Elise Petit

Returning from New Zealand on the evening of Thursday 28 Feb, I barely had time to open and deal with the build up of mail both hard copy and electronic an catch up to speed with various areas of work before the NHPEM function on 3 Mar to celebrate 20 years of the museum in the current building which was opened in 1993. As current president it was required of me to make a speech, not my strong suit by any means and something that is forefront in your mind as it approaches. It was a relief that the day was a great success due to the work of my museum colleagues who had been tireless in their preparations during my holiday absence.

On Monday 4 Mar, I took my morning walk with my two dog pals whom I had missed so much while I was away. On the way back down the hill 'Pip' was determined to sniff in a hedge of lonicera in front of Orford Cottage, and relaxed as I was with the relief of the previous day's function now behind me I indulged her and 'Snow' even more than normal. I noticed a tatty looking object under the hedge and picked it up. It was a small purse made of soft material which seemed damp making me think it had been there some days as it had rained before we returned from NZ but not since.

There was identification in the form of credit and debit cards and a French railway pass in the name of Elise Petit, along with various other paperwork suggesting the owner of the purse had recently been in West Australia, and an amount of cash stuffed in with the paperwork, disorganized and dishevelled.

I knocked on the door of Orford Cottage and asked the lady whom I know quite well if she knew of an Elise Petit. Where I found the purse in the hedge was adjacent to where visitors to their house park their cars and I thought it may have fallen out of a car and somehow been kicked or knocked into the hedge. It was a good way off the road, unlikely to have got there by falling from a car passing along Launching Place Rd. Elise Peteit was not known by the the lady of the house so I took the purse with me and rang the police at Emerald when I got home, thinking the purse may have been reported lost.

The constable suggested I look for a mobile phone number in the purse so he could contact the owner straight away. There was none, but I gave him he name of the owner of the purse so he could check to see if there had been a report of its loss. I told him I'd drop the purse into the police station that afternoon. After I finished talking to him I counted the money in notes and coins and made the contents more tidy after a thorough search for contact details. There were all of odds and sods including cotton buds loose along with other paraphenalia.

I went to the police station that afternoon and handed the purse in. The police woman examined the contents of the purse and quickly went to get rubber gloves after seeing the cotton buds. I think this was some sort of protocol to prevent her getting Aids or some other infection, not that such had entered my mind as I had examined the contents earlier. She counted the money, notes and coins $171.70, and filled out a lost property form asking me questions about where I found it and my personal contact details. There were new forms she said which were unfamiliar to her. It took a long time it seemed to me who wanted to get about my business as quickly as possible. I couldn't just hand it in and leave, I had to wait while she went through the form as I had to sign it when she was finished. I could not help but be alarmed at her slowness and lack of urgency making me acutely aware that she was being paid for every minute while I was not. Eventually I was given a copy of the PALM Property form 1346860 and left. I told her I'd like to hear if the purse was returned to its owner as I could imagine the stress a tourist would feel at the loss of bank cards and cash, and it would be nice to know if there was a happy ending.

That night I recounted this to Lib. A few days later Lib asked me did I hear if the purse was returned to its owner. "No, I've heard nothing." A few days later she asked me again. The reply was the same. I found my copy of the PALM Property report and had a close look at it. There's a yes/ no tick box mid way on the form which has the words (without question mark) 'Wish to Claim'.  The No box was crossed. There was another yes/no tick box along side it with the words ' Forward details to finder' It was also crossed in the No box.

I was not asked these questions. The police lady had marked them of her own volition, and I had not examined the copy of the form when it was given me, I had quickly left. I told Lib that I will never hear if the purse was returned to its owner as the form had been filled out to that effect, without my sanction. What happens to the cash if Elise Petit did not contact the police I know not. Perhaps eventually it goes to the police Christmas fund or government revenue.

Life is a learning experience. Should I hand in found lost property again I'll pay particular attention to the paperwork as it is being done. If by some miracle of the internet Elise Petit gets to read this post I hope she gets her purse back with the cash. I've tried to find her by my own means unsuccessfully.

Just how her purse got into that unlikely place remains a mystery.

* This had a good ending. I contacted Elise through FB and she thanked me for the return of purse. See post April Elise Petit (2)