Sir Clive, Lady Sidney and their daughter Marion collected extensively throughout the 20th century, on their travels to Europe and locally. With the break-up of the estate following Marion’s death in 2015, it became clear they fastidiously held onto everything that they bought. Their large houses in South Yarra, Victoria and Tarramia, New South Wales as well as six garages and four sheds on the properties were overflowing with furniture, books, paintings and porcelain – much of which had not been unpacked since purchased in the 1930s.
Highlights of the collection include a 17th century Italian secretaire with original iron hardware (Lot 189 ) (reputedly belonging originally to an Italian diplomat) which is expected to bring $8,000-12,000.
An outstanding, 2.6m long, 18th century fruitwood French farm house table (Lot 218 ) carries an estimate of $6,000-8,000.
An imposing Flemish oil painting, in the school of Pieter van Lint, The Justice of Cambyses (Lot 229 ), at an impressive 110 x 192cm is estimated at $8,500-10,000.
Following directly is a fine 16/17th century Tyrolean (Austria) polychrome and carved wood figure of a saintly bishop wearing a mitre and holding a book, originally from the Mary Flintoft collection, Toorak (Lot 230 ), valued at $5,000-7,000.
An important and rare Italian 17th century walnut and gilt credenza (Lot 231 ) is estimated at $4,000-6,000.
An impressive collection of silver includes gifts presented to Marion Page-McPherson by Queen Elizabeth during her 1954 Royal visit to Victoria (Lot 298 ) and in the same year from Sir Robert Menzies on the occasion of Marion being bridesmaid at his daughter Heather’s wedding (Lot 257 ). Other highlights from the silver collection are a large and unique collection of silver spoons by Australian silversmith J.A. Linton (Lot 260 ) and many important European makers such as James Fry, Dublin (Lot 293 ), Barker Bros, Birmingham (Lot 305 ) and Thomas William Dobson, London (Lot 306 ). An Edward VI Britannia metal tankard, bearing the McPherson coat of arms (Lot 296 ) is expecting to fetch $1,000-1,500 and a delightful Victorian jug by Jacobes J Oosterbaan featuring an embossed rural landscape with horses and figures (Lot 295 ) is estimated at $200-300.
A Rene Lalique ‘Faucon’ car mascot, circa 1925 - Lalique’s first car mascot design and highly prized by automobilia collectors, is well-priced at $3,000-5,000 (Lot 297 ).
An interesting collection of letters from Dame Nellie Melba (Lot 408 ) wonderfully conveys Melba's imperious nature and total self-confidence. Written between 1921 and 1927 to Mrs Mary Sadlier Forster, a relative of Lady McPherson who composed songs for Dame Nellie, the letters, among other things, contain approval of the wording of a dedication written out by Dame Nellie with the comment ‘I think this is enough as it is not a great song’. The collection of letters is valued at $100-150.
A family connection to Norman Alfred William Lindsay is revealed in three letters from the artist (Lot 417 ). Two of the letters mention The Magic Pudding and his happiness that one of the youngsters in the family enjoyed the book, together with photographs of his house, studio and a portrait carry a pre-sale estimate of $200-300. Another lot relating to Lindsay is Lot 416, a scorched ink drawing of a ‘Knight on his Charger’ from 1894, accompanied by a letter describing it as ‘the earliest examples of my work extant’, also estimated at $200-300.
Together with various other interesting items such as three original photos of the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 (Lots 428, 429 & 430) and Marion Orme Page’s Georgian style dolls house with original furnishings, given to her as a baby in 1919 (Lot 217 ), the collection encapsulates the lives of a family imbued with a strong sense of public duty and a desire to preserve the national and rural history of the era through which they lived.
