He also amassed an impressive treasure-trove of garagenalia and other oddities and his museum became a popular pit-stop for tourists on their way to the historic Port Arthur site.
The collection, which will be auctioned on-site on Saturday 25 June, includes many items that rarely come onto the market. Many have their origins in the Port Arthur penal settlement, including two original steel cell door panels and a large ‘powder magazine’ door lock, a huge ‘man trap’ (think of a rabbit trap, but man-sized), leg irons and various other tools of punishment and labour used on and by our hapless colonial captives.
Though the museum has changed hands several times over the years, it is remarkable that the collection has remained largely intact. Such an extensive collection of memorabilia, relating to the convict era and early settlement of Southern Tasmania, is not likely to appear on the market again for some time.
The Copping Colonial & Convict Museum Collection will be auctioned by Gowans Auctions on Saturday 25 June at 10am.