Lieutenant Paul McGinness was born in the Geelong area and at the age of 18 enlisted in the AIF with the 8th Light Horse.
He took part in the mismanaged and thus ill-fated charge at the Nek in Gallipoli where 372 of the 600 Australians from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade who took part in the attack died, and was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct medal for action at another action against the Turkish army at Jijafa in 1916. At age 20 he transferred to the Flying Corps and flew Bristol fighters in the Middle East. His victories earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross.
These two medals together with another six service medals formed the eight medals that were part of the lot.
The catalogue entry notes that the group of eight medals is unique, as no other Australian serviceman is known to have received both the DCM and the DFC during either World War I or II.
The lot also included a quantity of QANTAS memorabilia including photographs, diaries, letters and notes, as after his return from the war, with Sir Hudson Fysh, he founded QANTAS, but only stayed with the company for its first two years of operation.
As Lot 1 in the sale, the medal group and memorabilia was estimated at $160,000 - $200,000, but strong bidding saw it sold for $210,000 hammer. Leonard Joel have advised the buyer wishes to remain anonymous.
Unfortunately the keen interest did not extend to the Classic Furniture, Objects and Design sale, which opened with 136 boxes from Dr. Genevieve Cummings, part of a collection of about 800 boxes accumulated over 20 years, which resulted in her writing the first large comprehensive book on antique boxes, Antique Boxes Inside and Out, published by the Antique Collectors Club of the UK in 2005.
Perhaps the reserves were set too high by the vendor, or the boxes were not considered fresh to the market - Dr. Cummins had taken a stand and offered boxes for sale at several Sydney antique fairs over the last few years - as only 25 of the 136 boxes found a new home.
The 67 lots that followed, from the collection of Dr. G. J. Smibert of Adelaide a lifelong collector who passed away this year fared much better, with 52 of the lots selling.
A fine quality Louis XVI cut brass and tortoiseshell inlaid pedestal clock (Lot 165 ) almost quadrupled its low estimate of $10,000 to sell for $38,400 (IBP), the rarity factor being that it included the original pedestal, while a late 19th century transitional style ormolu mounted satinwood and kingwood vitrine sold for $31,200 (IBP), three times its low estimate.
All the unsold lots from the estate of Dr. Smibert were at the lower end of the market, with having a low estimate over $1,500.
The third single owner collection incorporated into this sale was a collection of 27 clocks and watches from Holland, of which 17 sold.
Of French, English and Dutch origin, no particular favouritism to one country was shown by buyers, although an English gilt metal mounted scarlet tortoiseshell cased bracket clock signed John Taylor of London (Lot 215 ) achieved double the price of the next highest lot in this section, selling for $16,800 (IBP).
Of the final 271 mixed vendor lots, 118 sold, with two bronze Ferdinand Preiss bronze and ivory figures achieving the highest prices.
These were 'The Skater' (Lot 340 ) a circa 1925 cold painted bronze and ivory figure selling for the low estimate of $20,000 (hammer) while the untitled patinated bronze and ivory figure of a young golfer (Lot 330 ), was let go for $19,500 (hammer), $500 under its low estimate.
However another three bronze and ivory figures in a similar price ranges to the Preiss figures failed to sell.
Other major unsold lots included the 1964 Chevrolet C2 Corvette Stingray Coupe (Lot 316 ) estimated at $55,000 - $60,000, the towering 260 cm high Russian full body mount brown bear (Lot 275 ) looking over the shoulder of the auctioneer (estimated at $40,000 - 60,000).
Perhaps the enthusiasm of potential buyers was muted by the failure of so many of the first 136 lots to sell, as overall only 212 (42%) of the lots sold, the sale total of an almost round $1 million (IBP) including the $252,000 (IBP) raised by the group of medals awarded to Lieutenant Paul McGinness. Leonard Joel have advised that a further $75,000 has been moved post-sale.