Locker 227, the Australian art market database, released these numbers from 2008:

The top 20 prices for individual artworks has the usual splattering of works by Brett Whiteley, Arthur Boyd and John Brack, although Brett Whiteley could only manage 8th place this year with ‘Balmoral’ selling for $990,000 compared with his top placing in 2007. That honour, as well as 2nd place this year, went to Russell Drysdale with ‘Rocky McCormack, 1962-63’ ($1,800,000) and ‘Country Child, c.1948’ ($1,680,000) taking out the number 1 and 2 positions respectively. Ethel Carrick Fox was a surprise inclusion at number 7 with ‘Market Under Trees’ selling for 1,008,000, a new record for the artist. [ . . . ]

Arthur Boyd took out the number 1 spot on the Top 20 list of Artists by total sales price with sales of $6,664,087, well ahead of Russell Drysdale on $5,279,869 and Fred Williams on $3,959,005. Emily Kame Kngwarreye was the only indigenous artist to make the list at number 13 with $1,567,289. The rest of the list is filled with the usual blue chip artist names. [ . . . ]

Emma Minnie Boyd provided more than just the one surprise result, and topped the list of the 20 most under-estimated artists, with 61% of her works selling above the high estimate, at an average price of more than 4 times the high estimate. With eastern-states auctioneers refusing to believe that a West Australian artist could be sought after on the east-coast, Robert Juniper makes the list at number 14, with 56% of artworks selling above the high estimate. After years of healthy price growth, David Boyd continues to surprise the auctioneers, and rounded out the list at number 20, with 40% of his works selling above the high estimate.(

2008–The Year in Review (Locker 227)