William Walter

What is your role at RWB Auctions?

My job title is Junior Auctioneer and Valuer. My role covers many aspects, from helping with valuations to cataloguing, researching, setting up sales, and rostrum work. It's truly a fascinating world to be a part of.

What brought you into this role?

I have always had a passion for history, from the classics to modern times, and it's something that captivated me. From this, I would spend lots of time in antique shops, looking at and handling items over 400 years old, which boggled my brain. One of my favourite shops to visit was Old Bank Antiques. I would often come back home with an antique book of some sort, and at that time, I got to know the staff who worked there fairly well. From this, I heard about the construction of RWB Auctions, something I thought was incredibly exciting. When the building work was in full swing, I travelled for 6 months around Africa to see friends and family out there. Upon my return, the auction house was finished and had completed its first auction. I went back to my old routine of having a look in Old Bank Antiques, and this time I left with a copy of Rudyard Kipling's 'Sea Warfare'. I then decided to go into the auction house; I asked a member of the reception team if I could see the general manager, as he had said I was welcome to a tour of the building on my return from Africa. I was shown around, and I met many of the people I now call my colleagues. We then discussed what I had been up to and my plans for a career. We met a second time and discussed the workings of an auction house and roles within one, after which I was offered a job. A month later, I started as a trainee auctioneer without a clue about antiques, but tremendously eager to learn. 

What has been a highlight of your Career so far?

The highlight of my career so far has been working as a tour guide around the infamous battlegrounds of Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana, where I told the stories of the British and Zulu soldiers and warriors who inspired the legendary films, Zulu and Zulu Dawn. 

What book do you currently have beside your bed?

I am currently reading "Hlobane and Kambula, the forgotten epic of how the Anglo-Zulu war was won and lost".