A Tasmanian wool industry stalwart has questioned the Launceston City Council’s plans for a $100,000 insurance payout it received after a one-of-a-kind trophy was stolen in a brazen smash-and-grab.
The Ermenegildo Zegna Perpetual Trophy features a 24-carat gold sheep and is considered among the most prestigious wool industry trophies in the world.
It had been on loan from the council-owned Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) to the Tasmanian Wool Centre at Ross, since 2013.
But last December, a thief broke in, smashed its glass case and stole it.
It was the only item taken.
The thief at the Tasmanian Wool Centre in Ross on December 5 last year. (Supplied: Tasmanian Wool Centre)
Although the robbery was caught on CCTV and a $15,000 reward was offered, the trophy has not been recovered.
Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said the council had received the $100,000 insurance payout on March 12, and was not required to pay an excess.
The trophy was awarded from 1963 until 2008. (Supplied: Tasmanian Wool Centre)
The trophy, created by Tasmanian artist Stephen Walker, represented the strong ties between premium Tasmanian wool and Italian high fashion.
From 1963 to 2008, it was awarded to the best superfine merino fleece at the Midland Agricultural Association Show in Campbell Town.
It featured a sculpture, including a 24-carat gold merino sheep, “set within a representation of a weaving loom made of silver and platinum, mounted on a serpentine base”, according to the council.
The prestigious Ermenegildo Zegna was on display in the Tasmanian Wool Centre at Ross before it was stolen in December. (Supplied: Tasmanian Wool Centre)
Asked whether the council will keep the $100,000 or pass it on to others in the wool industry, Cr Garwood said: “The trophy was an irreplaceable original artwork donated to the QVMAG collection.”
“The insurance relates to the loss of value of that item to the collection,” he continued.
Call for review and industry consultation
But Robert Calvert, director of the Tasmanian Wool Centre and past president of the Midland Agricultural Association, has raised questions about whether the $100,000 should remain with the council.
Wool broker says Rob Calvert has questioned council’s plans for the $100,000. (ABC News: Hayden Smith)
He attended a council meeting on Thursday, asking councillors to launch an independent review into the trophy’s ownership history and entitlement to the insurance proceeds.
He also asked councillors to consult key stakeholders about how the $100,000 should be allocated “with the aim of honouring the legacy” of the trophy.
“And providing a positive and morally just outcome in what is a tragic and historically significant event for the wool industry nationally,”
he said.
Cr Garwood said the council would take the questions on notice.
He said he was confident councillors were aware of the trophy’s significance to the wool industry.
The ABC also asked Cr Garwood whether the incident had prompted a security review of other items from the QVMAG collection.
“While the lending institution is ultimately responsible for the security of lent items, an audit has recently been completed of other items on long-term loan with no others considered to be at risk, not withstanding that no institution can plan for and mitigate all risk,” he said.
