Australian auctioneer veteran hangs up his hammer

Brian O’Halloran has been a mainstay of Victoria’s auction industry for more than 40 years. A Warrnambool stock agent who established Brian O’Halloran Real Estate Agents in the 1960s in the same town, he then turned his hand to auctioning fine art and antiques – using the western Victorian city of Portland as his base, where Glenelg Auctions became a household name.

During his long career as an auctioneer, Brian built up an extensive knowledge of Australian art, English and Australian furniture and decorative arts.

Now it is time for Brian to hang up his auction hammer and his family has asked Christian McCann to auction the contents of his Hawthorn home in a two-day online sale beginning at 12pm Saturday November 21 at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford.

Viewing will be from 10am-6pm Thursday November 19 and Friday November 20, 10am-12pm Saturday November 21 and 9.30am-12pm Sunday November 22.

The auction features art by such well-known painters as J.H. Scheltema, Ray Crooke and David Boyd along with quality 18^th and 19^th century English furniture.

Highlights are a Sevres panelled mirror back credenza (lot 113), an original extension table by Gillows,  a large pollard oak drum table with shagreen insets and a 19^th century floral inlaid centre table (lot 7).

Other attractions include a 19^th century cast iron cherub mounted fountain, antiques clocks and clock sets, a rare 2.1-metre tall carved black forest figured lamp of a maiden and basket, antique ivory from Japan and China and a collection of Venetian glass.

Clock collectors will find items like an English Moore Brothers porcelain mantel clock (lot 2) of interest, while paintings like J.H. Scheltema’s Cattle grazing beneath the gum trees (lot 9) and Bob Russell’s The Stockman with his Kelpie (lot 628) are bound to appeal to art enthusiasts.

A pair of 19^th century French bronze figures of cavaliers, one with pipe, the other beating his drum, (lot 14) is another worthwhile acquisition and lot 97 is typical of the Venetian glass on offer.

Lot 114 is a desirable 19^th century English green glass epergne and lot 136 an outstanding example of 19^th century French two handled ormolu and Verde marble castolettes.

For those auction goers looking for hand painted miniatures, the portrait of Napoleon on ivory (lot 147) might just be what they are looking for, while lot 173 is an English hand painted oil on board depicting the coach makers emblem.

Lot 212 is a good example of a Japanese cloisonné lidded jewel box with floral decorations.