Hello there. My stepfather collected approx 30 Ion Idriess books and he has since died. Just wondering what to do with them. We would like them to go to a good home. List attached. Cheers in advance. Steven

This auction was bereft of Idriess except for Lot 454 - three Walkabout Magazines (Oct. '37, Dec. '38 and Apr. '51) with articles by Ion Idriess, which I acquired for $20. As the estimate was $50 - $100 and as they had passed at a previous auction when the estimate was $150 - $200 (yes, that seems excessive), it was an ok buy - but single copies can be bought on line for $8 to $12. Another lot I bought has an indirect connection to Idriess via my Idriess collection. This was Lot 183, a paperback book called Diary of a New Chum by Paul Warrego. Paul who? you say. Paul Warrego was the pseudonym of the noted French-Australian author Paul Wenz. He wrote mainly in French for a French audience: Diary of a New Chum was his only published book in English. But his literary circle included Miles Franklin, Jack London and Frank Clune. And he at least seems to have met Ion Idriess. I have a copy of Over the Range signed by Idriess and addressed to Mr Paul Wenz. Anyway, $60 for a scarce 1908 first ed. of Diary of a New Chum seemed good to me.

I am not an apologist for Sydney Rare Book Auctions , but the last auctions from this auction house have featured the estate of Ion Idriess - obviously a one off, once in a lifetime experience for collectors of Idriess - I'm pretty sure he only had one estate! This auction seems to include the last lots from that estate. There were photos, maps, articles, posters and books - though the Idriess books were perhaps not from his estate. For $2,800 you could have had a hand-written, unpublished manuscript by Idriess about early Australian aviators. There was also a typed copy of this - not sure if it was identical - which started about $150 - which is about where my bidding started and ended! - and quickly went to $425 - which was above the auction estimate. It looked an interesting manuscript. It would be great to see it published! Some photos associated with Idriess and from his estate went for $110, which seemed reasonable. Various posters went from $70 to $120, which also seemed pretty good buys. As to the books, I bid on a few lots, but in hindsight should probably have bid a bit higher. Lot 216 was a first edition Lasseter - no DJ (with bonus diary) which went for $100. I already had one, but this looked better condition than mine. In any case it was a bargain and worth 2 or 3 times the winning bid. I only bid to $90. Darn! Lot 217 was a first edition Cornstalk Madman's Island (no DJ), which went for the bargain price of $180. It is rare to see one of these for under $500. Lot 218 featured four first editions - no DJ's - which went for $160. One was Flynn (I don't have a first of this) and the price was probably nearly worth it for this alone, as it was for The Cattle King . The other firsts - Over the Range and Forty Fathoms Deep - are also worth $50 - $100, according to this site (Idriess.info). Unfortunately my bidding didn't even get to $100 - probably should have tried a little harder! Lot 219 was three signed Idriess firsts (no DJ's) - 2 national ed. (Forty Fathoms and Men of the Jungle ), and Over the Range and at $100, a good buy (but not by me!). Lot 533 featured 7 later Idriess firsts with DJ's. The DJ's were a little tatty on some, but even so, at less than $20 a copy, a very good deal. There were 2 Tracks of Destiny as well as Back O'Cairns , The Vanished People , The Nor'Westers , Isles of Despair and My Mate Dick . If you were the lucky bidder for any of these items - well done, you did bid well!