It’s an horrendous instrument – a Papua New Guinea head hunter’s “man catcher”, comprising a sharpened wooden shaft with bamboo noose.

Innocuous looking but deadly, it was used to capture and enslave enemy tribe members by encircling the head, the razor-like point protruding into the back of the neck inflicting fatal injury if they continued to struggle.

An attractive Tudor-style mansion called The Gables, belonging to a prominent local antiques dealer and situated in the Victorian Western Districts town of Hamilton, is the venue for Christian McCann’s forthcoming on site fine and decorative arts auction from 12pm Sunday June 25 at 69 French Street.

The entire contents are destined to go under the hammer and featuring a superb collection of 18^th and 19^th century English furniture and French, English and Italian glass chandeliers, the auction is a must for collectors.

Surely it takes a strong and versatile larrikin streak to farm 40,000 emus, milk the venom of poisonous snakes to aid in the research of anti-venenes and manage the largest horse-riding school in the southern hemisphere – among many other unusual accomplishments – as well as become a close friend to Australia’s First Nations people.

Just about anything auction goers desire can be found at Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions forthcoming two-day autumn auction series, live from 11am Sunday May 28 and continuing from 10am Monday May 29 as a timed online sale at 885-889 High Street, Armadale.

The auction contains a comprehensive selection of international decorative arts, silver, jewellery, clocks, Chinese and Asian works of art, furniture and fine arts.