Mining and Geology

Glimpses of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand – Captain Barry – First edition 1903

Subtitled … “A Thrilling Narrative of the Early Days: Embodying the Life-History of Captain William Jackson Barry Who Arrived in New South Wales in 1829” … and it is really quite “Thrilling”

Published by Brett, Auckland in 1903. Small quarto, 211 pages, decorated end papers, illustrated with photographic portraits. Original cloth covered binding with gilt embossed design and title to front and spine … gilt a little faded … otherwise a very good solid unmarked copy.

William Barry was born in 1819. His father was a vet. At a dinner party Sir John Alcock took a liking to him and asked his father to let William enter his service. With this achieved, Alcock set off for Australia with young William on the “Red Rover” in the year 1828. Typhus broke out onboard and many died. On arrival at Sydney the ship was quarantined for six weeks … it was dreadful… and life ashore not much better. Alcock hated it and organised swift passage to Buenos Ayres. On the way to the dock Barry decided he liked Sydney so much he ran away and hid in a tank until the ship had gone. And so Barry’s life in the Antipodes started then … at the age of ten!

His life was certainly different … at various times he sailed … carrying Timor Ponies to Sydney … shipwrecked nearly starved and rescued. Other times he was in the gold fields in Victoria (Eureka), New Zealand and California. Was variously a butcher (his early trade), farmer, auctioneer and horse dealer (bushrangers robbed him) … married more than once into money.

Near the back of the book is a potted history of Australia and a selection of biographies of notable gents … the most common feature being and incredible collection of beards

Captain Barry the sort of life films should be made about

$60.00

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Rocks and Minerals of Australia – Oliver Chambers

Published by Methuen in Australia a first edition 1976. Very good condition. 246 pages with lots of images, diagrams and maps. And with the striking Crocoite on the front board – see our examples on this website.

Or favourite “Observer Book” part of an Australian contribution to the series. A serious miniature work on the subject and the source of much of Voyager’s knowledge.

The detailed maps at the end and connectivity to the narrative open up the enormous subject to the newcomer

An expert in a day!

$30.00

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Jenolan Caves (The Underground Wonderland) New South Wales, Australia – H. Phillips – c1910

Superior period view book of the glorious Jenolan Caves. Photographed, printed and published by H Phillips (1873-1844) of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.

This is a scarce edition with superior illustrated cover and more images than his more standard work on the Jenolan Caves. No date but circa 1910. Not in Trove.

Landscape presentation … soft covers with exotic gilt title and illustration to front. 30cm by 24cm with title page, 2 page introduction plus 49 pages of plates, 3 of which are double folding with five excellent panoramas. Captioned images include …The Grand arch; Carlotta Arch; Devil’s Coach House and Bridge from Lucas Entrance; Grand Stalactites Imperial Cave; The Giant Shawl; Cleopatra’s Needle; Mons Meg; The Proscenium; Brookes Column; Crystal Palace; The Mystery; The Willows Nettle cave; Gem of the South etc etc

Beautiful record of the Jenolan Caves by Harry Phillips

$80.00

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Wings of Gold – How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea – James Sinclair

No greater expert in his subject, James Sinclair’s formidable book about the exploration driven development of aviation in New Guinea. Covering the period from 1922 to 1942 during which New Guinea was the busiest place for aircraft movements anywhere in the world.

Published by Robert Brown in 1983 in fine condition. Quarto, 326 pages a substantial book. Images to end papers and illustrated throughout with numerous period photographs, maps, facsimile documents etc. The aviation images are to die for.

Expatriates will know the Leahy family and Jack Hides and pleased to see Frank Hurley standing on the Curtiss Seagull flying boat and a special image of Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan just before they left Lae on their fateful attempt to cross the Pacific.

Wings of Gold – Best book on the period vies with Sinclair’s Three Volume “Balus” as the best aviation book ever.

$90.00

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Spore Coal – Tasmania – Microscope Slide

A very good prepared slide of spore coal (Pelionite) labelled as from Tasmania. Late 19th or early 20th century in preparation we do not know by who but we recognise their handwriting!

The most likely location for spore coal is around Barn Bluff and walkers on the Overland track may encounter outcrops. Joseph Will operated a mine in the area in the 1890’s. Seemingly, the coal type is loaded with oil a fact that was hotly debated in the technical press around the 1920’s.

Rare slide preparation subject – Tasmanian

$50.00

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The Amazon Provinces of Peru – H Guillaume F.R.G.S. – First Edition1888

Title continues … As a Field for European Emigration. A Statistical and Geographical Review of The Country and its Resources, including the Gold and Silver Mines together with a mass of useful and Valuable Information.

The author was the Consul-General of Peru in England when he produced this book …. based in Southampton.

A first edition published by Wyman & Sons, Lincoln’s-Inn Fields, London 1888. Octavo, 309 pages after the preliminaries. The original cloth bindings of this book are usually distressed beyond acceptable as was the case with this one. We decided to have it handsomely bound in full green calf by Roger Perry. Five raised bands to spine with separate red leather title and author labels to compartments 2 and 4. Gilt lines and devices and gilt lines to front and rear boards. New marbled endpapers. A top quality binding. Page edges show some age and internally the odd bit of foxing, photographic frontispiece re-laid. Nicely illustrated with the real photograph of the Peruvian President as a frontispiece and another real photograph of “A party of Ladies and Gentlemen giving a Concert at Lima”. A further four maps and 26 plates some folding.

Contents includes a general description including climate and history and a focus on the Amazon Provinces or Montana, the gold found there and the Cahuapana, Chachapoyas and Moyabamba. The products of the area, fruits, drugs. Dyes, palms orchids etc and some interesting comments on the usefulness of cocaine. A substantial part, over 100 pages devoted to more specific detail on Gold and Silver and other minerals. Political analysis and review of trade between Peru and England.

Whilst only covering 23 pages the “Reports of Scientific Travellers” is interesting including those of Olivier Ordinaire (Not ordinary at all), Professor Orton, J.D. Osmers and A. Wertheman who suffered from being abandoned by his guides on multiple occasions.

Rare South American Account now in a Superior Full Leather Binding

$240.00

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Glimpses of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand – Captain Barry – First edition 1903

Rocks and Minerals of Australia – Oliver Chambers

Jenolan Caves (The Underground Wonderland) New South Wales, Australia – H. Phillips – c1910

Wings of Gold – How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea – James Sinclair

Spore Coal – Tasmania – Microscope Slide

The Amazon Provinces of Peru – H Guillaume F.R.G.S. – First Edition1888

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