Practical answers on buying, valuing, consigning and donating Aboriginal art. Every enquiry is handled personally by Adrian Newstead OAM.
Contact the gallery directly at adrian@newsteadart.com or +61 412 126 645 to enquire about works currently available through the gallery or by private treaty. Adrian will respond personally. The gallery at 31 Lamrock Avenue, Bondi Beach, is open by appointment. Private viewings can also be arranged at the Château des Deux Amants in Normandy for collectors based in or travelling through Europe.
A formal valuation from Newstead Art is conducted by Adrian Newstead, an Approved Government Valuer under the Federal Cultural Gifts Program with continuous accreditation since 1996. Valuations are provided as formal written reports for insurance, probate, estate administration, family law, pre-sale assessment, pre-purchase verification, and Cultural Gifts Program donation. Contact: adrian@newsteadart.com.
Newstead Art accepts consignments for its regular Fine Australian Aboriginal Art Auctions on an ongoing basis. Adrian handles consignment discussions personally and will advise on estimate levels, reserve pricing, timing, and whether auction or private treaty is the more appropriate channel for a specific work. Contact: adrian@newsteadart.com.
The Cultural Gifts Program is a Federal Government scheme allowing individuals and organisations to donate culturally significant works to eligible Australian public collections and claim a deduction on their taxable income equal to the approved market value. The donation requires two independent valuations from Program-approved valuers. Adrian Newstead has conducted Cultural Gifts Program valuations since 1996 and can manage the full process for collectors considering a donation.
Provenance is the documented life of an artwork: the record of how it was made, who has owned it, where it has been exhibited, and what attention it has received from galleries, museums and scholars. It is one of the primary determinants of value and resale-ability in the Aboriginal art market. The Index of Provenance, developed by Adrian Newstead and reproduced in full on this website, provides a practical scoring framework for assessing and building the provenance of any work.
Yes. A painting that passes from an artist to an art centre and on to a gallery or dealer is one of several legitimate pathways to retail sale. So too is a work that an artist chooses to sell through an independent dealer. In a transaction handled properly, a dealer can demonstrate that the artist had genuine agency and was fairly compensated. An artist's right to choose how their work reaches the market is part of the artistic agency the industry exists to protect. The ethical question is not which channel a work passed through, but how the artist was treated. Newstead Art has been built on direct, long-standing relationships with Aboriginal artists and their representatives, and every work it handles meets the same standard of transparency and artist benefit.
Authentic Aboriginal art is made by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist. The most reliable verification is a documented chain back to the art centre, agent, or dealer who first sold or represented the work, combined with the seller's willingness to assist with independent confirmation. If you have questions about the authenticity of a specific work, Newstead Art can assist with assessment.
Valuation fees depend on the number of works being valued, the purpose of the valuation, and the complexity of the assessment required. Begin by reading the valuations section of this website, then contact Adrian directly to discuss the scope and cost for your circumstances: adrian@newsteadart.com.
Yes. In addition to accepting consignments for auction and facilitating private treaty sales on behalf of vendors, Newstead Art purchases significant works outright for its own gallery stock. If you have a work you are considering selling, contact Adrian to discuss the options.
Yes. Newstead Art has worked with international collectors since 1981, and registered buyers can bid in its auctions live and online from anywhere in the world. For collectors based overseas, works can be presented privately at the Château des Deux Amants in Normandy, at Gauchet Fine Art in Geneva, or by correspondence with full condition reporting, provenance documentation and comparative market analysis. All prices on this website are in Australian dollars (AUD). Contact the gallery to discuss shipping and insurance for a specific work and destination: adrian@newsteadart.com.
Australia's Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 controls the export of certain categories of cultural material, and some Aboriginal artworks and objects require a permit before they can leave the country — while many contemporary works do not. The rules depend on the type, age and significance of the work. Adrian Newstead, a founding member of Austrade's Visual Art Export Panel, can advise on whether a permit is likely to be required for a particular work and how the application process works, before you commit to a purchase.
The Bondi Beach gallery is generally open from 10.00am to 5.00pm, Tuesday to Saturday, excluding public holidays. Adrian is often away on outside consultancies or travelling overseas, and while gallery manager Jasmin Smith runs the day-to-day operation, she may occasionally be called away for appointments. It is always best to make an appointment. Contact Jasmin Smith at jasmin@newsteadart.com to arrange a time, or call +61 412 126 645.
Contact Adrian directly — adrian@newsteadart.com or +61 412 126 645.