Non-fiction

Escape to the Sea – The Adventures of Fred Rebell [Single Handed Small Boat across the Pacific]

Scarce and sought after voyaging account despite being second printing 1951 – try and find another.

Published by John Murray, London. Octavo, 254 pages, illustrated with good voyage chart and from original photographs. Jacket aged and torn to spine – previous book owners stamp on title otherwise a nice clean copy of as we say a hard to come by worthy account.

Fred Rebell was born in Russian occupied Latvia and made his break and off to Australia. Sitting in the Sydney public library he dreamed of sailing, proper sailing – something he had never done before. His goal was set high, and this account is of his first outing, a 9,000 mile open boat voyage from Sydney to California. Nice in the moment writing with considerable detail … New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Danger Islands, Hawaii then the long haul to California.

Unfortunately, in California his passport documents were seen as, well sort of “home- made” and he was without funds which saw him jailed [twice] and eventually deported!

Nothing came that easy to Fred Rebell – all the way across the Pacific without any previous experience.

$40.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1936 – Meston on the Origin of the Tasmanians

Printed by Shimmins, Hobart – the Government Printer. Published, as always, a year later – 1937.

Contains a number of papers of natural history interest – crustaceans, leaf-hoppers, and fossil plane [at Warrentinna, North East Tasmania.

A good paper by much hated Crowther on an early sealing voyage in the Bass Staits – the schooner “Brothers” Captain Kelly. Historical content is from a manuscript log by Kelly in Crowthers hands – we would love to know where it is now. This is an early voyage indeed before Kelly’s circumnavigation of the island. They had a total cull of over 7,000 seals [poor things]. Salt to preserve the skins was got from Kangaroo Island.

Distinguished anthropologist A.L. Meston offers a thoroughly considered paper on the origins of the Tasmanian aboriginal. Written without prejudice we think – he debunks the then theory that they arrived via Pacific Islands [via New Caledonia] and believes that they arrived in Northern Australia and after moving south, island hopping over the Bass Strait having the skill to build the bark canoes that feature in our modern view of their history. Interesting report.

Original soft wrappers, larger size, 104 pages, illustrated with scientific drawings, images form photographs etc. A nice copy.

The origin of the Tasmanian aboriginals, voyage of the Brothers etc

$80.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1894-5 [Two Years in One] – Important Papers by James Backhouse Walker and others]

Printed by Davies Brothers Limited, Hobart in 1896 a first published.

Another important journal containing special papers particularly by James Backhouse Walker – this is the first appearance of his work on the Deportation of the Norfolk Islanders to the Derwent and his very substantial work – Abel Jansoon Tasman: His Life and Voyages which is accompanied by some very large folding maps.

To complement this latter work by Backhouse Walker, A Mault issued a paper on the Manuscript Chart in the British Museum showing Tasman’s Tracks in the voyage of 1642-4 with a magnificent multiple folding map.

Other interesting papers include the Tasmanian earthquake of 1892; Meridian observations with the Hobart Transit Instruments; various geological reports some relating to glaciation. Super stuff

Original soft wrappers, xxxviii pages followed by 66 pages [1894] and 120 pages [1895]. A very solid edition with special content. Very good condition albeit small chip top front cover.

Backhouse Walker lengthy paper of Tasman and other papers of special interest.

$120.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1889 [Important Papers by James Backhouse Walker and others]

Printed at the “Mercury” in 1890 a first published. An important journal containing some special papers particularly by James Backhouse Walker – this is the first appearance of his work on “the English of the Derwent and the Risdon Cove Settlement; the Expedition under Lieut-Governor Collins in 1803-2 and The Founding of Hobart by Lieut.-Governor Collins – this later paper including a fine reproduction of an early plan of Hobart.

Other papers of considerable interest include – ‘notes on Charts of the coast of Tasmania, obtained from the Hydrographical Department Paris and copied by permission of the French Government – A Mault – with four super folding facsimile maps. Mault also produces a paper on the detention of Matthew Flinders at Mauritius.

Other papers include notes on the last living Aboriginal, Fanny Cochrane Smith – with some contention still as to whether she was full blood – sorry it’s a suspect term. Also, papers of astronomical, geological, palaeontological etc interest.

Original soft wrappers, xxxvii pages followed by 263 pages including a good index. A very solid edition with much more content than usual.

Backhouse Walker original papers, good maps and Hobart Town Plan

$120.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1908 [Interesting papers of Aboriginal Interest]

Printed at the “Examiner” Launceston this is a set of papers of special interest as they include five papers by Fritz Noetling – two regarding Aboriginal stone implements; a chipped (source stone) boulder near Kempton; a burial ground near Ross; and an Aboriginal quarry at Syndal.

In addition, there is a paper – an introduction to the study of Aboriginal Speech by H.B. Ritz. And, a rare contribution from esteemed photographer James Beattie on the Gordan River and environs.

Original soft wrappers, xix pages followed by 94 pages including the accounts and list of Fellows.

Noetling was a German born mining engineer and at this stage was an Officer of the Society. He has previously worked in India and produced a similar body of work there. His large collection of Tasmanian Tronattas is held by the Liepzig museum. Unfortunately, after the outbreak of WWI he was interned and after the war sent back to Germany.

Ritz was Swiss and taught foreign languages in Hobart.

Special papers of Aboriginal interest – well worth preserving.

$80.00

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Bridge-Water – with Mount Direction Behind – Original Impressive Lithograph from the Dumont d’Urville Voyage – Tasmania – Published 1840

An original lithograph from a drawing by Louis Le Breton (1818-1866) lithographed by Leon Jean Baptiste Sabatier published as part of the great “Atlas Pittoresque” to accompany “Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l’Oceanie sur les corvettes l’Astrolabe et la Zelee … sous commandement de M.J. Dumont d’Urville”.

A delightful view of Bridgewater looking across the river Derwent to the imposing Mount Direction

Lithographed on sturdy paper size 54 cm by 35 cm. Very good clean condition. A scarce Hobart image.

Price $190.00 unframed – rare and fine

Striking image of Mount Direction looking north across the river Derwent, Tasmania

$190.00

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Escape to the Sea – The Adventures of Fred Rebell [Single Handed Small Boat across the Pacific]

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1936 – Meston on the Origin of the Tasmanians

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1894-5 [Two Years in One] – Important Papers by James Backhouse Walker and others]

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1889 [Important Papers by James Backhouse Walker and others]

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1908 [Interesting papers of Aboriginal Interest]

Bridge-Water – with Mount Direction Behind – Original Impressive Lithograph from the Dumont d’Urville Voyage – Tasmania – Published 1840

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