Westridge House to a New Home - John Flynn's $850,000 Estate

Monday, 31 January 2022 | Joseph Lawler

In 2018, ALLBIDS and CBRAA had the immense privilege of orchestrating the auction and sale of the estate of one late Dr John Flynn. Flynn, heir to the Tattersall’s fortune, was an eccentric, well-travelled man – a collector at heart, with the collection to back it up. The auction included over 400 lots, from bookcases to clocks to fabulous art – and everything in between. Flynn’s estate is a perfect opportunity to get into what they actually do over there at ALLBIDS, and how effective they are at doing it. With such an immense and diverse collection ultimately it was decided to split the estate into eight separate auctions. The first 5 of which occurred weekly starting July 2018, with the remaining 3 taking place over two weeks in November of the same year.

Before auction ALLBIDS valued Flynn’s furniture collection alone at over $500,000. ALLBIDS is a trusted seller of antiques – it is a core part of their business and they employ experts to make sure these pieces get the respect and recognition they deserve. Yet with an estate like Flynn’s with such deep history that includes intact pieces going back centuries – it was worth doing things a little differently. This was the inception of their sister-site, Canberra Arts and Antiques. Or, https://www.cbraa.com.au/. These pieces needed wider recognition than even their own site could draw and so came the foundation of CBRAA. This new platform enabled ALLBIDS to provide their catalogue to Antiques Reporter (https://www.antiquesreporter.com.au/) a fantastic online destination for antiques that hosts items from various auctions all over the world. CBRAA drew huge traffic as part of the estate sale and continues to be a very important part of the ALLBIDS business and the online antiquities world. Hosting premium art and antiques – and specialising in house contents auctions and clearances.

ALLBIDS were able to facilitate the smooth sale of Flynn’s entire estate – some $850k. Without placing a reserve on a single item. This can shock people when they hear it for the first time – some vendors believe this to be risky and are uncomfortable with this idea of not having a guarantee on their goods. Until they understand what it is that this business does, and that is put products in front of engaged buyers and then guarantee title when the hammer falls. The thing that some vendors stress about, is the very thing making their items sell for more than they ever expected. The auction process at ALLBIDS is genuine – if you are winning when the metaphorical hammer comes down – you win the item, no reserve and no wasting peoples time. This encourages buyer engagement and is the cornerstone of the business. The more satisfying the process, the more members sign up – the more bids get placed down. CEO Rob Evans will be the first to tell you: 

“175,000 engaged members Australia wide …that’s our guarantee. And it’s more reliable than any reserve, bar possibly the RBA.”  

ALLBIDS CEO Rob Evans standing next to Flynn's Harpsichord - once belonging to Wanda Landowska

They do all the work, and they bring the buyers – buyers who are engaged and excited to interface with a genuine boutique auction – knowing they will be rewarded for their efforts. This is why people sell with ALLBIDS.

Dr. Flynn’s estate, that is his historic Yarralumla home, known as “Westridge House” was to be setting for the sale of this truly remarkable collection. Months of work from photographers, antiques experts, IT staff and everybody at ALLBIDS came to fruition in mid-June with the first auction for the late Dr. Flynn’s gargantuan estate. A stunning regency period Sheraton sideboard was a standout of the early sessions. A truly captivating piece with its smooth integrated knife boxes and mahogany finish demanding of your attention. It’s beautiful lion head crested emblem (pictured below) demanding of your respect – especially so for those who bid. Those paying attention knew these were going to be a special few months after the sale of this piece. Its expected sale was considered to be around $5,500 – its final sale price of over $8,500 at auction turning more than a few heads. This was the theme of the estate auctions to come – truly beautiful furniture and art, many pieces considered both – going for the  kind of capital their historical value demanded.

The Lion Head Emblem of Flynn's Sheraton Sideboard, Sold for $8,500 at auction.

From the very same session an impressive 19^th century mahogany and satinwood chest would end its stewardship in the Westridge House – closing at just over $5,000 and making its way to its new home. Yet Dr. Flynn was a collector with more mahogany than a man could ever need – so there is plenty where that came from. A superb George IV drawing room chair that may as well have been carved from the same tree as her counterpart – a magnificent mahogany and satinwood lined secretaire chest – both built circa 1830 and in top, top condition. These pieces closed out at $2,800 and $5,000 respectively. They were split up, making two ALLBIDS members very, very happy. The estate was really a marvel to behold, and the opportunity to be involved in the sale of it holds a “special significance” to the staff at ALLBIDS, so said a member of their team “as do all of our home contents handlings of this magnitude really” he added. Within Flynn’s estate, at least as far as this writer is concerned, there was nothing more out-right breathtaking than his clock collection.

While he was alive Flynn was the custodian of three of the most beautiful longcase clocks the city of Canberra has ever seen. It is truly special to see such sophisticated devices some of which pre-date European settlement of this great land. Two George II longcase clocks as tall and mighty as they were subtle and elegant. One carved of oak and one cared of mahogany and oak – their subtle differences outshined by their striking similarities. These were pieces demanding of a captive audience and that is exactly what ALLBIDS were able to provide. The shorter mahogany variant went for a little over $4,000 – while her towering oak sister eventually went for a respectable $5,015. However both of these stunning timepieces would serve as the appetizer for what would be one of the most high profile sales of the entire estate. It was another longcase clock but this time a George II towering at 265cm tall. Covered in gorgeous patterns – it was created circa 1845 and is plastered with Chinoiserie art  – a popular European art form of the time which acted as a fusion of Eastern and Western decorative design, essentially a European art style designed to imitate the art of China and Japan, among other Asian cultures. The selling point of the clock was more beauty than function as buyers were aware it did require a small service to get going again – this was clearly a non-issue at the auction as this potential service did nothing to quell the bidding war. The sale closed soon after 7pm – a very happy Canberran taking their new clock home for just over $7,000.

George II Chinoiserie Art Clock, Circa 1845 - sold for over $7,000.

About 50% of the lots from Flynn’s estate would go on to be won by locals, by Canberrans.

The sentiment from ALLBIDS is one of excitement at this prospect, here’s what CEO Rob Evans had to say at the time for RIOTACT:

“The sale has been very well supported by Canberrans and the greater Canberra region, with local buyers winning most items – even up against antique dealers from right across Australia and even internationally with UK dealers bidding on pieces. We were delighted because it means that these precious pieces of a Canberran and Australian history will be kept here.”

The sale of Dr. Flynn’s estate was something the team took pride in, as they seem to do every time they are given the task of selling your goods. There isn’t enough room in this article to discuss the sale of Flynn’s historic and iconic Harpsichord (pictured below with previous owner Wanda Landowska and above with ALLBIDS CEO), or to go into the $20,000 sale of Justin Maurice O’Brien’s ‘Wildflowers Greece’. At the end of the 8 sessions every single item in Flynn’s estate was sold. Bringing in a total of over $850,000 for his family and beneficiaries. The executor of the estate handed over the entire sale process to ALLBIDS and CBRAA, he was then able to sit back and relax while the results rolled in. ALLBIDS works because of its transparency of process – the items are genuinely up for public auction and their members will take advantage of the platform provided to them to make bids and to win items. The process was seamless as usual with the team at ALLBIDS, however estate sales do seem to bring out the best in them and their members. Continuing this series in the coming weeks we will discuss ALLBIDS success with the sale of the estates of Richard Gate, Betty Beaver, Bosnich and Barrie Dexter.

Wanda Landowska pictured with her Harpsichord in St. Lau, France, 1931. Sold for $12,800.