Rare and substantial works by an accomplished Australian colonial artist, providing new perspectives on important aspects of mid-19^th century Australian art and life, will be auctioned from 6.30pm Thursday March 28 by Menzies at its Sydney gallery at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.

Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe (1810-1861) was a well-known colonial identity, field surveyor and professional artist who won many awards and medals for his efforts – and whose works until recently were few and far between.

Those auction goers who knew Eaglemont identity the late Ivan Mason – until March 2013 for four decades the friendly face behind the IGA counter in Silverdale Road – will have the chance to obtain a reminder of his smiling visage when his furniture and effects are auctioned from 9.30am Tuesday March 19 by E.J. Ainger Pty Ltd at 433 Bridge Rod, Richmond.

Ivan, who lived just up the road from the store that as owner and manager became a large part of his life, died aged 77 in April 2017 – a little over four years after his retirement.

A certificate for 10,000 $1 shares in the replica of HMS Bounty’s visit to Australia’s 1988 Bicentenary is one of the more intriguing items at E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming auction from 9.30am Tuesday March 5 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

Dated April 16, 1986, the certificate (number 14) was issued to Rowbar Pty Ltd and refers to the bicentenary of the colonisation of New South Wales in 1788 during the reign of King George III.

West Indian Sir Garfield Sobers will always be remembered as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – cricketing allrounders of all time.

His extraordinary feat of hitting six sixes in one six-ball over for English county Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan on August 31, 1968 – the first batsmen ever to do so – from the bowling of hapless young Malcolm Nash is still talked about today and can even be found on YouTube.

So hard did Sobers hit the last of these sixes that it flew out of the ground and was not found until the next day.