Johansen v Art Gallery of NSW Trust [2006] NSWSC 577

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Johansen v Art Gallery of NSW Trust [2006] NSWSC 577

HEARING DATE(S) : 29 and 30 May 2006

JUDGMENT DATE : 14 June 2006

JURISDICTION : Equity

JUDGMENT OF : Hamilton J

DECISION : The plaintiff's claim should be dismissed.

CATCHWORDS : CHARITIES [58] – Charitable gifts and trusts – In general – Construction – Ascertainment of objects – Particular words and phrases – "Painted" – Trustees to give prize for best portrait painted by specified people - EQUITY [134] – Trusts and trustees – Powers, duties, rights and liabilities of trustees – General matters – Rules governing exercise of discretion – Where absolute discretion - How far court will interfere.

Attorney-General for the Commonwealth v Breckler (1999) 197 CLR 83 Attorney-General v Trustees of National Art Gallery of NSW (1944) 62 WN (NSW) 212 Bendixen v Coleman (1943) 68 CLR 401 Bloomfield v Art Gallery of New South Wales Trust NSWSC 23 September 1983 unreported Helsham CJ in Eq Bruyn v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1974) 131 CLR 387 Dyson v Pharmacy Board of New South Wales (2000) 50 NSWLR 523 Gorringe v Mahlstedt [1907] AC 225 Palmer v Bank of New South Wales [1973] 2 NSWLR 244 CASES CITED : Pepsi Seven-Up Bottlers Perth Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation (1995) 62 FCR 289 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Archbold (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 327 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Groth (1985) 2 NSWLR 278 Perrin v Morgan [1943] AC 399 R v Francis-Wright (2005) 11 VR 354 Scott v National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty [1998] 2 All ER 705 Wilkinson v Clerical Administrative and Related Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd (1998) 79 FCR 469 Maurice Cullity, "Judicial Control of Trustees' Discretions" (1975) 25 University of Toronto Law Journal 99 G Dal Pont, Charity Law in Australia (2000) 359 Theobald on Wills (16th ed, 2001) 215 - 232