Biography/ autobiography

Port Arthur – The Journal of Charles O’Hara Booth – Commandant of the Port Arthur Penal Settlement.

A hard to find Tasmanian production. Published by the Tasmanian Historical Research Association in 1981.

Slightly larger octavo, 298 pages, illustrated and a super fine copy

Booth kept his almost daily diary for 23 years so there is so much about Port Arthur to make it the fundamental record of the goings on in the penal establishment.

Real diary makes for interesting reading

$60.00

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Marion Dufresne – An Officer of the Blue – South Sea Explorer 1724-1772 – Edward Duyker

The French Explorer who was the first to encounter Tasmanian Aborigines and was a precursor to the voyages of La Perouse, d’Entrecasteaux, Baudin and Dumont d’Urville.

This book is traces his life in incredible detail, as one would expect from author Duyker. Chronologies, references, bibliographies make this a first source.

Dufresne from start to finish

$70.00

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The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer – Weird and Tragic Shores – Chauncey Loomis 1972

The writer a Professor and arctic adventurer himself was well qualified to pen this thorough biography of the great and somewhat unusual American Polar explorer, Charles Francis Hall. His research included access to key papers at the Scott Polar Institute; the Stefansson Collection and unique documents held by descendants of Paul Fenimore Cooper.

Published by MacMillan, London in 1972 a first UK edition. Octavo, 367 pages, plus index etc. Illustrations from early images and a useful map. A very good copy.

Hall was a successful printer who out of the blue had a urge to become an explorer. His first venture was in the path of Eliza Kane to search for evidence of the lost Franklin expedition. He essentially set off by himself having tagged along on a whaling expedition. Fame a support followed and he was to go back several time before succumbing himself possibly like Franklin from food poisoning of sorts. He is said to be the first to live with the Eskimo and had good and bad vies on their approach to life.

Charles Francis Hall devoted a large part of and his life to Arctic exploration.

$40.00

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Sailing with Flinders: The Journal of Seaman Samuel Smith – Peter Monteath (Hardback version one of 200 Copies)

First edition, readily available as a softcover but rare as a hardback due to the tight limitation. Numbered 154 of 200 copies thus.

Published by the super Corkwood Press, Adelaide in 2002. Professor Peter Monteath [descendant of Gidley King] of Adelaide University a well published historian. This book marries well with his “Encountering Terra Australis” of which Voyager usually has a copy.

Fine condition, xiv, 86 pages, maps in text numerous other illustrations, notes and bibliography.

Monteath edits the extant journal and provided his sizeable introduction. Apart from Flinders writings this is the only journal kept during the Voyage of the Investigator 1801-1803 during which Flinders circumnavigated Australia proving undisputedly its island form and filling in many parts of the then “Unknown Coast”. The writer of the journal [It was more like an exercise book] , Samuel Smith, was from Manchester and joined Flinders’ crew below decks as low a rank as could be got. Nevertheless, Flinders had a small tightly bound crew and Smith’s account makes for good and full reading.

An important historical account one of the tightly held hardbacks.

$80.00

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Governor’s Ladies [The Wives and Mistresses of Van Diemen’s Land Governors] – Alison Alexander.

An interesting and enlightening book published as a quality book by the Tasmanian Historical Research Association in 1987.

Tall octavo, 188 pages, produced by Dan Sprod’s Blubber Press. Illustrated with images from early photographs, maps, colour frontispiece of the Old Government House. An excellent copy bar previous name tipped out on a free end paper.

The official and unofficial companions include … Martha Hayes, Maria Lord, Mary Geils, Margaret Davey, Lady Franklin [of course], Caroline Denison and many more. Well researched and written, a book about strong women and their role up front and behind the scenes.

Governor’s got the glory – but what about the women alongside them.

$50.00

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A Matter of Speculation [Financial Scandel in 1815] – The Case Against Lord Cochrane – Henry Cecil – First edition 1965

It’s the year before Waterloo, 1815 and a fine plot is put into effect to manipulate the London Financial Market – a false report is made in grand style that Napoleon has been defeated … indeed dismembered. The idea is to cause a run on the stocks taking quick and sizeable profits.

Lord Cochrane, yet to carry out his boldest endeavours, fighting the Spanish and Portuguese in South America, makes a handsome profit buying and selling large holdings before settlement is required at the Broker. It’s all rather complicated … but is Cochrane personally involved in all the shenanigans?

The book is very cleverly written, presenting the background, evidence from the Courts, without revealing the outcome. We will not either.

Published by Hutchinson, London in 1965. Octavo, 208 pages, ownership signature on pastedown, otherwise a fine copy.

Cochrane one smart cookie but was he guilty?

$25.00

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Port Arthur – The Journal of Charles O’Hara Booth – Commandant of the Port Arthur Penal Settlement.

Marion Dufresne – An Officer of the Blue – South Sea Explorer 1724-1772 – Edward Duyker

The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer – Weird and Tragic Shores – Chauncey Loomis 1972

Sailing with Flinders: The Journal of Seaman Samuel Smith – Peter Monteath (Hardback version one of 200 Copies)

Governor’s Ladies [The Wives and Mistresses of Van Diemen’s Land Governors] – Alison Alexander.

A Matter of Speculation [Financial Scandel in 1815] – The Case Against Lord Cochrane – Henry Cecil – First edition 1965

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