Royal Geographical Society Journals and Similar Journals

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1896 – [Includes paper by Robert Etheridge Jnr on the Silurian Fossils of Montgomery, Govt Geologist]

Printed by Davies Brothers, Hobart and issued in July 1896. Usual original presentation, octavo, perfect bound, xxviii pages of “Proceedings” followed by 100 pages of “Papers”. Appropriately illustrated, very good condition. Very clean and crisp internally.

Distinguished geologist and paleontologist Robert Etheridge Jnr followed in the footsteps of his similarly distinguished scientific father. R.E. spent mots of his working life in Australia and his drawings of fossils are of the highest standard.

Other papers include more geological works including microscopical studies of mineral thin sections [with plates] by the nicely named Twelvetrees; public health; fishes and a tribute to recently deceased Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller [with portrait].

Interesting Tasmanian Royal Society P&P – 1896.

$50.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1893 – [Includes catalogue of Tasmanian Minerals - Pettard]

Printed at “The Mercury”, Hobart and issued in June 1894. Usual original presentation, octavo, perfect bound, xxvi pages of “Proceedings” followed by 219 pages of “Papers”. Appropriately illustrated, good condition albeit creases and chip to top corner of front wrapper. Very clean and crisp internally.

W.F. Pettard’s 73-page catalogue of Tasmanian mineral and notes on their distribution commences the Papers. Pettard was a boot and shoe importer in Hobart and then Launceston. Other than that, he was a distinguished naturalist and scientist – he had a home laboratory to envy. He was an accomplished taxidermist and before coming to Tasmania too part in scientific explorations in the Solomons and New Guinea. This was his first mineral catalogue – he was to publish an update just before his death nearly twenty years later.

Other papers of interest include Geology around Lake St Clair; Glacial action in Tasmania; Notes on the Mt Lyell Mine; Rare fish; Fossil Flora etc

Special papers on the minerals, geology and mines of Tasmania.

$80.00

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The First Documented Medical Discovery Relating to Australia – An Account of the medicinal Effects of the Resin of Acaroides Resinifera, or Yellow Resin from Botany Bay. By Charles Kite, Surgeon Gravesend, and C.M.S – contained in the Memoirs of the Medical Society of London – Published 1795 [but written in 1790]

A complete volume being Volume IV of the Society printed by Darton and Harvey for Charles Dilly, in the Poultry [London]. Very rare in any form. Published 1795. Incidentally the Medical Society was formed in 1773.

Octavo, 447 pages after preliminaries and before index. Neat library binding with paper title label. Cancelled stamp of the Bath Medical Library [Heaven knows why]. One loose gathering and a little age but a very worthy copy of this most interesting FIRST.

Many of the papers have merit but we must focus here on the paper relating to the Botany Bay resin. {Note resin and gum interchangeable below per Kite’s use]

Charles Kite who died in 1811 [no record of dob] is known for this work and another on “raising the apparently dead” he was the first to publish an example of using an electric shock [static electricity] to resuscitate a cardiac arrest.

We understand Charles Kite came up with the name Acaroides Resinifera for the plant, whilst it is now known as Xanthorrhoea or Grass Tree. Cook noted it in his journals in the year 1770 and it is now widely accepted that the gum was used for a variety of purposes by the aborigines including for its medical properties.

After an introduction relating to its use in stomach complaints Kite gives some historical background – refers to Philip’s journal {p. 59,60] but goes on to say the best information came from Mr Bowes Surgeon on the Lady Penrhyn. Bowes after describing the tree precisely goes on to where the “gum” is found, its quantity and how it is easily got especially in a hot sun. Kite goes on to record thirty experiments concerning the “gum” – various solutions and extractions. Kite proceeds to describe various cases where the “gum” has been used and the outcomes … also cases noted by other medics including Thompson of Rochester; Andrews of Brompton and Harris of Gravesend.

Comprehensive trial of the Botany Bay Resin by Charles Kite 1790/95 – Surely a FIRST

$390.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1910 [Important papers – the whole of “The Minerals of Tasmania (Updated) W.F. Pettard and various papers by Noetling of Aboriginal interest]

Printed at the “Examiner” Launceston, one of the more substantial volumes.

W.F. Pettard of Launceston had published the “Minerals of Tasmania” in the 1890. Here we have 223 pages devoted to his update published one year before his death. His collection of minerals was handed over to the Society.

Further papers of special interest by Fritz Noetling – The Antiquity of Man in Tasmania – interesting extrapolative maps of Tasmania with the Ocean receded various depths and the resultant connection to the mainland. More on Tronatta by Noetling [see 1909 edition]; the food of the Aborigines and their language of food.

Ritz presenting on the Rev Norman vocabulary studies is another good contribution to the history of Aboriginal language.

Original soft wrappers, 409 pages, well illustrated from scientific sketches, images from photographs, tables, charts etc – some fold out.

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.

Special papers of Aboriginal interest and the republication of Pettard’s Minerals.

$120.00

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Erect-Crested Penguin – Lance Richdale – 1950

This is an offprint from the “The Emu” the then official organ of the Royal Australasian Ornithologist’s Union.

The point of this item is that since 1940 the population of this species of Penguin has been in decline and is now categorised as endangered. They nest on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands. Previously on the Auckland, Campbell etc Islands and the Otago Peninsula but no longer. At the time of writing the report Richdale was probably observing the last Otago nesters …

Typical offprint faded card covers, 18 pages with quite a few images from photographs of the beautifully crested penguins. Maybe there are some clues in here as to what will soon lead to further reductions in breeding.

Lance Richdale was a big individual in the bird world – he was a Fulbright Fellow at Cornell and a Nuffield Fellow in his field – later in life he spent time at the Zoological Society in London. Author of the Sexual Behavior of Penguins.

Erect-Crested doing it tough in the far reaches of the Southern Ocean.

$20.00

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Queensland Royal Geographical Society Journal – Diamond Jubilee Issue 1885-1945. Interesting Papua New Guinea content – Including the Kokoda Trail

The journal as published by the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland). Octavo, soft wrappers, 113 pages after preliminaries, folding chart, images from period photographs, sketch map of Papua New Guinea etc. A very good copy bar innocent marks to the covers … pretty clean and bright inside.

After various historic introductions articles re “Queensland Pastures – Their Development and Improvement; Across Papua’s Mighty Delta by A.L. Ethell; Irrigation (Queensland); The Interior of Eastern Papua by Captain Vernon – which describes the immediately post war Kokoda with interesting observations

Nicely illustrated and with a fold out sketch map from Bootless Bay (near Port Moresby) to Buna showing a vertical cross section of the Kokoda track.

A special issue of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland) Journal with particular interest to New Guinea collectors and readers.

$60.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1896 – [Includes paper by Robert Etheridge Jnr on the Silurian Fossils of Montgomery, Govt Geologist]

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1893 – [Includes catalogue of Tasmanian Minerals - Pettard]

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1910 [Important papers – the whole of “The Minerals of Tasmania (Updated) W.F. Pettard and various papers by Noetling of Aboriginal interest]

Erect-Crested Penguin – Lance Richdale – 1950

Queensland Royal Geographical Society Journal – Diamond Jubilee Issue 1885-1945. Interesting Papua New Guinea content – Including the Kokoda Trail

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