Organisation for the Inverell Club's bi-annual Antiques and Collectables auction is well under way with the first auction of the year to be held on April 6.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Club President and professional auctioneer Peter Squires said originally the club held an annual auction raising funds for maintenance of the club but interest and demand has grown to the extent that two auctions are held each year.
Officials said the Inverell Club building is generally regarded as a "standout example of heritage architecture" within the Evans Street cultural precinct is closing in on 120 years old.
Organised and governed by a community minded group of volunteers the club receives a limited amount of maintenance funding from the Inverell Shire Council and no funding support from either State or Federal Governments.
As such, preserving the building for the community is quite a challenge.
The Inverell Club has operated continuously from the present building since September 1909 and the building maintains most of its original character, fittings and unique architectural features.
The auction in April will be lucky 11 for the club and organisers are expecting keen interest from bidders and vendors who will take part.
"The auction is run very professionally, yet it still maintains a sense of fun for those attending," Mr Squires said.
Most of the items going under the hammer come from estates or people downsizing.
There will be plenty of Inverell memorabilia up for grabs committee member and auction organiser Robert Walburn said.
There will be an extensive range of souvenir porcelain showing street scenes of Otho and Byron Streets often with the cenotaph featuring in the middle of the Otho and Evans Streets intersection outside the town hall.
Other Inverell items also include a collection of hotel and café ware from various milk bars including the Pandora Sundae Shop and the Empire Tea Rooms.
While the auction includes items ranging in size from very large Australian red cedar sideboards to petite items of diamond jewellery Mr Walburn said sometimes it's the "back story" to the items that's more interesting.
Mr Walburn said there are some specific examples including a set of ginger beer and marble codd bottles from Turnhams cordials.
"Most people who park in the carpark opposite the club probably don't realise that's the original site of Turnhams cordial factory," he said.
"We also have a couple of other Inverell bottles in the sale both of which are often referred to as the Holy Grail for bottle collectors.
"There's an Egan ginger beer with the blue label and a deep green Thomas glass cordial bottle. When you consider these bottles were probably ordered from Sydney in small batches by the gross the fact that any survive is quite amazing"
Other examples of interesting stories behind some lots included a 1920s dress shop mannequin with 24 inch waist that came already covered by a modesty corset; and a large collection of 19th century tin miners axes and picks that were uncovered during hydraulic dredge water blasting at Tingha in the 1970s.
Mr Squires and Mr Walburn agree there are many treasures included in the sale.
They mentioned discovering a heavy chest full of old dingo and rabbit traps, which while illegal to set are legal to collect, and should garner plenty of interest on the day.
Another peculiar find was an old cigarette tin, featuring painted art of an old Inverell corner store.
"The cigarette brand was LM which stood for Live Modern which is a bit of an oxymoron for cigarette advertising given todays health advice"
There will be an viewing on Friday evening, April 5 and Saturday morning ahead of the auction starting at 10am.
