Amongst the dirt and layers of varnish, Katoomba auctioneer Steven Archer knew straight away Woodford Academy was in possession of one of the most wonderful and "exceptionally valuable" Dutch masters.
It was 1999 and he was part of an Antiques Roadshow event at the Academy, the Mountains' oldest colonial building.
Volunteer manager at the time Elizabeth Saxton and other workers had asked him to take a look.
"I really don't know what prompted us, but it's lucky we did, " Mrs Saxton said. "It looked like it had been painted on the side of an old wooden apple box," she added.
The 400-year-old "one in a million" Dutch painting Still Life has been valued at possibly up to $5 million.
Mrs Saxton mentioned it to a manager at the National Trust Of Australia and it was taken away to be stored in a building safer than Woodford's. Decades later funding was found to restore it.
"I asked for years what had happened to it," she said.
Still Life was returned for one day to the Woodford Academy - as part of the 2022 Australian Heritage Festival on Saturday May 14. Three hundred people booked to see it after it's $30,000, six month-long restoration.
When Mrs Saxton saw the restored 17th century oil "treasure" in recent media reports, depicting a lavish table setting typical of the Dutch Golden Age she was impressed by its "vibrancy".
The painting is thought to be by Gerret Willemz Heda, son of the more famous Dutch Master Willem Claesz Heda.
"To find an authentic 17th century painting in my storeroom left me breathless," collections manager Rebecca Pinchin said recently.
"It's a remarkable story of discovery, which has taken us on a journey across a number of years, piecing together and validating the work through expert advice and technology ... finding the signature felt like a one in a million chance."
The Dutch Golden Age reflects an era from about 1588 to 1672. It may have been brought to Woodford by Alfred Fairfax (senior) or former Sydney mayor William H Manning. Fairfax purchased the building in 1868.
National Trust spokeswoman Leah Tasker said many staff, volunteers, donors, conservators and industry experts were involved in this discovery - "an amazing collective effort and just one of the incredible stories to come out of the Academy."
The Academy has monthly open days. The artwork was spirited away to a secure location after the Gazette and Mr Archer had a look. Mr Archer said he is disappointed the painting won't be more available to the people of the Mountains, but the Trust has said it will return for special events. A copy is in its place.
