Australia Post apologises after Aboriginal artist’s $4,000 painting arrived as empty tube

Aboriginal artist Bobbi Lockyer says Australia Post lost a commissioned painting worth $4,000 that she posted to a client just before Christmas; Australia Post says it has apologised and is continuing to search for the item.

Lockyer, who spent more than 100 hours on the canvas, says a staff member instructed her to pack the work in a sleeve with sticky tabs to stop tubes rolling in transit, and that she sent it express post with tracking. She says the parcel arrived at the other end as an empty cardboard tube on Christmas Eve. "It's heartbreaking," Lockyer says.

The customer made a complaint but that case was closed after Australia Post said the item was not packaged properly. Lockyer says she has kept pushing the company, sending invoices to prove the painting's value and asking about a lost and found, but has received what she described as "cut and paste" responses and was told Australia Post could not offer compensation at this time.

An Australia Post spokesperson said it "have apologised to the customer and continue to search for the item throughout our network", adding that in a large network things occasionally go wrong. The company’s policies state most services cover up to $100 for loss or damage and it recommends buying extra cover for more expensive items.

Key Topics

Business, Australia Post, Bobbi Lockyer, Express Post, Aboriginal Art, Parcel Insurance