then at Salisbury House, I'd love to tell you, but it will take a long time.

3. I've contacted Lorraine Diggins who valued Hanging Rock for mum and for $330 she will re-value it and provide us with a certificate in our joint names. Perhaps for now it would be best to loan it to a gallery such as Bendigo until we can all agree on what to do with it.

Rowan.