Late Bill Wood's collection of 1000 items heads to auction
Nearly 1000 items from Bill Wood's collection, ranging from political documents to community memorabilia, go to auction.
Bill Wood was a Labor member of the ACT's first Legislative Assembly in 1989. Wood served until 2004 as both police and arts minister.
Bill Wood died in 2024 aged 88, leaving behind a lifetime of passionate collecting. Bev, his widow, said he hunted fetes, op shops and bookshops.
He gathered rare items tied to Canberra's history and politics. Wood organised everything into 23 categories: nature, local affairs, churches, sport, clubs and more.
The collection includes the first Hansard from the first Assembly. It also has books about Manuka's street lights.
There is a wooden letter rack from Brisbane's Bellevue Hotel. That hotel was demolished overnight in 1979 by Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Some items have already gone to the ACT Heritage Library. The remaining lots go online at allbids.com.au from 4 November.
- 1989 to 2004
- Years in ACT Assembly
- Nearly 1000
- Collection lots for auction
- 23
- Organisation categories
- 88
- Age at death
Why it mattersOne person's careful record of Canberra's early years and politics is now for sale. People who care about history will want it.
AustraliaCanberra residents can access pieces of the city's founding era and early political history, with some items preserved in public collections.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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