Nolan painted the picture at Heide at Bulleen, Victoria, the home of John Reed and his wife, Sunday.

Although Nolan once wrote to Sunday Reed to tell her to take what she wanted, he subsequently demanded all his works back.

Sunday Reed returned 284 other paintings and drawings to Nolan, but she refused to give up the 27 remaining Kellys, partly because she saw the works as fundamental to the proposed Heide Museum of Modern Art.

In 1973, Nolan reproduced The Trial on a woven wool tapestry, which was lent to Admiralty House in Kirribilli, the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

The tapestry was Sir John Kerr's favourite backdrop when making televised addresses.