We all love a good home contents auction, but “Fairwater” in Point Piper is not just any old home, but the ultimate Sydney harbour front mansion on 11,000 m2 of manicured grounds.
The largest privately-held property on Sydney harbour was owned by the Fairfax publishing dynasty for over 100 years. This year the family sold it for $100 million, the highest price ever for an Australian residential property, to new money, tech entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes.
The 376 lots comprise everything from Persian carpets, grandfather clocks, crystal, porcelain and silverware, tapestry, Buddha statues, chandeliers and all manner furniture, to Australian and international art.
There are some stand-out bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin and works by Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas and other European greats – but you will have to bid at Bonhams in London for those.
In the Sydney auction however, there is an extremely important study of the portrait of Joshua Smith by William Dobell on offer, made famous by a famous court case. You would think given the loss in a house fire of the original painting that won the Archibald Prize in 1943, this is the painting that the Art Gallery of New South Wales has to have.
The viewing is held in Sydney only from 14 to 21 September, 10 am – 4 pm, at 36-40 Queen Street and 97-99 Queen Street, Woollahra.
The auction is held on Sunday, 22 September, 1 pm, at 36-40 Queen Street, Woollahra.
You can view the catalogue also online on the Bonhams website.
Other notable offerings from the collection include works by Margaret Preston, Bertram MacKennal and Charles Blackman.
