Australian conservationist's collection goes under the hammer

One of Australia’s best-known conservationists, Sydney-born Chris Pratten, who died this year aged 90, is being remembered through his massive collection of antique clocks, Wedgewood and other porcelain brands, and naturalist art - to be auctioned by Melbourne-based Leski Auctions as part of its Decorative Arts sale from 10am Sunday September 22.

The Pratten collection, containing 274 lots, is one of three on the day – the other two belonging to Sydney dealer Alan Landis and Tasmanian collector Chris Burghley.

A long-time National Trust member and Australian Conservation Foundation board member, as a boy Chris gained his love of nature through visits to the family property Amaroo at Borenore, west of Orange in New South Wales.

When the property was later split between he and older brother Geoff, Chris named his preferred eastern section Koolewong where, after he married Elaine in 1958, they raised their three children Stephen, Michael and Jenny.

Chris was one of the first farmers to set aside remnant bushland patches for nature conservation, fencing off hundreds of acres on his property and in the 1960s establishing an arboretum for an extensive tree and shrub planting program – the start of his lifelong conservation efforts.

His inner west Sydney roots led him in 1983 to purchase a Victorian house called Hillcrest in the suburb of Summer Hill, which he began restoring.

This resulted in him becoming secretary of the Ashfield and District Historical Society and to building a substantial collection of antique clocks, Wedgwood and other 18^th century porcelain manufacturers.

Chris’s three children, who still run Koolewong, had no desire to live at Hillcrest, so asked Leski Auctions to dispose of the collection prior to the property’s sale.

One of the clocks on offer is a circa 1685 William & Mary marquetry longcase piece (lot 1) by London maker Richard Colston.

Another is a circa 1770 George III sprint table clock (lot 3) also from a London maker Charles Cabrier.

Maker George Wren features with an unusual creation – a November 1770 travelling weight driven alarm timepiece (lot 4).

Among the English Wedgwood pieces of note are two circa 1820s Jasper Ware pottery plaques – one entitled Hector Taking Leave of Andromache (lot 30) and the other called Classic Reliefs (lot 31).

Others include a circa 1800 Jasper Ware pottery vase in the Portland style (lot 28), an early 19^th century cheese dish with Etruscan decorations (lot 29) and a 19^th century majolica game tureen (lot 88).

A Royal Worcester George Own reticulated porcelain stem vase (lot 145) is another attraction, along with a George Tinworth 19^th century wall plaque entitled Christ Going Before Pilate (lot 97).

A 19^th century antique German porcelain plaque featuring a hand painted lady’s portrait (lot 99) and a circa 1880 George Jones pate-sur-pate porcelain plaque of two nymphs by Frederick Schenck (lot 102) are two other Pratten collection features.

Jones, who died in 1893, was a successful English pottery merchant who opened in 1856 opened showrooms in Stoke. The business continued as George Jones & Sons with family involvement until 1929 when it was bought out by its managing director Walter Bakewell.

Probably because of his conservation passions, Chris was a big fan of Australian naturalist artist Marian Ellis Rowan (1848-1922), whose considerable collection of works is held at the National Library of Australia in Canberra.

Her paintings also feature in this auction including lot 258, an untitled floral study.