Introduction

Welcome to the official website of the Auction of Peter Troy’s Collection of British New Guinea and Papua.

This website is aimed at enlightening you about the wonderful collection formed by Peter Troy of Australia. The website contains information about the collection, his Large Gold Medal exhibit, biography, press releases, the auction itself and the results. The auction itself was held on the 28th of July 2009 in the Prestige Philately Showrooms – Melbourne Australia.

We hope you enjoy this production as a permanent memento to this fabulous collection.

Gary Watson – Director and Auctioneer of Prestige Philately

Peter Troy OAM

Peter Troy was born at Hamilton in Western Victoria. At an early age, his family moved to Torquay near Geelong where Peter’s father ran the local newsagency. His lifelong love affair with the ocean began at Torquay where Peter learned to surf while still at primary school. In 1956, at the age of 18, Peter represented Australia at the Olympic Games in the demonstration sport of surf lifesaving. His passion for surfing and his love of the Torquay area resulted in Peter and a couple of mates bulldozing a rough track to a previously inaccessible cove known as Bells Beach. He ran the first Bells Beach board rally in 1961 and two years later the first of the now world-famous championship surfing carnivals at that venue.Despite having qualified as a chartered accountant, in May 1963 Peter picked up his surfboard and spent the next three years travelling the world, from the Antarctic to Spitsbergen. He walked across the Kalahari (without finding any surf beaches!), sailed across the Atlantic solo, introduced surfing to Brazil, and developed into a remarkable young man.

Peter kept a journal of his adventures. One extract from April 1964 tells us a lot about Peter Troy: “To travel, to know, understand and respect other countries are the prime conditions for peaceful co-existence between the peoples of the world. To preach and practise tolerance is of greater value, and promises more happiness for mankind, than the propagation of political ideologies.” He was 26.Finally back in Australia, Peter established a successful accounting practice but still found time to surf. It was in his blood. He was the founder of the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame (and a reluctant inductee after many years of vetoing his own nomination!), and the Surfworld Museum at Torquay. He was also the Honorary Historian for Surfing Australia. In 2007, he was acknowledged for his contributions as a pioneer of surfing in this country with the award of an OAM (the Medal of the Order of Australia).

Somehow, the passionate surfer became a passionate philatelist. He dipped his toe into these unfamiliar waters only in 1982. Soon he was well and truly hooked, and pursuing new adventures with his beloved Lakatois. In an effort to both improve his knowledge and share his love for stamps, Peter became involved in competitive exhibiting. He had two major advantages: an eye for a quality item; and a wife who not only fully supported his hobby but also planned and laid-out his exhibits. Between them Peter and Libby Troy became a formidable presence in the exhibiting halls of the world, culminating of course in the FIP Large Gold Medal awarded at Prague in 2008.

Peter was friendly with most of the leading collectors of Papua, many of whom were encouraged to assist him directly in attaining his philatelic goals. The catalogue for his collection contains extensive details of provenance for the better items, many of which are noted as having been acquired privately from Roger Lee, Peter Gold, Fred Pearson, Clive Fenn, Bill Tatters and others. And one must add to this list, Peter’s best mate, Jerry Blair, who both mentored the former surfie and sold to him many of the finest items in the collection.In September last year, Roger Lee attended a display in London of material from the Royal Collection. Included was the Papuan section of what is undeniably the finest philatelic collection ever formed. Afterwards, Roger sent an email to Peter in which he gushed “In all, Peter, there is no way you would ever, ever, ever consider swapping collections with Her Majesty! Your collection is far and away the best Papua in existence.”

So it is. But all who have contributed to these brief notes agree that as fine as this collection is, it was assembled by a man who was finer still. One of Peter’s favourite sayings was “Hold out your hand to help the next person up.” Peter Troy should be remembered as a maverick, an adventurer, a surfing legend, a consummate philatelist, but, most of all, as an all round decent human being.

Peter Troy Collection

Peter Troy AOM 1938 - 2008

Hold out your hand to help the next person up

Peter Troy was awarded the AOM in 2006 for services to surfing

FIP Large Gold Medal Collection

Exhibiting your collection

Peter Troy was awarded a Large Gold Medal in 2008 at Prague

The Auction

Auction Activity

The Auction at Prestige Philately was very bouyant

Outstanding results for Peter Troy

Auction Results

Another fantastic result at Prestige Philately

Introduction

Peter Troy OAM

Peter Troys New Book

Auction House

Auction Overview

Auction Results

Exhibiting

Study Circles

Feature Items