Through their eclectic personalities, Evan Mackley (1940-2019) and his son Simon made significant impacts as artists, restauranteurs, collectors of antiques and overall entrepreneurs.

From High Street, Armadale to Ringwood in Melbourne and throughout country Victoria, they were well-known and appreciated for their passion in these pursuits – with Evan’s wife Barbara a driving managerial force and connection.

Ten Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) pottery pieces and prints by some of Australia’s best-known artists are part of Menzies timed online Prints & Multiples Sydney auction ending from 6.30pm Wednesday August 30 at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.

While there are several high-priced items among the 110 lots, many are estimated for only a few thousand dollars and will no doubt appeal to first time auction goers looking to buy a work by a well-known artist.

Art works belonging to two giants of Australia’s art world – including Brett Whiteley’s (1939-1992) South Coast After the Rain, 1984 (lot 1) and Sidney Nolan’s (1917-1992) Early Morning Township, 1955 (lot 9) – will be among the massive highlights of Deutscher and Hackett’s forthcoming Melbourne auction from 7pm Wednesday August 16 at 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra.

The former painting, carrying a $1.5 million to $2 million catalogue estimate, belongs to advertising guru Peter Clemenger and his wife Joan, who died early last year.

Leading Australian landscape artist Fred Williams (1927-1982) was fascinated with a “billabong” in the Melbourne suburb of Kew and during the mid-1970s used it as the basis for his Kew Billabong series – numbering more than 30 paintings.  

Describing it as “splendid” but noting that the place was in fact “just a rubbish dump of all things”, he admitted to using a rubber tyre in his painting as a motif (first ever) and found it a great place to work.