Intrepid adventurer John Fisher would have been right at home in earlier times when men and women took on almost insurmountable challenges and pushed the boundaries of human endeavour in a quest to explore unknown worlds.

Instead this entrepreneur, pilot, philanthropist and avid aviation collector undertook extreme exploits in a modern day environment to satisfy his desire for an adrenalin rush.

His aviation collection will be auctioned from noon Sunday April 30 at Maryborough Café Gallery, Maryborough Railway Station in Station Street, Maryborough Victoria.

When Mossgreen’s head of international and decorative arts Jenny Gibson climbs the podium at 4pm Sunday April 17 to start the company’s first three-day International Decorative Arts auction, it will signal a new era in its auctioneering procedures – the inaugural evening-day sales.

These replace the former quarterly sales and will be held three times a year – April/May, July/August and November.

A Cutler desk, Cuban mahogany extension dining table, French style chairs, and Dutch style bureau bookcase are among reproduction and contemporary furniture highlights at E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming weekly auction from 9.30am Tuesday April 19 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

Many of the auction items are from several estates in Glen Iris, Armadale, Kew and Camberwell.

The auction contains several retro teak sideboards, dining room suites, a leather Moran settee and leather chairs alongside a range of Victorian, Edwardian and 1920s furniture.

The owner has lived in the same house at 15 Edwin Street, Templestowe for more than 40 years and in that time built up an extensive collection of antique furniture, paintings and collectables.

He has now moved overseas and asked Kim’s Auctions to auction the contents of the home.

The auction, which will be held on site from 11am Sunday April 17, features Chinese terra cotta figures from the Tan Dynasty (618-906AD) including a lady and a horse.

Leonard Joel’s latest modern design auction focuses on the innovation and moving trends of the 1970s and 1980s – a time where innovating surrounding space and form were cleverly incorporated into furniture design.

More than 30 years later, these designs are highly sought after for personal living spaces by auction goers and collectors and Leonard Joel offers a comprehensive range of items in its forthcoming auction from 6.30pm Thursday April 14 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

Estate furnishings from Melbourne suburbs and country Victoria are the highlight of E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming auction from 9.30am Tuesday April 12 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

The auction includes the residual contents of a Harcourt Street, Hawthorn home, a Camberwell residence and a retired Brunswick antique dealer’s stock.

Other properties of note are a country cherry farm in Seville and a Shepparton home.

Featured is a good selection of antique Victorian, Australian, French, Edwardian and retro furniture – along with lounges and occasional items.

The forthcoming auction of paintings from the late Joy Warren’s estate in Canberra’s Albert Hall should engender plenty of interest among art lovers Australia wide.

A larger than life figure who dedicated her life to the arts as a performer, fundraiser, publicist and patron, she and her husband Bob established the Solander Gallery in the national capital to provide a venue for the promotion and exhibition of artists works she admired.

Paintings by leading Australian European and Chinese artists, fine antique furnishings and estate jewellery are some of the highlights at Ballarat Woolshed Auctions (otherwise known as Glenelg Auctions) forthcoming two-day sale from 12.30pm Saturday April 9 and Sunday April 10.

The auction will take place at Ballarat Mill Markets 9367 Western Highway Warrenheip, Ballarat.

Among the paintings are David Bromley’s Hilary, John Borrack’s Aireys Inlet, Ernest Buckmaster’s Still Life and Arthur Boyd’s Bride and Bridegroom by a Riverbed.

John Carre Riddell was a leading pastoralist and politician in mid-19^th century Victoria.

Born and educated in Scotland, with his cousin Thomas Hamilton Riddell migrated in 1839 to Sydney and the following month rode to Melbourne.

They briefly visited Victoria’s Western District before in early 1840 buying the stock and de-pasturing licence of the Mount Macedon run which, six years later, was 78 square kilometres in size.

Two mirrors advertising Coca-Cola are among several gilded antique and contemporary looking glasses at E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming weekly auction from 9.30am Tuesday April 5 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

The auction contains a collection of interesting vintage cameras, camera accessories and vintage radios, and a large library of books from several estates.

The residual contents of Toorak, Malvern and Kew estates – along with various ones through Equity Trustees – are another auction feature.