Australian Book Auctions

Biography

Australian Book Auctions, established in 1999, handles books of significance and rarity in most fields. We hold the world record prices for Australian books of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the record for the highest total value realised for any Australian collection sold at auction ( Davidson Collection $13,000,000).

Our catalogues include books of significance on a range of subjects, as well as ephemera, manuscripts and documents, maps, prints, and artworks (historical, topographical, and voyage art).

The company's directors are Jonathan Wantrup, distinguished bookseller and bibliographer, also author of the seminal text on Australian book collecting - Australian Rare Books 1788- 1900; and Barbara Hince, bookseller, cataloguer and valuer of immense experience in the institutional, government and corporate fields. Our office is led by Dr. Gavin de Lacy, and we offer scholarly and professional cataloguing, as well as a range of advice and valuation services.