b'4The Michael & Valerie Gregg CollectionMy parents, Michael and Valerie Gregg, had a shared1950s and early 1960s. She shared memories with us passion for collecting that spanned a multitude ofabout nursing the Dalai Llamas mother in London, and countries, genres, time periods and styles. Their collectionstaking up a midwifery post in Canada on a First Nations included antique silver, furniture and ceramics, artisan andreservation. One of her favourite stories was to recount traditional jewellery, traditional weaving, indigenous art andher experiences while travelling through Ireland on a horse wood carving, millinery, quilting, books, coins, stamps anddrawn gypsy caravan.occasionally, other objects that they found irresistible. My father was born in 1936 in Guernsey in the Channel Their knowledge and judgement were astute, honed overIslands. His family left Guernsey before the war broke out, 65 years of researching, learning and fostering their passionwhich ended up being a very fortuitous move as Guernsey for collecting the artefacts that engaged thembothwas occupied by the Germans during WW2. After a short antique and modern. They also received so much joy fromstint in the merchant navy in the late 1950s, he travelled their connections with other like-minded dealers, galleryto Australia as a 21 year old, becoming a pommy jackaroo owners, sculptors, artists and creatives who were alsoon a remote cattle station in Brewarrina, in northern passionate about preserving and sharing items of historicalNew South Wales.or creative significance. Our family home could be likenedIt was there, in that remote outback town with a population to a museum and an archaeological dig site as literally eachof around 1,000 people, that my mum and dad met. They step would uncover something rare and unique. married in 1968, after moving to Cremorne, a harbourside While I cant write with any expertise about theirsuburb of Sydney that Mum had discovered through her collections, I can endeavour to give you a glimpse of themvolunteer work with cerebral palsy Girl Guides at Mosman. as people. Both my parents were born in the 1930s, but onThey had found a well located, beautiful historic sandstone opposite sides of the world. cottage and with the help of a friendly bank manager they Mum was born in 1934 in Wagga Wagga, the eldest ofwere able to purchase their first home and what turned three children. She excelled at school and was headingout to be a great asset. This quality of astute investment towards becoming a teacher but got bored waitingacumen combined with an eye for beauty and history is for teachers college to start, and instead, decided todefinitely something that is woven through my parents life do nursing, where she could begin straight away atand their collections.Wagga Base Hospital. With the purchase of this historic cottage my parents went This career took her all over the world and she spent fiveabout furnishing it with antique furniture, fuelling their love years on a working holiday, travelling through Europe andfor English and, eventually, Australian antique furniture.North America, basing herself in London during the late'