Painting of Wally the galah stolen from Lyell McEwin Hospital at Elizabeth Vale

Staff at one of Adelaide’s largest hospitals are stunned after a man wearing high vis walked into a waiting room and stole a large, colourful painting.

A close-up image of the painting of Wally, by artist Kelly Batsiokis.

A man wearing high vis has brazenly stolen a large, colourful painting from a waiting room at one of SA’s largest hospitals – in full view of security cameras.

Staff at the Lyell McEwin in Adelaide’s northern suburbs are gutted after the bizarre theft from the cardiology unit waiting room, which is being investigated by SAPOL.

The man walked into the waiting room on about 1.30pm on December 28 and removed the framed, 1.2m-high painting of Wally the galah, by ex-Adelaide artist Kelly Batsiokis, from its wall anchors and left, SA Health has confirmed.

Multiple Facebook posts about the daring theft are doing the rounds in the hopes Wally will be returned.

Ms Batsiokis said a clinician bought the “unique” painting of Wally for the hospital and their staff.

The painting of Wally, by artist Kelly Batsiokis, where it was stolen from – the wall of the Lyell McEwin Hospital's cardiology unit.

Ex-Adelaide artist Kelly Batsiokis, whose painting of Wally the galah was stolen from the Lyell McEwin Hospital around December 28, 2023.

“It’s one of seven paintings I exhibited there at the hospital in 2022 – one of the clinicians bought Wally because the staff really liked it,” she said.

“It wasn’t a cheap painting – it was an incredibly generous gesture for the staff and patients.

“They were all very bright, large parrots, and Wally was the brightest of the bunch.

“We all know the effects bright paintings and environment can have on wellbeing.”

Ms Batsiokis – who recently moved to Brisbane – said she was stunned by the “audacity” of the theft, and the painting had likely been bolted into the wall.

“It’s not so easy as just taking it off the wall,” she said.

“I have seen some footage – a male basically just walks into the hospital, unattached the painting, and walks out.

“I just don’t understand how somebody has the audacity to brazenly walk in, in broad daylight.”

The Northen Adelaide Local Health Network Director of Cardiology, Associate Professor Margaret Arstall said the theft of ‘Wally the Galah’ had devasted cardiology staff.

She said the painting was purchased by the cardiology team from The Hospital Research Foundation in 2022.

“It made the waiting room in the Lyell McEwin Hospital a beautiful and stress-reducing place to be,” she said.

“We are working closely with the police and doing everything possible to aid their investigation. Someone out there knows what happened and where Wally is.”

The painting, which took about 50-60 hours of work, doesn’t appear to have any particular significance, Ms Batsiokis said.

“There isn’t anything particularly special about it, other than it’s a large and a striking painting, so maybe it’s a connection with me? It’s the only one that’s in a public place, my other paintings are in private homes.

“But it’s annoying, I don’t have that many paintings available as prints – but that is one of them.”

Ms Batsiokis has been in contact with the hospital and SAPOL, and said she was hopeful the painting would be returned.

SAPOL said it was investigating the theft.

“The theft occurred sometime between Monday, December 22, and Sunday, December 28,” a spokeswoman said.

She urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online.