Davidson Auctions

About Davidson Auctions

Davidson Auctions is an art auction house in the inner west of Sydney. It specialises in Australian and international art and holds at least three specialist art auctions each year in its gallery-style rooms in Annandale. The firm reports that it usually sells 80% or more of the artworks consigned to it.

Davidson Auctions is a long-term member of the Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia. Client money is held in a separate vendor account that is audited each year.

History

The business has operated since 2002, always in Sydney's inner west. It says it pioneered the themed sale "Provenance: Family of the Artist", which offers works coming directly from artists' families. That sale and "Select International Editions" are now held once a year.

What Davidson Auctions sells

The premium art sales include paintings and sculpture, Indigenous works, photography, etchings and other prints. Artists regularly offered include David and Arthur Boyd, Pro Hart, Brett Whiteley, Norman Lindsay, John Coburn, Charles Blackman, Sidney Nolan, Arthur Streeton and Lloyd Rees. The firm notes strong current demand for Australian women artists such as Clarice Beckett, Margaret Preston and Emily Kngwarreye.

Regular Estate and Collector auctions add other material to the art. These sales often feature deceased estates and individual collections.

• Silver and jewellery
• Asian antiques and objets d'art
• Designer objects
• Australian and studio pottery
• Tribal and ethnographic art

At the July 2026 Australian and International Art sale, John Coburn's painting Temple (1965) sold for a hammer price of $135,000.

Selling at Davidson Auctions

Appraisals are free and carry no obligation. Requests can be made through the online form, by email, or in the rooms by appointment from Tuesday to Thursday, 10 am to 3 pm. The standard seller's commission is 22% of the first $500 of the hammer price and 16.5% after that, both including GST.

Administration, handling and in-house photography are included in the commission rather than charged separately. Commission is payable only if the item sells. Artworks liable for the Australian resale royalty have 5% of the hammer price deducted where the law requires it. Proceeds are paid within 31 days of the auction, and usually within two to three weeks.

Buying and bidding

A buyer's premium of 22% is added to the hammer price. For domestic bidders this includes GST. International bidders pay 22% exclusive of GST. There are four ways to bid.

• In the room: register for a paddle in advance or on the day.
• Telephone: submit a phone bid form in writing for approval.
• Absentee: leave a maximum bid on a form or through a website account.
• Live online: bid through Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers, which adds a 5% fee on the hammer price on top of the premium.

New clients must provide photo identification. Purchases must be paid for and collected within three working days, and a credit card surcharge of 1% applies.

Location and viewing

Davidson Auctions is at Level 1, 41-43 Parramatta Road, Annandale NSW, about ten minutes from Sydney's CBD, with parking and rear lane access. All lots can be inspected before the sale, and catalogues go online about a week before each auction. Condition reports are free on request until 24 hours before the sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the buyer's premium at Davidson Auctions?

Domestic buyers pay a 22% premium including GST, and international buyers pay 22% excluding GST. Live online bids through Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers carry an extra 5% fee.

What commission does Davidson Auctions charge sellers?

The standard rate is 22% of the first $500 of the hammer price and 16.5% thereafter, including GST. Photography, handling and administration are included in that rate.

How often does Davidson Auctions hold art sales?

It holds at least three specialist Australian and international art auctions each year. Estate and Collector auctions and two annual themed sales run alongside them.