Stolen treasure's secret kept

By GREGG WYCHERLEY

Almost two years after a staff member stole irreplaceable treasure valued at $300,000 from Kelly Tarlton's Tui ship museum at Waitangi, the whereabouts of the loot remains a mystery.

The burglary in April 2000 rocked the Far North resort and prompted Rosemary Tarlton, widow of undersea adventurer Kelly Tarlton, to advertise for sale the business that the couple opened in 1970.

Mrs Tarlton is still bitter that the man convicted of the burglary, Keith McEwen, refuses to say where the treasure is.

She has visited McEwen several times in Mt Eden Prison, where he is serving a 7 1/2-year sentence.

Adding to her distress is the fact that her insurance company has avoided paying out on her claim.

The company refused to pay because the policy excluded theft by an employee, despite McEwen's pleading guilty to burglary.

Constable Russell Price of Kaikohe said the case was still open but no progress had been made on recovering the stolen treasure.

"We get the odd bit of information but nothing we can do anything concrete with."

He said most of the gold items had probably been melted down and sold for the weight of the gold.

The rest of the treasure would be difficult to sell for anywhere near its true value because it was so distinctive.

Constable Price said police classed the crime as a burglary and he believed the insurance company should have paid out, despite the fact that McEwen was an employee.

Mrs Tarlton said the collection was a priceless part of New Zealand history and her husband had spent decades risking life and limb to recover it.

The missing items include miniature gold bicycles, gold rings, charms, brooches, studs, fob watches, sovereigns, lockets, and ruby and diamond bracelets.

A collection of greenstone and a number of gold coins also disappeared.

Mr Tarlton, who died in 1985, spent about 20 years researching and then recovering many of the gold coins from the ship Elingamite.

The passenger steamer was wrecked at the Three Kings Islands, 64km north of Cape Reinga, in 1902.

Mrs Tarlton said the valuables were the star attraction at the museum, and she was bewildered that McEwen had betrayed her trust by committing such a damaging crime, and one for which he was bound to be caught.

"I just felt betrayed," she said. "I don't know why Keith did it. He didn't think it through."

After more than 30 years, she has lost the desire to continue running the business and is hoping for a buyer.

"My life has become very complicated. I still love it here but I don't enjoy the business side of it.

"One day the right person will purchase it."