Iconic Toowoomba business holds its final auction

ON A Saturday morning nearly 20 years ago, Pat Dunne came home and told his wife Nikki he had bought an auction centre.

Auctioneer, Pat Dunne conducts the last auction at the Toowoomba Auction Centre in Rocla Court. July 2018. Picture: Bev Lacey

ON A Saturday morning nearly 20 years ago, Pat Dunne came home and told his wife Nikki he had bought an auction centre.

It prompted her to ask him whether he knew anything about auctioneering, to which Mr Dunne replied: "If (the former owner) can do it, I can do it."

Now, after a "bloody steep learning curve" and nearly two decades operating the Toowoomba Auction Centre in Rocla Court, the Dunnes have held their final auction at the site.

But it is not the end of their work in the auction industry.

With the building sold to a new owner, the couple is "having a break for a while" and Mr Dunne will now focus on providing one-on-one auctioneering services for clearing sales.

Mr Dunne said that after the hammer fell on the final lot at Saturday's auction, he was feeling excited for the future.

Auctioneer, Pat Dunne conducts the last auction at the Toowoomba Auction Centre in Rocla Court. July 2018. Picture: Bev Lacey

"I was excited about it, particularly for my wife. She's been the rock here for me in the paperwork side of things... I have the easy part of the job," he said.

Reflecting on the past 20 years, Mr Dunne said he had formed "a lot of trust ... with a lot of different people" under the roof of his facility.

"It's trust ... people rely on you to do a fair thing and a good job and be honest ... you'd crash and burn if you weren't a credible person or straight up and down with everybody," he said.

Over the years, Mr Dunne has built up a reputation of being one of the most reputable authorised government auctioneers in Australia, having conducted auctions for prominent businesses and organisations right across the state.

It came to the point that work had become "99 per cent of our life" and so when an offer came in on the building, Mr Dunne said it was time to take a step back.

Those wanting to contact Mr Dunne for clearing sales can phone him on 0413 182 022.
 

Originally published as Iconic Toowoomba business holds its final auction