Possibly the largest private collection of illustrated letter sheets and newspapers from the 1840s to the 1860s – the property of prominent Oregon collector and dealer Dale Forster – will be auctioned in Melbourne from 11am on Wednesday April 27 as part of a four-day massive sale.

Abacus Auctions is holding the auction of Australian and worldwide stamps, postal history, postcards, coins, banknotes, sporting memorabilia and collectables at 29 Hardner Road, Mount Waverley.

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.

Tea lovers the world over can now find the perfect place to store their favourite beverage. Australian collectors Neil and Jannis Pascoe have spent a lifetime collecting antique wooden tea caddies in all shapes and sizes and are now parting with their collection of more than 70 examples – all in fantastic condition.

Melbourne-based Christian McCann Auctions will auction the entire Pascoe collection, which also includes rare quality Australian colonial furniture, as part of its forthcoming auction from 12pm Sunday April 3 at 7 Harper Street, Abbotsford.

Big name indigenous artists in several collections are the hallmark of Australian art auction house Deutscher and Hackett’s forthcoming Important Australian Aboriginal Art sale from 7pm Wednesday March 30 at 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra.

One of the most noteworthy is Merne (Everything), 1991 (lot 5) by Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c1910-1996) – painted at a time when she emerged as one of Australia’s leading artists with her works being sought after on an unprecedented scale, marking the beginning of her national and international recognition.