August 12, 2020
Lady Bjelke-Petersen – or “Lady Flo” as she was better known – would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday.
Sadly, the former Queensland Senator died in December 2017, but it seemed fitting her estate – and that of her late husband, Sir Joh – were in the spotlight on her special day.
On Wednesday, Lloyds Auctions released some of the results of Tuesday’s historic auction.
Online bids closed at 7:00pm.
One of the headline pieces was a 1969 autographed post-Moon Landing world tour luncheon schedule signed by the participants including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, then-PM John Gorton and other dignitaries. This raised $39,000.
Another similar luncheon schedule, signed by Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, sold for $25,000.
Sir Joh’s desk sold for $3700; his briefcase, $3000; his Stetson hat, $5000; and his 1982 Jaguar, $14,500.
A Lloyds spokesperson said Lady Flo almost stole the show with her cake tins attracting a winning bid of $410 for the set of two.
A bidder also paid $224 for a ceramic soup ladle bearing her famous pumpkin scone recipe.
A portrait of Sir Joh, entered into the Archibald Prize by Sir William Dargie, sold for $22,500.
An oil painting by Pro Hart raised $8150 and a silver platter presented to the Bjelke-Petersens from the Queen and Prince Philip to mark the 1982 Commonwealth Games sold for $7250.
The more than 800 items in the historic auction had no reserve prices.
“The prices we saw for these items last night I think will bring many more important pieces of memorabilia just like these out of people’s treasure troves,” Lloyds Auctions’ chief operations officer Lee Hames said.
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