The rationale for the recent purchase by “associates” of Charles Leski of Sotheby's old rooms in Melbourne's Armadale has become clearer with the disclosure that Leski and Paul Sumner of Mossgreen Auctions are to become Australia's third largest auction house and will merge their operations and base them there, writes Terry Ingram.

Having two grandfathers who are respected antique dealers and silversmiths is bound to influence any young boy in his collecting habits. Growing up in Worthing, England Graham Chismon was no exception. Although he studied accountancy and later practised at Monsanto in Melbourne, Mr Chismon’s passion for collecting continued to burn – particularly so after 1990 when his family had grown up.

For well over a decade David Roche, who died in Adelaide on March 27 at the age of 83, was by far Australia's biggest collector of antiques, writes Terry Ingram. On at least 50 overseas trips, many also coinciding with the dog competitions he judged, Roche purchased 18^th and early 19^th century decorative arts with an estimated value of over $70 million. These have been channelled into the David Roche Foundation, which he established in 1999 and which  will be housed and a substantial part on public view at a property in Melbourne Street, North Adelaide.

In the world of sports memorabilia and philatelic auctions, Charles Leski is a towering presence. But it is a niche marketplace. Conducting business in this specialised field does not require foot-traffic and a prominent street frontage; the company’s headquarters in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn East seemed to fit the bill nicely.