Products | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

Beyond the Black Stump – Nevil Shute – First Edition 1956

Published by Heinemann, Melbourne etc a First Australian edition in very good condition.

Octavo, 289 pages, dust wrapper in period style slightly chipped.

An American geologist travels to out back Australia in search of oil. Near the end of the book the exact location is identified which turns out to be in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Here he meets Mollie and her family who live on a successful station but in unusual family circumstances. They fall in love and intend to marry. Mollie’s mother suggest she visits her beau’s family home in America to better understand his “position” – she does and it turns out to be rather murky. They both go their own ways.

Sound like a heartthrob but its much deeper than that and for those that follow Shute really nicely written.

Shute first edition can’t believe it’s seventy years old

$35.00

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The Martian – George du Maurier – First edition 1898

First edition published by Harper & Brothers in 1898.

A substantial book, large squarish octavo, 471 pages, dark black end papers which show signs of paper label removal. Striking deep blue cloth covered boards with gilt titles, design, and faux signature to front, gilt title to spine, extraordinarily clean. Someone has assembled poetry to the early preliminaries, which we find quite charming.

Considered the be quasi autobiographical with a strange surreal Martian twist. The life of Barty Josselin as told by a friend Robert Maurice from early days at the Institution Brossard in Paris. Josselin a good looker and thoroughly talented and extrovert. Later back in England Barty has a spell in the army.

Later his eyesight starts to fail which makes him think of taking his own life. In a dream a spirit guardian in the form of Martia from Mars comes to him. From then Martia inspires him and provides advice which secures his career as an author. Martia has other influences and wishes him to marry Julia … and all gets a little complicated from there ..

George du Maurier Channelling a Martian Spirit Guide

$90.00

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Kalgoorlie Golden Mile – Western Australia – Original Magic Lantern Slide – Newton & Co – c1910

Very good condition magic lantern slide from Newton & Co Fleet described in cursive writing.

We date the slide to around 1910. New & Co were at 43 Museum Street London. They were the world’s longest established suppliers of scientific instruments being formed by Sir Isaac Newton’s cousin J. Newton in 1704. At the time of this slide the proprietors were still from the Newton family. The British Museum have Newton & Co out of business at Museum Street in 1913, but other references have it continuing

A really broad view which magnifies to present incredible detail. Standard British size in fine condition. We believe this slide and image is pretty rare.

Kalgoorlie was discovered by Paddy Hannan and Tom Flanagan in 1893. There horse had thrown a shoe and when they stopped to sort it out they noticed gold …. Well … on the ground everywhere. Hannan staked a claim and the rush was on. By 1896 the rail had arrived and the area had taken over from Coolgardie as the primary WA goldfield.

As an aside the Newton & Co address is as you might suspect in sight of the British Museum in London and also opposite The Plough … a favourite Voyager pub.

Rare Australian Gold Mining Lantern Slide

$80.00

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The Happy Island – Bengt Danielsson – First UK Edition 1952

A scarce book, the first UK edition published by George Allen & Unwin, London 1952 .. we also have the first US Edition. Octavo, 256 pages nicely illustrated with the authors photographs. Good to better condition with a chip lower dust jacket.

The author was part of the Kon-Tiki expedition. They were shipwrecked at Raroia which is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, to the east of Tahiti.

Danielsson and his wife returned there and spent a year and a half enjoying the relaxed lifestyle. A very funny account but there is tragedy in the death of a key character and the inevitable cyclone.

Perspective .. in 2012 the population of Raroia was 233, there is nowhere to stay so visitors are always invited to stay in the homes of maybe the friendliest people on earth!

Unusual Pacific account

$30.00

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Fiji and The Fijians (1835-1856) – G.C. Henderson

A first edition on Henderson’s book on Fiji and the Fijians a volume published to elucidate the Journal of Rev Thomas Williams who has spent the period !840-1853 as a Missionary in Fiji. Williams being regraded as the principal authority on the state if society among Fijians when European first came upon them.

Published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1931.

Large octavo, 33 pages nicely illustrated throughout with images from early engravings, early photographs and charts. Very good condition and with the author’s “Compliments”’ stamp on the end paper ad his manuscript note “To dear old Jeff – from the Author”

A very useful Preface sets the scene and purpose for the book. The first chapter proper refers to the “Mitchellian Manuscripts” the Williams Journal and paper held at the Mitchell … and other primary materials held elsewhere including in the UK. Very good chapters on the Discovery of Fiji … the Duff, James cook and often overlooked Bellingshausen among them. The Bellingshausen journals had yet to be translated to English at the date of this book. The work then moves on to a description of the archipelago, centres of interest and the people. Mission work, medical practices and a chapter on Ono-I-Lau first visited by Calvert. Language and literature etc etc.

Well written account regarding an important historical period. A very good copy.

$120.00

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The Gladstone Colony [An Unwritten Chapter of Australian History] – J F Hogan – First Edition 1898

Published in London by T. Fisher Unwin 1898. Octavo, 279 pages. Original plum coloured with gilt lettering to front and spine and top edge gilt. A very good copy. From the library of writer historian Harold L Sheard with his distinctive bookplate at front.

Much about the goings on associated with the establishment of Gladstone.

Where we find it interesting is in July 1858 when gold is discovered on the Fitzroy River and then at Calliope. Mayhem ensues as it usually did and within a short time over 400 men were working diggings and making better than a good living – one man 100 Pounds worth in a fortnight 16,000 Pounds in today’s money. Inevitably followed soon after by a chapter titles “a host of disappointed diggers”!

The book on the establishment of Gladstone – and the gold rush.

$140.00

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All products

Beyond the Black Stump – Nevil Shute – First Edition 1956

The Martian – George du Maurier – First edition 1898

Kalgoorlie Golden Mile – Western Australia – Original Magic Lantern Slide – Newton & Co – c1910

The Happy Island – Bengt Danielsson – First UK Edition 1952

Fiji and The Fijians (1835-1856) – G.C. Henderson

The Gladstone Colony [An Unwritten Chapter of Australian History] – J F Hogan – First Edition 1898

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