❓ The Minister for the Arts addresses concerns regarding the auction of Freycinet materials, outlining efforts to secure funding and bid for items of historical significance to Western Australia.
AnsweredQoN 198Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
The forthcoming auction of Freycinet materials has attracted a lot of public and media attention. Will the minister advise the House what is being done to secure these important historical items for Western Australia? Ms S.M. McHALE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Ms S.M. McHALE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
The auction, as most members would know from the article in the paper today, is being held at six o’clock Perth time tonight at Christie’s in London. The collection follows the development of the major scientific voyage undertaken by Freycinet from 1817 to 1820. The work is being offered for sale by the liquidators of Alan Bond’s assets. It contains unique items relevant to Australia’s history, which have great significance to the history of Western Australia. The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
The historical importance of these items to our State is unquestionable. In the past two weeks I have been working extensively with the custodians of the State Library of Western Australia to secure a mix of private and public funding that will enable us to participate in the auction tonight as serious bidders. However, I am aware - and it is important for all members to be aware - that other private international bidders with an interest in the collection can be expected to bid vigorously for the collection. Our preference is to secure items in the lots that relate to Western Australia on behalf of the State, but we will be prudent in the use of the funds that we have secured and made available for this purpose. I am excited about the capacity of the Government to bid. Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Ms S.E. Walker: How much have you secured? Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Ms S.M. McHALE: I will not indicate how much money that is, because it would be foolish and naive to put that on record. I assure the House that, whatever the final outcome, we will have done our utmost to secure the work for Western Australia.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.