Good things are worth waiting for, and we hope you will agree, that this Sports Memorabilia catalogue is a good one!
We are sure you will want to see for yourselves but just thought a few words about the highlights would be appropriate.
Lot 36, a £10 ticket for a ringside seat at the Tommy Burns v Jack Johnson heavyweight fight in Sydney in 1908, is an incredible rarity which has been in the family of the vendor for 114 years! We are delighted to be able to offer it for sale for the very first time.
The collection of early Australian Cricket Club membership cards, badges and fobs, is also quite exceptional; see Lots 45, 46, 52 – 55, 59, 62 and 63, to see what we mean. The Graham McKenzie Collection(Lots 154 – 236) celebrates the sporting life of one of Australia’s most successful fast bowlers and a delightful man, who was sometimes described as being “too nice a guy to be a fast bowler”. You’ll find Baggy Green caps, blazers, bats, original photographs and many other items from McKenzie’s career, from his early days as a schoolboy cricketer to the end of his career, which coincided with the advent of World Series Cricket.
Other items of note, perhaps with a tinge of sadness attached to each of them are Lot 263, Rod Marsh’ Australian Test Team jumper, Lot 271, Shane Warne’s batting helmet from Warnie’s first tour of England in 1993, and Lot 300, a custom-crafted golf putter made for Dean Jones by the legendary T.P.Mills Co.
The Australian Rules Football section is also full of highlights, including Lot 341, an incredibly early membership card for the Royal Park Football Club in 1883, Lots 342 and 343 of North Melbourne, with a very good later range. Alex Jesaulenko’s Carlton Life Membership card(Lot 441) should remind a few Blues fans of those glory days, while James Hird’s 2001 Runners-Up medal(Lot 451) is a painful reminder of Essendon’s absence from Grand Final football for more than 20 years.
Lots 561 – 584 are a complete set of the 1971 Scanlens Footballers Posters; very rare individually and almost never seen in good condition, this is the first time we have been able to offer a complete set, and in good condition. It will be fascinating to see how they go. There is also an exception offering of early Scanlens Rugby League cards (Lots 633 to 696); we expect quite a tussle over some of those.
Finally, don’t miss the Olympics section, a rare group from the 1924 Games in Paris (Lot 767), and original large-format poster from the 1956 Melbourne Games(Lot 771) and a huge archive of 2000 Sydney Olympics posters, publications, signs, badges and other mementos(Lots 788 – 841).
We look forward to welcoming you to our rooms for viewing and attending the auction if you can make it, otherwise we’re here to help you with you bids and enquiries; just call or send an email.
We hope you enjoy the catalogue.
Contents 001-033 General (Sport) 034-034 Basketball 035-041 Boxing 042-043 Commonwealth & Empire Games 044-336 Cricket 044-057 Cricket – 19th Century 058-104 Cricket – 1900 to 1927 105-152 Cricket – The Bradman Era 153-312 Cricket – 1949 to Date 154-236 The Graham McKenzie Collection 313-327 Cigarette & Trade Cards (Cricket) 328-336 Cricket – Team Sheets & Autograph Pages 337-340 Cycling 341-609 Australian Rules Football 341-517 Football (Australian Rules) 518-600 Cigarette & Trade Cards (Australian Rules Football) 601-609 Football Records 610-632 Football (Rugby League) 633-698 Cigarette & Trade Cards (Rugby League) 699-711 Football (Rugby Union) 712-720 Football (Soccer) 721-727 Golf 728-748 Horse Racing 749-764 Motor Racing 765-842 Olympic Games 843-845 Rowing 846-851 Tennis 852-855 Yachting
Featured Lots
Lot 36
1908 TOMMY BURNS v JACK JOHNSON: £10 'D10' Ringside Ticket (8.5x12cm) for the greatest ever boxing match held in Australia, a heavyweight world title fight between Tommy Burns & Jack Johnson, held at Rushcutters Bay Stadium on Boxing Day, Dec 26th, 1908. On reverse is an oval cachet for the fight's promoter Hugh D. McIntosh. The ticket has some faults, and is accompanied by the photograph frame it has been displayed in for many years. It is the only £10 ticket known, and is accompanied by a Richard Macdonald letter of authentication (12/7/2017).
GRAHAM MCKENZIE COLLECTION - 1963-64 AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA TEST SERIES: Graham McKenzie's Australian blazer in green wool with embroidered Coat-of-Arms & '1963-64' on pocket, named inside 'G McKENZIE, 11/63' on Farmer's (Sydney) maker's label. In very good condition.
GRAHAM MCKENZIE COLLECTION - 1965-66 ASHES SERIES IN AUSTRALIA: Ian Chappell's "Baggy Green" for the 1965-66 Ashes Series in green wool with embroidered Australian Coat-of-Arms & '1965-66' on the front and the interior label marked 'CHAPPELL' The cap was exchanged with Graham McKenzie, as the initial cap sizes were incorrect, and the cap also bears McKenzie's signature on the interior lining. In very good condition.
SHANE WARNE (1969-2022) -1993 ASHES SERIES AUSTRALIAN TEAM BATTING HELMET: Worn during Warne's first Ashes tour of England where he became the leading wicket taker for the six-Test series with 34 wickets. It was in this series, on the 2nd Day of the First Test at Old Trafford, that Warne produced the legendary "Ball of the Century" bamboozling Mike Gatting with a leg-break which pitched outside leg, then turned viciously to clip the off-stump.
DEAN JONES - VICTORIA & AUSTRALIA: Jones's custom crafted flow neck golf carbon-steel putter by T.P. Mills Co (USA), stamped 'DJ 324' on the back of the putter head, length 89cm, comes with TP Mills 'Custom' putter cover; condition almost as new.
ROYAL PARK FOOTBALL CLUB: 1883 Member's Ticket in blue leather with 'R.P.F.C./1883' and borders in gilt on front and reverse. The interior page lists fixtures for 'FIRST TWENTY' & 'SECOND TWENTY', the inside back cover a full printed page with details of the club Patrons, Vice-Presidents, General Committee and Match Committee. The inside front cover provides room for the membership number ("51"), member's name (illegible), and that of the Hon. Sec. (A.Warner).
Royal Park F.C. was founded in 1864.
JAMES HIRD'S RUNNERS-UP MEDAL, from the 2001 Grand Final; the medal showing two players with the MCG in the background, and text "AFL Grand Final, 2001, Runners-up/ AFL". Reverse has text, "To reach the Grand Final, the ultimate event in a long, arduous, and highly competitive season, is a great achievement. Congratulations on behalf of the AFL. Ron Evans, Chairman, AFL Commission". The medal is suspended from the original 2001 Grand Final sash and is accompanied by the box in which it was presented.
RICHARD BECK (1912 - 1985) OLYMPIC GAMES MELBOURNE 28 NOV - 8 DEC 1956, colour lithographic poster, signed in the plate at lower right, printed by Containers Limited, Melbourne. Laid down on linen, 102 x 65cm. The iconic full-sized official poster.
SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPIC TORCH, aluminium and stainless steel, in perspex display case with details of the Torch's inspiration, design & technical aspects, limited edition 423/2000 created to replicate the torches carried by the Torchbearers, overall 54x89cm. With CoA.
