Goobalathaldin Auction Prices and Value Guide
Goobalathaldin auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 145 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Goobalathaldin auction prices: quick answer
Goobalathaldin auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Goobalathaldin
- Source records
- 145
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Goobalathaldin market snapshot
Goobalathaldin shows developing auction liquidity with 36 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $750. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 3 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-04-23.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (56.0% · 14 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (44.0% · 11 sales)
- $10,000+ (0.0% · 0 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $500
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 3
- Median shift vs prior year
- +100.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2025-04-23
Artist context
About Goobalathaldin
Born
1920
Died
1985
Nationality
Australian
Also known as
Dick Roughsey
Goobalathaldin, also known as Dick Roughsey, was an Australian Aboriginal artist and writer who lived from 1920 to 1985. Public identity sources connect him with the Lardil language group of Mornington Island in Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria. His Lardil name is described as referring to the ocean in motion or a rough sea. Goobalathaldin played a prominent role in sustaining and renewing Lardil cultural life, and collectors may also encounter his work through children's publishing. He is particularly associated with picture books that retell traditional Aboriginal stories, including The Rainbow Serpent. His identity therefore spans visual art, writing, cultural storytelling, and book illustration rather than fitting neatly within a single named art movement. Catalogues and databases may use either Goobalathaldin or Dick Roughsey, making careful name matching important when researching a work, edition, publication, or auction record.
Children's picture booksTraditional Aboriginal storiesLardil cultural traditions
Common works and media
The available sources most clearly document children's picture books that retell traditional Aboriginal stories, including The Rainbow Serpent. Objects encountered in appraisal contexts may therefore be described under his roles as artist, writer, or picture-book creator and may be catalogued under either Goobalathaldin or Dick Roughsey. The collected evidence is not detailed enough to define his usual painting supports, print processes, edition formats, or other auction categories.
Market and appraisal context
A careful appraisal should first establish whether a work is catalogued as Goobalathaldin, Dick Roughsey, or both. The distinction between an original artwork, an illustration connected with a published story, and a commercially issued book or edition may materially affect the appropriate comparison set. Subject matter and a documented relationship to his traditional-story picture books can also help contextualize an object. This source pack does not contain usable lot-level descriptions, realized prices, provenance, condition reports, or edition details, so it cannot support a price prediction or market trend. Those conclusions require examination of the object and comparison with relevant public auction records.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Value drivers
- Whether the attribution and catalogue entry connect the work to both names, Goobalathaldin and Dick Roughsey
- The work type and its documented relationship to the artist's picture-book output or traditional-story subjects
Appraisal caveats
- The collected source pack contains no usable major-auction-house biography, lot description, realized-price record, or medium-specific market summary.
- The Appraisily artist-page request was rate-limited, so its underlying auction records could not be evaluated for categories, dates, prices, attribution language, condition, or provenance.
- No price trend or value range can be supported from the collected evidence alone.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context is based on collected public records: medium confidence, thin source quality.
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Goobalathaldin worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my Goobalathaldin artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.