Developer's $15m haul going under hammer
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday December 18, 2009
THE prospect of Australia's greatest collection of antiques and artworks going on the market has piqued the interest of collectors from around the world.Over the past fortnight an inventory of the nation's largest private collection of 18th- and 19th-century antiques and decorative arts has been undertaken across Sydney, Perth and Brisbane as receivers for a company once owned by the controversial property developer Warren Anderson take stock of its assets.The auction house Sotheby's was appointed to collect the items, ranging from paintings and antique beds to rare vases and crystal chandeliers, from properties once owned by Anderson's family company, Owston Nominees No. 2, including the expansive, historic Fern Hill holding near Mulgoa on the western outskirts of Sydney.Conservative estimates of the "Anderson collection" put its value at up to $15 million.Mr Anderson is better known for his headline-making business dealings than as a purveyor of fine furnishings; however, it is understood that he has had a passion for antiques for 30 years.Owston Nominees No. 2 was placed in the hands of the receiver Stephen Duncan after Mr Anderson and his wife, Cheryl, parted.In November, Mr Anderson told the Australian Securities and Investments Commission that a $20 million windfall Owston Nominees No. 2 had from trading shares in the controversial Firepower group was now a problem for his estranged wife, who he said had assumed control of the company.The commission has been investigating Owston Nominees No. 2 after it sold Firepower shares without a prospectus for up to $1 each. The company bought the shares in 2005 when they were 2c each.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald