The fine art, Persian rugs and luxury furniture of William and Rose Porteous will go on sale this weekend, as the couple look to offload several "valuable" items from their collections.
The fine art, Persian rugs and luxury furniture of William and Rose Porteous will go on sale this weekend, as the couple look to offload several valuable items from their collections.
William Porteous, 81, a prominent luxury real estate agent, and Rose Porteous, 77, have been central figures in WA public life for over three decades.
The couple’s high-profile marriage in 1992 followed the death of Rose’s third husband, iron ore billionaire Lang Hancock.
The upcoming sale marks a rare public offering of items that once furnished some of Perth’s most recognisable properties, including Prix d’Amour, the Mosman Park mansion the couple occupied until its demolition in 2006.
Many of the items slated for sale have been kept out of the public eye for years.
"It's stuff we've accumulated from all our houses; we've had it all in storage for 15 years and thought we'd better sell it before we're gone," Mr Porteous told Business News.
"There's quite a few valuable things there."
Ms Porteous, a former maid, married Mr Hancock in 1985.
She was frequently at the center of national media attention following a protracted legal dispute with her late partner's daughter and Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, over the Hancock family estate—a battle that lasted over a decade before reaching a settlement.
Three months after Mr Hancock's death, she married for the fourth time to Mr Hancock's long-time friend, William Porteous.
Since then, the couple has been known for their lavish lifestyle and extensive collection of international antiques and European art.
The estate sale will take place at shops 2 and 3 Station Street, Cottesloe, on Sunday.
It will feature Persian rugs, chaises, sofas, dining tables and chairs, framed artworks, bedside drawers and chests.
When asked for an estimate on the total value of the goods, Mr Porteous noted that the market would decide the final price.
A former project manager for the Bond Corporation during the 1970s, Mr Porteous has grown to become Perth’s most recognisable luxury real estate agent.
He famously set a national record in 2009 when he brokered the $57.5 million sale of a Mosman Park mansion—at the time, the most expensive residential transaction in Australian history.
