ARN IT Industry Awards: Auction items announced

There’s just a few days to go before ARN’s second annual Industry IT Awards night.

About 550 representatives from the industry will descend on the Sydney Hilton Hotel on Thursday, September 18, to celebrate the achievements of their peers during the past year.

Alongside the awards and festivities, ARN will hold an auction to raise funds for Clean Up Australia. There are five auction items up for grabs based around a number of experiences suitable for corporate or personal use.

The first of these is a Sydney Harbour Cruise on the Maris with Clean Up Australia founder, Ian Kiernan. This memorable cruise, donated by Clean Up Australia, will accommodate up to six people and can be chartered for three hours over a catered lunch or twilight cocktails. The Maris is a 50-year-old Huon Pine Yawl designed by Alan Payne and built by Jock Muir in Battery Point, Tasmania.

The second auction item is a wine tour through the NSW Hunter Valley. The daytrip will include a minibus from Sydney taking up to 10 people to a private wine tasting at Lindemans. Participants will enjoy premium wines in the Still House with local cheese and an informed wine educator. Lunch will then be provided at the Cellar Restaurant. The day trip is donated by Lindemans and ARN.

Auction item number three is a weekend for up to four couples at the historic homestead, Westham Farmhouses, in Bathurst, NSW. The estate has authentic period features and early craftsmanship but also provides the very latest in eco-sensitive living. The farmhouse features four double bedrooms with a fully-equipped kitchen and open fireplaces. The weekend away is donated by Clean Up Australia.

A little closer to the CBD, the fourth auction item will provide two people with a deluxe overnight stay at the Sydney Hilton Hotel, where they will enjoy a chilled bottle of Krug Grand Cuvee Champagne then dine at Quay, recently voted SMH Good Food Guide restaurant of the year and Australian Gourmet Traveller restaurant of the year. The guests will be welcomed next morning at Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie for breakfast. The package is donated by Westcon Group, the Hilton and ARN.

The final auction item is an artwork by environmental artist, John Dahlsen. The six-panel series - commissioned by Channel 10 for the Big Brother house - is part of the Coloured Plastics Series and is an outstanding work from this award-winning artist. Highly regarded in Australia, Dahlsen won the prestigious Wynne prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2000 and was a finalist in the Sulman Award. The artwork is donated by Clean Up Australia.