[meteorite-list] Squabble Over Australian Meteorite

[Meteorites USA]

Hi All,

Yet another argument over ownership of a meteorite. This time it's in 
Australia.

Am I wrong, or doesn't the landowner own all rights to a meteorite found 
on his property in Australia?

-------------------------------------------------------
By Sophie Elsworth
November 27, 2009 11:00pm

Bushies squabble over hunk of rock from a meteorite:
ARTICLE: 
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26410773-952,00.html
PHOTO: http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,7224513,00.jpg

THIS is the meteorite, currently in police hands, at the centre of a 
bizarre custody battle. It is actually believed to be the state's 
second-biggest stony meteorite, and now residents of Cunnamulla, about 
825km west of Brisbane, are in a bitter dispute over this 
"peculiar-looking rock" discovered alongside a fence on a grazing property.

Disability pensioner Tom King, 53, was caretaker at Rywanda Plainview, 
about 70km south of Cunnamulla, when he saw the 25kg rock that could be 
worth tens of thousands of dollars. But, suffering from a bad back, he 
said he couldn't move it, so it wasn't until seven months later he asked 
two men to help him load it on to the back of his ute.

"I thought it was a big Aboriginal stone," he said. "I asked two fellas 
who were with me to help lift it on to my ute. I thought I'd add it to 
my stone collection."

But that's when the trouble started.

Less than 24 hours later, officers allegedly arrested Mr King and 
ordered him to hand over the rock.

He claims a tussle then began over ownership of the rock between him, 
the owners and lessees of the property, the men who loaded it on to his 
ute, the Queensland Museum and police.

Mr King said he's been "stressed to the max" and could barely sleep 
since the rock was taken from him, and said he could not afford legal 
representation to take the matter to court.

"I was like a dog chasing a tail. I couldn't do anything," he said.

Mr King said he wants the rock to have a safe home at the museum in the 
centre of town.

"When I found out it could be a meteorite, why not put it in the museum 
here and give our little bush town something to go on," he said.

But Queensland Museum curator Dr Alex Cook hopes the stony object will 
be given to the Brisbane museum.

"We are hopeful that the owner will realise the potential significance 
of the find and be inspired to donate it to the Queensland Museum to 
allow experts to analyse and study it," he said.

Police yesterday said the item remained in their possession until they 
could "determine the lawful owner".

-------------------------------------------------------

Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA