You won't see many of these chairs around. This is a gentleman's cedar c1865 armchair with turned legs (an antique's dealer friend thinks it is even older), turned side spindles and serpentine arm scrolls. The chair is covered in a modern crappy brown velvet but can be recovered in leather if you are wanting to restore it completely. The chair is a good size, a bit bigger than an ordinary dining chair but not so large that it cannot be moved freely. This would be a stunning chair if restored. Well worth the effort.

early colonial West Australian pine chiffonier, from the Lord McAlpine collection

Item number: FUR27042338

Price: ALHH NFS atm

early colonial West Australian pine chiffonier
from the Lord McAlpine collection



A stunning example of early West Australian bush carpentry

This magificant early West Australian pine chiffonier in original condition, with provenence...it was in the Lord McAlpine collection, and was made by the late Earnie Scott of Bullfinch (a town in WA just north of Southern Cross, east of Coolgardie)....this was on a note inside one of teh drawers. The note inside, included by the previous owner, when it was dumped at an auction some time ago, says the dresser is c1900 but I believe it is earlier.  I have been studying and collecting early Australian furniture for some 20 years now. 

It is in very original condition. It is solid wood (I believe it is cypress and/or baltic pine), made extremely well by a bush carpenter. One of the timbers inside the chiffonier is from an old tea box as well (under the drawer on the right hand side...see photos). I believe it was made in the late 19th century, c1870-80. It still have most of it's original finish....the finish has faded in a few places from the sun etc but can easily be revived, just needs a bit of metho rubbed gently over it, and a light oil. I have not touched this piece. It has been in storage. The only other faults with it are that one of the glass handles to the cupborads has been lost and a small piece (tiny) of wood around the shelf support (at the base) is missing (you hardly notice).

It is quite large, measuring 150 cms high, 124 cms wide and 82 cms deep.

Early colonial Jarrah chest drawers c1865

Item number: FUR27042341

Price: NFS atm

Early colonial Jarrah chest drawers c1865

This is a rare find indead. Hailed by Lord McAlpine, West Australian colonial furniture is the rarest colonial furniture in the world. This is because the Swan River Colony (now called Perth) only had a population of some 3,000 people in the mid 19th century.

This stunning chest of drawers, with original patina and made from select jarrah (curvy and oyster) timbers, is in excellent condition. It belonged to an elderly gentleman in Cottesloe.

A very similar piece can be viewed in the book "Memories", by Graham Cornall, photographs of the McAlpine collection, page 197.
This piece was alos photographed and placed in a more recent book by Timothy Harris on Early west australian colonial furniture.

It has well proportioned and generous dimensions: 1 metre wide, 92 cms tall and 48 cms deep. Sits on superb turned bun feet.

This superb rare colonial chest of drawers can be seen by vetted appointment only.

This is a superb investment piece. This piece has recently been photgraphed for a new book on early WA colonial furniture. It is currently not for sale. I was offered $4500 for it but I declined. 

Large Australian colonial cedar dining table with fitted glass top, c1870

Item number: FUR28040018

Price: $2750

This is a superb Australian colonial cedar dining table on a thick tripod pedestal stand with lion claw feet legs. I believe it is c1860-1870.

It is in excellent condition...even the porcelain and brass rollers are still there.

When it was made it use to tilt, but the previous owners replaced the mechanism so it is open all of the time...this can be restored if desired but from my own experience when it has the tilt action is is a bit rocky...as it is, it is as firm as.

The top is fitted with a thick glass plate/sheet to protect the wooden top....this is very functional....you don't have to worry about what you put on top of it, as is usually the case with old shellaced tables.

The diameter of the top is 107.5 cms.

The height of the table is 74 cms.

Pieces like this are hard to come by in Perth, so don't miss this opportunity.

jarrah & huon pine turned leg desk c1910

Item number: FUR28040054

Price: $950 ON HOLD pending sale

jarrah & huon pine turned leg desk

This is a lovely old desk which has been in the family for some 20 years or more. When I bought it, it had a vinyl cover over the huon pine top, but this was obviously not original, so I removed it. I am not sure if it would have had anything over the top when it was made. It also had a strip of jarrah nailed on the sides of the top, to hold the vinyl in place, which was also not original and this was also removed. I placed a strip of cedar veneer along the edges of the top to hide the nail holes from this jarrah beading. This is iron-on with glue on the back. As you can probably see from the photos it has lifted in a couple of places. This can be secured back again with a clothes iron, which I will probably get around to do before it is sold. The desk was being used by my daughter, who recently finished her university studies and is no longer required.

Overall the desk is in excellent condition. The top is about 153 cms x 90 cms (quite a large surface), and the top is about 76 cms from the ground. The top is definitely huon pine, and the legs and base definitely jarrah. You will see some birds-eye huon pine knots in the photos of the top. Huon pine is a rich yellow colour, often likened to what gold is in metals. It is arguably the rarest timber in the world. The top is made from two pieces of huon pine. One is quite large. There is a small gap between the two top planks. I have never worried about it, but if this concerns you, you can always lift up the smaller plank and move it a bit closer to the larger plank. The desk has two drawers with their original art nouvesu style handles, and a knee-hole cutting in the middle. I believe The finish on the jarrah is original. The desk is c1910-1920. The desk is in very good condition. It is hard to find such a lovely jarrah desk in such good condition, and with such a lovely huon pine top.

tall Victorian cedar washstand/whatnot with marble top

Item number: FUR03051604

Price: $695

tall Victorian cedar washstand with marble top

This is a nice tall early Australian antique red cedar washstand/whatnot with finely turned legs, a drawer (with original brass handle), a stretcher base, brass & porcelain casters, and a blue/grey marble/stone top. In very good original condition. The washstand is about  90 cms tall, and the marble top is about  33.5 cms x 49,5 cms. The marble top has a rounded edge. That is just a reflection on bottom shelf from mirror behind.

early Western Australian Jarrah blind bookcase, RARE

Item number: FUR06071701

Price: NFS atm

This is an early Western Australian jarrah 'blind' bookcase (the blind just means that the top doors are solid wood and not glass). The front and sides of the bookcase are solid jarrah. The back boards are old baltic pine, and the shelves are old pine. One of the shelves inside seems to have been added or changed. and the back boards to the top seem to have been flipped around as the back painted (top half only). The handles are c1920 and have been added. I know they were added because there is a key ring hole on the inside behind these brass handles. I think it would have had glass know like handles when made. Someone has also put 2 holes on the backboards in the top half, probably to get wires into it, maybe a radio or television. I would say it is c1890, or maybe even earlier, as it is solid jarrah. The door panels are solid jarrah bevelled on the inside. The wood to the doors has also been especially chosen to be book-matched oyster grain jarrah, fitted upside down on the left and right doors. It is hard to find early jarrah furniture, let alone a bookcase. I have taken a few photographs below. Please ask any questions if you have any concerns.