A giant pair of marble lions is the striking feature of E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming “architectural and art deco almost single vendor” auction, according to managing director John Ainger.

“The lions were part of a Templestowe mansion belonging to a well-known Melbourne business identity that he tore down 10 years ago and have been stored ever since in a Bentleigh warehouse,” he said.

The lions (each of which weighs about two tonnes) are not the only massive architectural feature at the auction, which will be held from 11am Sunday December 2 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

Auction goers who like to delve into Australian history will no doubt be impatiently waiting for the chance to bid at Leski Auctions forthcoming Australian & Colonial auction from noon Sunday December 2 at 727-729 High Street, Armadale.

Australia’s past will be in sharp focus at the sale with further selections from long-time collector Rodney Pemberton’s collection of Australian colonial furniture to whet buyer appetites.

With major Australian art auction houses currently enticing both Australian and overseas art lovers to invest in expensive and significant works, Leonard Joel’s forthcoming Fine Art sale is a breath of fresh air for those auction goers looking to enter the market for the first time or simply searching for more modest purchases.

The auction will be held from 6.30pm Tuesday November 27 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

 Leonard Joel’s national jewellery head John D’Agata recently took a sentimental trip down memory lane when he saw a Tiffany & Co ruby and diamond double clip pin earmarked for sale (lot 85) in the company’s forthcoming Fine Jewels auction from 6.30pm Monday November 26 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

The piece reminded him a similar item – a retro Tiffany & Co ruby and aquamarine brooch that sold in November 2007 – D’Agata’s first auction after joining the staff of Leonard Joel.

When Australian golfer Peter Thomson bought a set of Dunlop Maxfli clubs in 1957, he had already won the British Open Championship the previous three years running – and went on to win two more afterwards in 1958 and 1965.

In a note accompanying the clubs and golf bag – which will be one of the most interesting lots (if not the most expensive) at Abacus Auctions forthcoming Coins, Banknotes & Sporting Memorabilia sale from noon Sunday November 25 at 19A Hampshire Road, Glen Waverley – he says “They were the best one could acquire at the time!”

A matching pair of Sevres porcelain cabinet vases with beautiful seascape panels signed by L. Grisee sets the tone for Kim’s Auctions forthcoming sale from 11am Sunday November 25 at 53 Prospect Hill Road, Camberwell.

This superb Victorian home set in a leafy garden has already been auctioned and, according to auctioneer Kim Haolin, the entire contents must be sold on the day.

The historic Leura Hotel at 175 Manifold Street, Camperdown in Victoria is the setting for Victorian Auctions latest sale from 11am Sunday November 18.

After being empty for six years, the hotel was bought from previous owner Dean Montgomery in May last year by colourful town character Lawrie Voutier.

With its iron lacework verandahs, the Victorian era hotel is the perfect venue for the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and art nouveau furniture the auction has to offer.

In hindsight, it was probably a stroke of luck that two young French artists were the only ones left of the five who in 1800 left France with French explorer Nicolas Baudin on a “Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes” (Voyage of discovery to Terra Australis).

Three of the artists jumped ship when the two vessels, Geographe and Naturaliste, reached Mauritius as Baudin faced a wholesale exodus of scientists and sailors – eventually rejigging his crews before sailing for what is now Cape Leeuwin on the Western Australian coast. 

The renowned The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition of 1889 will once again be brought into sharp focus when Sotheby’s Australia auctions two of its rare paintings from 6.30pm Tuesday November 20 in Sydney’s Intercontinental Hotel at 117 Macquarie Street.

The wood panel paintings – Charles Condor’s Arcadia, June 28^th 1889, and Tom Roberts Mentone (1889) – have not been displayed together since the original Melbourne exhibition.

Followers of early Roman times will be fascinated by Christian McCann Auctions forthcoming on site sale of a Brighton collector’s important selection of five Roman marble statues which once belonged to French barrister Alexandre Nicolai (1865-1952).

The auction will take place from noon Sunday November 18 at 24 Grosvenor Streeet, Brighton.

A collector and enthusiastic archaeologist, Nicolai was a barrister at the Bordeaux Bar while actively participating in many excavations and publishing books on the Gallo-Roman period.