When the definitive history of Australian cricket is finally written, one person will stand above all others as having had the most profound impact on the game as well as on the players under his charge.

A Duncan Fearnley ‘The Magnum’ cricket bat used by Allan Border to score 106 in Chennai on September 18th, 1986 is being offered for sale by Leski Auctions. /a>

Two exceedingly rare cards from 1906 are being auctioned by Leski Auctions later this month. Both were released by Greathead’s Tonic Medicine and were part of a series on ‘Victorian Footballers’. /a>

In a rare offering, Dally Messenger’s 1910 Kangaroos Cap will be auctioned by Leski Auctions later this month. The cap in blue and maroon has the initials HH (for his first names Herbert Henry) inside. This is a remarkable item of sporting history with international significance. /a>

Some of Australia’s greatest sprinters to never have competed at an Olympic Games populate the Hall of Fame of the Stawell Gift, the country’s oldest and richest short distance race. /a>

Timing is everything, as they say. Louis-Claude de Saules de Freycinet, an intrepid French sailor, circumnavigated the earth and in 1811 published the first map to show a full outline of the Australian coastline. /a>

For nearly 130 years, Tasmanians could rely on the minutia of their communal lives being recorded in the ‘red book’, or more properly known as Walch’s Tasmanian Almanac. /a>

For a man who had such a profound effect on the European colonisation of Australia, there is remarkably very little physical evidence of Captain James Cook or his personal possessions. Now, almost 250 years after his death in Hawaii, the early 18th century Continental Flintlock holster pistol will be offered for sale by Leski Auctions of Melbourne under instructions from Mr Walker.

A rare, match-used bat belonging to Sir Donald Bradman is being offered for sale by the descendants of the man who struck gold after a chance encounter with the world’s greatest cricketer.

Controversy courted Charles Darwin during his life but time has done little to diminish the fuss. His ‘Theory of Evolution’ has been both lauded and attacked, making him one of the most influential figures in modern history. Two significant items of memorabilia directly associated with Darwin are being offered for sale by Leski Auctions.

A rare Essendon Football Club Member’s Season Ticket from 1893 has surfaced and will be sold by Leski Auctions later this month. It is a remarkable survivor of the early, rough and tumble years of the local code.

A fascinating collection of Melbourne Cricket Club medallions from the turn of the century has surfaced after being ‘lost’ in a family shed. The 23 medallions, dating from 1901 to 1924, could bring close to $10,000, not a bad result given that the hessian bag they were in was nearly dumped before the owner realised what was inside.

Two lots from the early years of the Collingwood Football Club are special reminders of the men who helped build the club to become one of the greatest and least admired in the Australian Football League.

One of the most important ‘Baggy Greens’ in the history of Australian Test cricket will be offered for sale through Leski Auctions.

The decision by the Australian Government to support the purchase of Jackson Pollock’s seminal work ‘Blue Poles’ by the National Gallery of Australia caused a storm of controversy, partly for its record price of $1.3 million and partly because it fanned the flames around the Whitlam Government’s perceived financial ineptitude.

Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’ introduced us to the world of the skinheads; Dame Margot Fonteyn gave new meaning to dance as one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation. Central to both was their footwear, rare examples of which are represented in a fascinating auction to be held in Melbourne on December 18th.

Sir Donald Bradman was well aware of the interest in his cricket memorabilia. He was also savvy enough to know the difference in value between team items and those that were his alone.

For only the second time since it was acquired in 1900, a pistol belonging to Dan Kelly, Ned’s younger brother, is on the market.

There was strong room and internet bidding on these very rare 1909 football cigarette cards. Offered in team groupings the cards brought $46,000 including commission. A new Australian record for collector cards.

Affectionately known as the 'Old Bus', the Southern Cross had become an icon of Australian enterprise and a national treasure by the time Charles Kingsford Smith flew it for the last time on July 18th, 1935.

They say the lights went out in Europe when German forces invaded Poland in 1939. Three years earlier, the lights shone very brightly when the nations of the world united at the Berlin Olympics.

Enterprising German soldiers were quick to see the value of stamps produced in the Lodz (Litzmannstadt) Ghetto. They acquired large quantities in the hope they would be valuable at war’s end.

If you love birds but despair of their early morning warbling, you may be interested in a collection of stuffed wildlife to be auctioned in Melbourne later this month.

There is a reason why the ultimate medal at the Olympic Games is gold. It is the enduring symbol of achievement. Even within the Olympic movement it was also a symbol of wealth, with the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm being the last time that solid gold medals were issued.

The cricketing exploits of Sir Donald Bradman are legendary, but far less is known about this life away from sport. Now the spotlight is firmly focused on that life with the auction of an archive of Bradman ephemera.

If the Carlton Football Club had a recruitment procedure in 1966, nobody told Ron Barassi. The mercurial captain-coach took one look at Ian ‘Robbo’ Robertson and signed the 20 year-old on the spot. It was the beginning of an eight year career with the ‘Blues’ that included one of its most successful on-field periods. Click here to read more

Although the Captain Moonlight (aka Moonlite) story has never eclipsed that of the Kelly Gang, he was undoubtedly a more charismatic figure who believed in the separation of Church and State (in this case, aiding one by relieving the other of money!) He was executed at Darlinghurst Gaol in January 1880. Click here to read more

Much has been written about the Victorian goldfields and its impact on the course of Australian history, but little is publicly known about the gold jewellery that was created by local artisans who were arguably the forerunners of a burgeoning new Australian industry Click here to read more

A fascinating collection of Olympic memorabilia including items from the infamous 1936 Berlin Games reminds us how difficult it is to keep politics out of sport. Click here to read more

The cover dated November 5th, 1922 is addressed to Dr F.A.Hope Michod who was Deputy Chairman of Directors of Qantas. The endorsement reads “By the first aerial mail going south from Winton.” Click here to read more

Bryan Membrey is a knock-about bloke with a special gift. As a boxer, Bryan had a pretty good win-loss ratio, putting two men on the canvas in 20 professional bouts. But it’s what he did with the canvas after hanging up his gloves that he will mostly likely be remembered for. Click here to read more

Australia’s tourism leaders may pray for many things, but top of their wish-list would be a gold rush to rival the 19th century. While that won’t happen any time soon, there may be a rush of sorts when a horde of gold nuggets come up for auction in Melbourne next week. Click here to read more

Many clocks claim to be the 'Rolls Royce' of timepieces, but only two were reportedly made in the Rolls Royce factory! Click here to read more

As a cricketer, Ron Hamence had a wonderful voice. This is how some remembered the ‘Invincibles’ batsman whose early form in domestic first class cricket wasn’t realised through his three Test appearances for Australia during Sir Donald Bradman’s reign. Click here to read more

When James Warner was born, wireless telegraphy (aka radio) was four years old. When he died nearly 80 years later, radio had become one of the most significant and intrusive parts of our social, commercial, industrial and political lives. Click here to read more

A folio of illustrations and documents has been placed onto the market by Leski Auctions on the 20th of September 2011. The folio was offered from the estate of Bruce Weatherhead. It contained original preliminary drawings for the design of the 1995 $50 note. Click here to read more

Sold for $51,000
Gold was discovered at the foot of Mt Bealiba in 1856. The sleepy hamlet, 220 kms north-west of Melbourne, surged to a population of 12,000 within a matter of weeks. Eighteen months later most had departed in search of richer pickings. It was as if the strike never happened. Click here to read more

Chocolate, of all things, came to symbolise one aspect of Robert Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica in 1911. Unfortunately, Scott didn’t live to enjoy the humour of his senior geologist, Griffith Taylor. Click here to read more

No-one doubts that war leaves little room for humour, so to have governments employ it as propaganda is, well, funny! A set of seven posters from the Second World War is also fascinating for another reason. The artists are Russian but the printer is English and the text is multilingual, proving that the alliance between the Allies operated successfully at the grass roots. Click here to read more

In 1924, Chas Brownlow died leaving behind a grieving family and a grateful football code. He was arguably a better administrator of the game than a footballer, but history has largely forgotten both. Instead it remembers him for something he never lived to see – the naming of the most important award of any sporting code anywhere in the world. Click here to read more

While many new immigrants to Australia express a desire to give back to their adopted country, few have ever reciprocated to the same extent as John Konrads.
The Latvian kid who arrived here in 1949 at the age of seven would, seven years later, become Australia’s youngest male Olympian. Click here to read more

It is a testament to her sporting prowess that Australian athlete Pam Kilborn-Ryan was selected in 1970 to be the first woman to carry the Australian flag at the opening ceremony of a Commonwealth Games. Her achievements are recorded in a remarkable collection of sporting memorabilia to be sold for the first time by Leski Auctions. Click here to read more

Sir Donald Bradman is one of only four players in Test cricket to score 300 or more runs in a single innings on more than one occasion. One of these milestones was recorded in the 4th Test at Headingley during the 1934 Ashes series against England. Click here to read more

More than a decade ago, Len Thompson's Brownlow Medal captured headlines when the Collingwood champ decided he would be the first medallist to auction the game's most prestigous trophy. Now that medal will be auctioned for the second time. It is the centerpiece of the Leski Auctions sale on the 30th of March. Click here to read more

As AFL teams Geelong and St Kilda gear up for this weekend's grand final clash, a memorabilia medal from a much earlier Geelong premiership is going on sale. The 1925 premiership medal of Geelong player Nick Brushfield is being auctioned this week. Click here to read more

Sex has been to the British royal family what rorting has been to Melbourne Storm. Neither is keen to publicise it but both are defined by it. Think of Edward and Wallis, Charles and Diana or Phillip and…well, anybody! and you can’t help feeling that there’s more to life ‘upstairs’ than we know. Click here to read more

Charles Leski Auctions has built a fine reputation for buying and selling top quality railway collectibles. We are currently offering a prestigious deceased estate, consisting of material, mainly from NSW, but with a smattering of interesting Victorian items. The collection includes rarely seen material. It is suspected that the original collector utilised a number of in-house railway sources, thus giving him access to material not available on the open market. Many of the pieces being offered are unique or rare. Click here to read more

An antiques roadshow through Tasmania has unearthed a painting by Australian artist Arthur Streeton.
Charles Leski of Leski Auctions this year started conducting travelling roadshows where people present their treasures for valuation, similar to television versions of the concept. Click here to read more

In these days of the Twenty20 Big Bash, there are still some cricket enthusiasts more fascinated by the results of the Australian tour of England in 1893. Full scores, bowling summaries and expert analysis of all matches played that year are to be found in vintage copies of Wisden, still considered the world's most authoritative cricket publication. Click here to read more

Been trying to contact Charles Leski recently? Wondering why your calls have not been returned? Charles has just returned from a 3 week adventure at the North Pole. Click here to read more

Winning in Olympic competition is a feat reserved for the elite few. Of those, fewer still become enduring symbols of the Olympic ideal. One such athlete is Australian Paralympian Sue Ellen Lovett. Click here to read more

In 1855 the first Royal Mint to be established outside of England was opened in Sydney, four years after the gold rush began in NSW. It took very little time for the world’s attention to focus on this outpost of the British Empire, bringing all manner of men on a variety of missions to the goldfields. Click here to read more

Introducing the complete and definitive reference guide, years in the making. 140 pages, fully illustrated in landscape format for easy reference. Much previously unpublished information, rarity, pricing, statistical analysis and historical background and documentation. Every known cover, stamp, letter and forgery.
Please complete the included form and return to us, secure your copy today of this limited print edition. Click here to download the order form

Imagine finding a map with a miner's hand-written notes revealing the location of El Dorado, the famed 'Lost City of Gold'? It's the stuff of legend that has inspired intrepid adventurers since the 16th century.
Click here to read more

A set of stamps featuring Australia's most famous aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith has sold for $6,500 at auction in Melbourne. In 1931, Sir Charles became the first living Australian to feature on a postage stamp. Click here to read more

Australian, British Commonwealth & World Stamps & Postal History
Over 1000 items from $10 to $12,500 available for immediate sale on a first-come-first-served basis. There is only ONE OF EACH ITEM so don't delay!
View Sale List

We are delighted to announce the sale of Verdun Howell’s Brownlow medal to the St. Kilda Football Club. This iconic and important medal was handed over today (June 26th 2009) following negotiations between the club, Leski Auctions and the Howell family. The transaction was negotiated at $57,500. Click here to read more

The ABC television program ‘Countdown’ was not only a child of its generation but the father of the next. Some of the greatest stars of the contemporary music scene were influenced by the people who drove their parents wild. A large format visitor’s autograph book (measuring 29 x 22 cm) from the ‘Countdown’ program will be offered for sale by Leski Auctions next month. Dating from the 1970s when the television program was at the peak of its success, it comprises more than 200 autographs of both local and international artists. Click here to read more

In the 85-year history of the Brownlow Medal, arguably Australia’s greatest sporting tribute, only three medals have been sold to the public. These belonged to Len Thomson (1972), Fred Goldsmith (1955) and Edward 'Carji' Greeves (1924, the first year it was awarded). Leski Auctions will be offering Verdun Howells Brownlow in the June Sporting Memorabilia sale. Click here to read more

Victor Trumper was the greatest batsman of Australian Cricket's golden age, some would say the greatest of all time. The bronze is based on George Beldam's powerful photographic image of the 25-year old Trumper leaping out to drive in his inimitably aggressive, yet dynamically elegant style, during an interval of the Australia v. Surrey game at Kennington Oval, London, on the historic 1902 tour. This is the first opportunity, 84 years after his untimely death at the age of 38, for present generations to appreciate a three dimensional representation (life and a quater) of Victor Trumper.Click here to read more

Stamp aficionados may seem like a benign bunch, but underneath the cashmere cardigans can beat a heart of rolled gold villainy. There have been many rare stamps forged, mostly to defraud unsuspecting dealers and collectors. In 2007, Christie’s devoted an entire auction to the forgeries of one of the most famous offenders, an Italian by the name of Jean Sperati. Click here to read more

A RARE souvenir from arguably Australia's greatest racehorse is up for grabs, with Phar Lap's racing bridle to be auctioned off next week.
And a remarkable peek at the workings of an Olympic Village will be revealed, when photographs, letters and archival material collated and kept by the mayor of Melbourne's 1956 Olympic Village also go under the hammer. Auctioneer Charles Leski said the simple bridle and bit belonging to Phar Lap's jockey, Jim Pike, would attract a lot of interest because it was rare for items associated with the track legend to be on the market. Click here to read more