Gibsons Auctions

If acclaimed songwriter Archie Roach and his partner Ruby Hunter had never decided on a pioneering tour of indigenous communities on Australia’s Cape York peninsula, Julie Hickson might not have collected historically important, seminal art works from the Lockhart River Art Gang.

As luck would have it, in 1997 the two set out to visit these communities accompanied by a band and camera crew, with Julie as their manager in charge of arrangements.

Contemporary Chinese paintings are an unusual feature of Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions Australian & International Art sale from 12pm Sunday April 10 at 885-889 High Street, Armadale and the perfect opportunity for Australian collectors to obtain works by China’s inaugural artists from the Political Pop and Cynical Realism movement.

Auction goers have a rare chance to obtain an important slice of Australian parliamentary history after the Victorian Parliament decided to sell furniture used in both houses – a collection of chairs, desks, tables, bookcases and library ladders that has been in storage for up to 80 years.

The collection is being sold only online by Gibson’s Auctions with the sale ending from 10am Monday April 4.

Live viewing is available from 10am-5pm Friday April 1 to Sunday April 3 at Lower Ground, 15 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin.

A circa 1780 continental walnut map table (lot 157) – used as part of the interior setting of Villa Albergoni in Lombardy for the 2017 Italian film “Call Me by your Name” based on the book of the same name by Andre Aciman – is a major highlight of Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions Autumn Auction Series from 11am on Sunday March 27 with a $20,000-$30,000 catalogue estimate.

Collections by two stalwarts of Melbourne’s art and fashion scene – the late Claude Ullin and Sally Robertson (nee Bloomfield) will be part of Gibson’s Auctions forthcoming Interiors auction from 11am Sunday March 6 at 885-889 High Street, Armadale.

Founder of the Gallery Art Naïve and mayor on several occasions of Stonnington City, Claude Ullin was born in 1937 in Milan, the descendant of German Jewish art collectors.

Buyers wanting to dabble in art for the first time should head to Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions Summer Art sale – its first online auction for the year – for an affordable start to their collections.

The auction, at 885-889 High Street, Armadale, will close from 10am Wednesday February 23 and features works by such Australian indigenous and internationally famous artists as Freddie Timms, Charles Blackman, Judy Cassab, John Perceval Leonard French, Rick Amor and Sidney Nolan.

Several pieces of stunning jewellery are among the highlights of Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions last live sale for 2021 – the Spring Auction Series, from 11am Sunday November 21 at 885-889 High Street, Armadale – many of which would make ideal Christmas presents.

Most impressive and not for the faint-hearted is a Colombian emerald and diamond three-stone ring, comprising a 2.0-carat emerald flanked by two old cut 1.6-carat diamonds (lot 654) with a catalogue estimate of $25,000-$35,000.

Melbourne socialite the late Shirley Strauss(1925-2021) and designer Geoffrey Stewardson share the limelight at Gibson’s Auctions Interiors auction from 11am Saturday November 20 at 885-889 High Street, Armadale.

Their collections feature a comprehensive range of porcelain, paintings, upholstered furniture, jewellery, clothing and other collectables in a sale rarely seen in Australian auctions.

Most Australians are familiar with former Australian Rules Football champion Geelong ruckman Sam Newman – if only for his antics over 24 years on Channel 9’s The Footy Show.

Newman played 300 games for Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League from 1964 to 1980 before he retired, was named in the 1969 All-Australian team and represented Victoria eight times in interstate matches.  

His media career began in 1981, his longest stint being with The Footy Show from 1994 to 2018.

Perhaps it was his humble and uncertain childhood that made the late Harry Oviss such a successful businessman.

In any event, his property and development ventures enabled him to indulge a passion for the arts and build a comprehensive collection of paintings, ceramics, designer furniture and jewellery that is now being auctioned online by Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions over three days from 11am Sunday October 3.

The sale will continue from 11am Monday October 4 and close from 10am Tuesday October 5.