Menzies final art auction for 2015 was characterised by sensational results for the almost completely unknown colonial painter, Thomas Balcombe (1810-1861).
The results underscore the enduring interest for early Australian depictions of Aboriginal life.
This included a top price for Lot 61 of $98,182 (including buyer’s premium) for a scene of an Aborigine fishing by torchlight painted in 1853.
The two small paintings and five drawings of variable quality were of equal...