Search of Darwin op shops hits jackpot
Two of the many interesting books found , above, were from the library of the late Northern Territory legend, Nan Giese, AO, OBE , MBE, a leader and pioneer in education and the visual and performing arts . In 2011 Charles Darwin University named the Nan Giese Gallery in her honour . She died in 2012 aged 90.
By Peter Simon
The book on the left is the first volume of the artist Donald Friend's Diary , edited by Anne Gray ,published by the National Library of Australia , 2001, which appears to have been a birthday present to Mrs Giese from her renowned daughter , Diana , a writer, editor , publisher and oral historian , responsible for extensive research into and writing about Chinese Australians .
The National Library of Australia has the Diana Giese Collection .
A handwritten inscription in the book urged Mum to " Enjoy this diverting read!"
A rapid read of the tome brought out the fact that young Donald Friend , about 19, not wanting to go on the land like his pastoralist father , with his artistic mother's clandestine support , in the l930s , had rolled up his swag and slipped away to North Queensland .There he spent time in the Townsville area, slept in a cave and visited Magnetic Island .
The other book, bearing Nan Giese's penned name , dated December 1991, is the memoir of James Fairfax , son of Sir Warwick Fairfax , of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper dynasty . James became chairman of the John Fairfax Limited board , Amalgamated Television Services and David Syme Limited.
He built up a large art collection ,was on the council of the Australian National Gallery and on the International Council of the New York Museum of Modern Art.
There is a frontispiece of James Fairfax ,with a dog , posing at the early Australian mansion ,Retford Park , Bowral , NSW, which he bought in 1964 and later gave to the National Trust , the magnificent building and grounds covered in the latest ABC Gardening Australia .
It is interesting to note that the house Nan Giese lived in at Myilly Point, Darwin, from 1947 , was also handed over to the National Trust .
Items from his art collection were run in Woman's Day magazine as limited print editions . Thereby hangs an interesting tale . When I was a reporter on the Sydney Morning Herald, one of the paper's car drivers opened up about the Fairfax art collection during a late night card game in the Police Rounds room .
To prepare a painting for inclusion in Woman's Day, it had to be driven to the Sungravure printery to be photographed and made ready for the printing process .
The driver said he was given a painting which was placed on the back seat , almost like a baby , and he was instructed not to go any faster than 30mph , to prevent it from sustaining damage in the event of a sudden stop .
Not aware there was a rare, valuable painting aboard , some motorists became angry, honked their horns , gave him the finger . Despite the strict instructions issued at the outset , he sped along.
I attended the first auction held by Christie's , London, in Sydney and when an Australian painting from the James Fairfax collection ,which included works by Donald Friend , was offered , it was knocked down for a healthy sum. However, a member of the audience complained that he still had his hand up to bid . Bidding reopened, and it eventually sold for several thousand bucks more . Lucky James .
He was , however, not so lucky just before Christmas 1969 when two nuns , out for a spin , ran into his car at Bowral and he sustained six broken ribs and a punctured lung.
In an unkind account of the accident , a showbiz reporter told me that James probably thought he was in Heaven when he came to at the accident site and found himself craddled by a nun, beseeching him not to die . The nuns involved in the crash were nicknamed the Frisky Sisters in the book .
