It was wrongly surmised that Mr Stokes might let the collection go after the multi million dollar purchase of the Rothschild book of hours at a Christies auction New York.
The collection, a substantial part of the large Thomas Baines holdings of the Royal Geographical Society in London, is closer to Mr. Stokes traditional interests than what appeared to be an out of the blue acquisition of the Medieval art treasure that was once owned by a member of the Rothschild banking family, and looks like enjoying the similar lavish treatment devoted to the book.
It is however more complete - it contextualises itself - than the prayer book.
The Book of Hours was shown at the Potter Museum of the University of Melbourne for two months this year accompanied by a major art publication with essays by leading scholars.
Numerous Medieval "supplements" had been made since the acquisition and these were also on display.
Mr Stokes's art curator, Emma Persak said that the purchase had gone ahead but no further announcement was planned.
It was proposed to exhibit it at an Australian institution. Mr Stokes has made numerous loans to exhibitions organised by those institutions including the Australian National Library, of which his son Ryan is on the council.
The Baines Australian Collection, which was the result of an expedition financed by the RGS in the mid 19th century, was sold to fund a hole in the RGS Pension Fund's liabilities.
The amount paid for the collection of around £2.7 million is stated to virtually cover that hole.
The Australian collection of numerous oil paintings, watercolours, diaries and documents, was sold in 2014 to an anonymous buyer but the sale was subject to an export embargo under the UK´s protection of movable heritage legislation.
Mr Stokes expressed an interest but tactically withdrew when other UK bidders could not complete.
Thomas Baines highest prices have tended to be paid for his rainbow struck views of the Victoria Falls arising from his expeditions up the Zambezi in search of Livingstone.
These are popular with Southern African expatriates.
However, his Australian work has also found its way back to Australia. The late Joseph Brown was a great enthusiast and sold a major four panel work to the National Gallery of Australia.
Very few major Baines Australian works however are still in private hands. They are mostly wrapped up in overseas institutions.
Stokes has been a major donor to Australian institutions as well as a lender to their own exhibition programs.
The exhibition would be accompanied by a scholarly catalogue and the new owner will work closely with the RGS in London in presenting the show to the Australian public.
The works have been further reported to be going for conservation and protection into a Western Australian collection.
The UK´s Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) has stated that the collection was "of outstanding significance for the study of British Colonial history and the exploration of Australia in the mid-19th century."
Between 1841 and the early 1860s Thomas Baines (1820 - 1875) worked as artist to a succession of British expeditions, initially to Australia and later in Africa , where he accompanied Livingstone.
The works were completed during the Gregory expedition to northern Australia in 1855-6. They entered the RGS’s collection on Baines’ return to the United Kingdom in 1857.
The collection includes a studio photograph of Baines, and 272 drawings and watercolours, mainly of North-Western Australia but also of Port Jackson and of Timor and other Indonesian islands, all taken in the course of Arthur Gregory’s expedition to northern Australia.
There are also nine folding panoramas, seven unframed drawings and watercolours of various sizes; and one chart and the route traversed in pencil, pen, ink and watercolour showing the tracks of the ships involved in the expedition.
Mr Stokes may have secured a super bargain as price of £4.2 million is believed to have been originally recommended.
