A rare set of six original Gracius J. Broinowski books entitled The Birds of Australia, dated 1890 and belonging to well-known Melbourne bird enthusiast the late Barbara Tunbridge, will be a major drawcard at Christian McCann’s forthcoming auction from noon Saturday November 9 at 426 Burnley Street, Richmond.

A recognised artist and leading ornithologist of his day, Broinowski was born in 1837 in Poland and 20 years later arrived at Portland, Victoria after swimming ashore from a windjammer following a trying journey from England.

Never seen at auction, Frederick McCubbin’s museum quality painting Mrs McCubbin Picking Blossom (Spring) is a major highlight of Mossgreen’s forthcoming auction entitled Fine Australian & International Art.

The painting is a sensitive, luminous portrait of the artist’s wife Annie – probably in the orchard surrounding their Hawthorn, Melbourne home.

Auction goers will be impressed with the huge assortment of smalls including china, sterling and continental silver on offer at Young’s Auctions latest sale from 9.30am Friday October 24 at 229 Camberwell Road, East Hawthorn. 

The European porcelain features wall plates and figurines, while there also is a good range of jewellery and art for sale.

One of the paintings is a Wickham Perry landscape and buyers should be impressed with a Ralph Lauren dining setting and two fine looking table lamps.

A series of single owner collections for Leonard Joel’s latest furniture and objects auction from noon Sunday October 26 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra should have auction goers rubbing their hands with glee.

According to Leonard Joel’s head of classic furniture and objects Guy Cairnduff the items for auction are from the some of the most robust categories in the traditional decorative arts market.

“Many items have been kept together as collection to retain an element of their original owner’s intent in their acquisition,” he said.

A large number of items from all parts of Victoria are featured in E.J. Ainger’s weekly sale from 9.30am Tuesday October 21 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

The auction includes a consignment of mantel clocks, paintings and graphics, decorative ceramics, coloured Victorian glass, Persian floor rugs, sterling silver and fine paper mache items.

The furniture on offer features English, French, Australian and Oriental antiques and retro.

Some of the more interesting items include Egyptian iron garden furniture and decorative Louis style chairs.

With centenary commemorations honouring the start of World War I a regular occurrence this year, Philips Auctions has signified its modest acknowledgement of events with two paintings by noted ship portrait artist Arthur Victor (AV) Gregory of vessels that served with Australian forces during the Great War in its latest auction.

Gregory lived from 1867 to 1957 and the two paintings, completed in 1918, are of the AIF hospital ship Karoola and the SS Riverina crossing the Tasman Sea.

Auction goers will have the unique opportunity to obtain a gold travelling clock that once belonged to legendary Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba when they attend Philips Auctions next jewellery sale from 6pm Monday October 27 at 47 Glenferrie Road, Malvern.

The clock, made by Vacheron Constantin and with “Vacheron Paris” marked on the flap, has the signature “Nellie Melba” engraved on the case.

The diva gave the clock to her friend Thomas Hazelton-Cochrane who then bequeathed it to his niece Margaret Ormond Cochrane.

A range of antique crystal, silver plate, jewellery and art will be the highlights of Melbourne auction house Young’s Auctions special sale from 9.30am Friday October 17 at 229 Camberwell Road, East Hawthorn.

Auction goers will have a massive number of items from which to select – with statues, clocks and tea caddies made from tortoiseshell and Australian blackwood also prominent.

Oriental china is another feature along with Aboriginal artefacts including antique boomerangs and clubs.

 Mossgreen’s latest auction in its Interior Decorator series has been carefully curated to include a selection of items that traverse many different styles and eras.

The auction, from 2.30pm on Sunday October 19 at 926-930 High Street Armadale, features more than 300 lots ranging in estimate from $100 to $20,000.