Wheel Keeps Turning At Ferris
The Age
Saturday June 14, 2003
When Lynton Ferris mounts the stand, gavel in hand, on Sunday June 22 to conduct his next special antique auction at 52 Mollison Street, Kyneton, buyers may not be aware of the enormous sense of history surrounding his actions.
Lynton is the third-generation auctioneer for Ferris Auctions, believed to be one of Australia's oldest auction houses. Established on the site in 1916 by his grandfather Herbert to provide new furnishings and an auction facility to Kyneton and the surrounding farming district, the business has been a real family affair and has played an integral role in development of the town.
``One of the services we provided from the early days was to auction produce from the nearby Chinese market garden," Lynton said.
``It became a regular weekly feature well into the 1930s."
Situated about an hour's drive from Melbourne halfway to Bendigo on the Calder Freeway, Kyneton is recognised for its 19th century granite streets and high number of bluestone heritage buildings, supporting enterprises ranging from wool-spinning to fine china in a setting reminiscent of an English village. An important stop-over for the 1850s gold rush era, the town is the capital of the Macedon Ranges Shire, a region famous since Victoria's first settlement for its plentiful forests, rivers, mineral springs and rich volcanic soils.
Lynton's father, Doug, entered the business about 1930 and the Ferris family continued to provide a comprehensive choice of new furnishings and collectibles for the people of Kyneton and surrounding districts.
Doug's sister, Jean, opened a china and crockery store, which doubled as the main office for H. Ferris Pty Ltd, a few doors away and auctions tended to play more of a support role to other aspects of the business. Herbert retired in the early 1950s and within a couple of years, Lynton's older brother, Doug, had joined his father in the business.
When Lynton matriculated from Xavier College in the early 1960s, he spent several years working for a Carlton-based real estate agent before joining his brother and father back in Kyneton.
Passionately interested in second-hand furnishings and old artefacts, Lynton concentrated on expanding the auction side of the business.
``Antiques became popular in the late 1970s so, in addition to the weekly sales, I introduced special regular auctions to help dispose of them," he said.
He said buyers came from Melbourne, Bendigo and surrounding country towns to the special sales and, by the time his father retired, the company had become a 100 per cent auction house.
Next Sunday's auction, from 10.30am, will be notable for a mid-Victorian burr walnut loo table, an early Victorian cedar and mahogany rose marble-top washstand and an 1830s former judge's chamber cedar and mahogany chiffonier secretaire.
Other notable furniture includes a Victorian cedar secretaire bookcase, a large mid-Victorian breakfront cedar sideboard, a cedar mahogany chest of drawers, a cedar marble top hall tree and two Federation hall stands.
The auction will begin with 150 lots comprising contents from a farm shed in the district.
Lynton said with so many years spent by three generations of the one family auctioning such a wide range of items, there is always the odd amusing anecdote.
One of his auction assistants, now about 70, has gained a reputation as a stand-up comic and people often come to the sales just to hear his off-the-cuff remarks.
``Some years ago, we were auctioning a vase that one of the women buyers was keen to obtain," Lynton said. ``She was standing right near us and every time there was a bid she would quickly counter with a higher offer. Finally, some one at the back of the auction asked my assistant to hold the vase up higher so he could obtain a better look.
``Trying to distract the assistant and secure the sale, she told him his fly was undone. Completely deadpan and still holding the vase high, he responded `dead men don't fall out of windows' at which everybody just cracked up.
``Needless to say, the woman was laughing so hard she forgot to bid and I knocked the vase down to someone else."
Viewing is Thursday to Saturday from 9.30am-4pm and Sunday from 9am. For information contact 5422 1577.
• Tomorrow from 11am, Moreland Auctions will auction antique furniture at 793-795 Sydney Road, Brunswick.
Among the more-than 500 lots will be Victorian cedar, blackwood and Huon pine furniture from local and country estates.
A feature of the auction will be a container of antique furniture, artefacts and porcelain up to 200 years old from southern China. For information, contact 9386 4800.
© 2003 The Age
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