August 2023 - Some Famous Australian Art For Auction

 

August 2023 - Some Famous Australian Art For Auction 

Banjo Paterson - Great Australian Poet - Clancy Of The Overflow

 

Clancy Of The Overflow - By Banjo Paterson...

This Was One Of The Banjo Patterson Poems That My Grandmother used to make me Recite Word For Word. 

I Went To Waverly Cemetary Oneday last year Looking for his Grave Site, but I had no Luck, and as No one is interested In the History Of This Country or It's People, there Obviously Wasn't Any Signage, or actually anyone there that could help me on my Quest That Day..... Disappointing. Absolutely Noone Seemed to know. 

I'm Going to Go To The Auction Next Saturday Of Another Piece Of Heritage Given To Developers.... The Old Psychiatric Hospital Next To Darlinghurst Courthouse was Recently Pulled Down and All That Is Left Is The Old Residence Of The  Director General (If That Is The Right Title....)  Of St Vincents Hospital Back In it's Hey Day When It Was 2 - 3 Times The Size Of What It Is Now. So This 2 Storey Colonial Residence Which Is The Gardens Of The Psychiatric Part Has A Block Of Units Towering Over It. I Don't Know If I'd Want To live There now. 

The Reason I Mention this Is, Is Because Banjo Patterson Was A Regular Guest.....

Clancy Of The Overflow........

I had written him a letter which I had,
for want of better Knowledge,

sent to where I met him 

down the Lachlan, years ago,

He was shearing when I knew him, 

so I sent the letter to him,

Just `on spec', 

addressed as follows, 

`Clancy, of The Overflow'.

& an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,

(& I think the same was written with a thumb-nail dipped in tar)

'Twas his shearing mate who wrote it,

& verbatim I will quote it:

`Clancy's gone to Queensland droving,

& we don't know where he are.'

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of ClancyGone a-droving 

`down the Cooper' where the Western drovers go;

As the stock are slowly stringing, 

Clancy rides behind them singing,

For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

& the bush hath friends to meet him, 

& their kindly voices greet him

In the murmur of the breezes & the river on its bars,

& he sees the vision splendid 

of the sunlit plains extended,

& at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.

I am sitting in my dingy little office,

where a stingyRay of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,

& the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city

Through the open window floating, 

spreads its foulness over all

& in place of lowing cattle,

I can hear the fiendish rattle of the tramways & the 'buses making hurry down the street,

& the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting,

Comes fitfully & faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.

& the hurrying people daunt me, 

& their pallid faces haunt me

As they shoulder one another in their rush & nervous haste,

With their eager eyes & greedy,

& their stunted forms & weedy,

For townsfolk have no time to grow,

they have no time to waste.

& I somehow rather fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy,

Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come & go,

While he faced the round eternal of the cash-book and the journal

--But I doubt he'd suit the office, 

Clancy, of `The Overflow'

Famous Australian Art

FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN ART FOR AUCTION 

JULY 2022 

 

FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN ART 

Dame Edith Walker - Philanthropy And Charitie - Concord West - Sydney

 

Dame Edith Walker -

Eadith Campbell Walker was born on the 18th September 1861 @ The Rocks & she died on the 8th October 1937. 

Eadith was the only child of Thomas Walker, A Merchant and Her Mother Was Nee Jane Hart. 

They moved to "Yaralla", An Italiante Mansion On the Parramatta River At Concord West. 

During her lifetime she was Appointed Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire, & Dame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire for her work in Philanthropy and Charities. 

She died on October 8th 1937, unmarried & childless. She was cremated @ Rookwood, & her ashes were buried in the family grave at St John's Ashfield. 

She left an estate of 265,000 Pounds. One third of the Residue of the Estate went to The Returned Soldiers & Sailors Imperial League Of Australia, & the real estate went to the Red Cross. 

Before WW1 Eadith  had a flair for Organizing lavish balls, and parties on a grand scale, fetes and charitable functions at her home.... her Guests included Royalty and other important people. 

She was widely travelled and interested in music and art...
She Built an Indian Room to house some of her treasures she had picked up in New Dehli for the 1903 Coronation Dunbar, She Enjoyed reading & collected an extensive library which she bequeathed to the Women's  College at the University of Sydney.
She collected valuable glass, porcelin, paintings and antique furniture. She was a founder of the Queens Club (1912) and a life Member Of The Royal Art Society Of New South Wales. 



She was a part of many charitable organisations including 
- The Women's Industrial Guild
- Queen Jubilee Fund
- Royal Alexandra Hospital For Children 
- The Royal Hospital For Women - Paddington

Eadith also supported religious, educational institutions, 
She maintained her staff in their old age and built cottages for needy men . 


Eadith never got married. Her Aunt Joanna Had instilled in her the fear of fortune Hunters. She was a shy, but strong and capable woman who disliked Publicity, & spent most of her later years  at "The Astor" - Macquarie Street. She died in 1937, with her dog Cobber beside her. 
Returned Servicemen & Scouts lined the Approach to the Chapel at Rookwood where she was cremated. Her estate sworn for Probate at 265,345 Pounds was disposed of in accordance with the terms of her fathers will after the Walker Trust Act was passed in 1939.

 

Beatrice Miles - Known As Bea Miles - Infamous Sydney Eccentric