Non-fiction

Moonta Copper Mine, South Australian – Magic Lantern Slide – Issued by Newton & Co 1913

An original magic lantern slide showing a working scene at the Moonta Copper Mine, South Australia, by Newton & Co, London. This formed part of a set on Australasia sold in 1913.

Copper was discovered at Moonta on the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, near a Wombat burrow in 1860. A mine was soon built based on Cornish principles and bringing in mining experience from Cornwall, By the mid 1860’s it was thriving and by 1870 Moonta rivalled Adelaide – a million pound dividend was soon paid. The depression of the 1920’s put paid to all of that and the mine closed in 1923.

Some buildings or remnants still exist, and the site was put on the National Heritage Listing in 2017. It is well worth a visit look it up online. When you look it up you will see the remains of two engine houses – Hughes Engine House which was used to de-water the mine [active layers were below the natural water table] that engine ran for over 58 years. And, Richman’s Engine House which was used for crushing and processing ore [32 inch Cornish Beam Engine]. We recon our image is of the Richman Engine House … what do you think? The Engineer for both Houses was Frederick May.

Newton & Co were formed in 1858. In the period 1912-1925 they had premises in Covent Garden.

Standard size circa 3.5 inches or 8cm by 8cm.

Early active image of work at the Moonta Copper Mine

$90.00

Updating cart…

The Struggle For Sea Power- A Naval History of American Independence – Sam Willis

A substantial piece of work by Wills on this important naval period for all involved.

Published by Atlantic Books, London in 2015. Thick Royal octavo, 573 pages, heavily illustrated including important charts. Fine condition – hard to find in Australia.

The American Revolution was a naval war of immense scope and variety – engagements took place on five ocean – involving the Americans, British, French, Spanish, Dutch and the Russians …

All about the War of Independence at sea.

$50.00

Updating cart…

The Man With the Donkey – John Simpson Kirkpatrick – The Good Samaritan of Gallipoli – Sir Irving Benson.

Published by Hodder in 1965. Octavo, 95 pages, illustrated from period photographs. Ownership signature on front end paper, otherwise a very good copy.

For those that know of this native of the North East of England and later Australia and want to know more then this is the book. What a hero … few have put themselves so constantly in danger to save their wounded compatriots than The Man With the Donkey. Inspirational read

Read this and you will never complain again!.

$25.00

Updating cart…

Copper to Gold – History of Wallaroo [South Australia] – Rex Whiltshire.

Published in 1968 by the township of Wallaroo. Octavo, perfect bound soft cover, 162 pages, illustrated throughout, images on end paper. A few marks on the back otherwise a very good copy.

Thorough presentation of the history of Wallaroo and the region. Flinders visit, aborigines, notable identities, the discovery of copper and then gold, good images from the period.

Another super local history associated with the discovery of copper and gold.

$25.00

Updating cart…

The Intelligence and Deception of the D-Day Landings – J Haswell

Published by Batsford, London in 1979. Larger squarish octavo, 208 pages, illustrated from the period of the “event” and a good double page sketch map of the goings on … very good if not better condition.

The D-day Landings probably the most complex exercise ever attempted. Not only was the depth of the intelligence gathering of a new level so also was the deception planning – an element that may have been the overriding factor.

The definitive book if you are interested in Military History and this military operation, of June 4th 1944, which thankfully changed the course of WWII.

D-Day a day that changed the course of history – fully explained.

$30.00

Updating cart…

Under the Southern Cross – Horace Leaf [Intro by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Spiritualism Down under etc] – First Edition 1923

Scarce book and impossible to find with its dust jacket (albeit chipped). A super copy.

Horace Leaf (1886-1971) was a serious spiritualist, clairvoyant with and interest in psychometry and healing. He was a friend and associate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – who writes the introduction. The pair worked together to find the missing Agatha Christie and made contact with Lenin when he was on the other side.

Conan Doyle had done his own tour of the Antipodes and had wanted Leaf with him – Leaf couldn’t make it. Afterwards, Conan Doyle persisted with Leaf to make a trip down under … Leaf didn’t think he had the financial wherewithal … Conan Doyle responded by saying he had left five hundred pounds in Australia for Leaf.

The book is a very interesting read. Published by Cecil Palmer, London in 1923. Thick octavo, 263 pages, illustrated from photographs taken on tour. All in excellent condition – accept that there are three strange pin style holes right through the rear board and the last group of pages – strange and almost unnoticeable – could be some strange experiment has taken place?

Leaf arrives in Western Australia and makes himself busy and then off to the Gold Fields; on to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane before a boat to New Zealand, north and south islands. Returning to Sydney he makes a trip to Tasmania [the only addition to the Conan Doyle route].

This all sounds like a regular travel trip but not so. Along the way we have interesting psychic goings on with some startling occurrences particularly the Melbourne readings. Interesting positive references to aboriginal character. Near the end we have a journey up Mt Wellington Hobart to a tea house to have the leaves read by a psychic – who passes the test – this must have been at the Springs Hotel which burned down in the 1967 bush fires.

Leaf wrote Conan Doyle’s obituary published in “Ghost Stories” in October 1930. Unfortunately, Leaf may indirectly have exacerbated Conan Doyle’s health leading to his move to the “other side”.

Psychic tour of Australia by Conan Doyle Associate.

$120.00

Updating cart…

Moonta Copper Mine, South Australian – Magic Lantern Slide – Issued by Newton & Co 1913

The Struggle For Sea Power- A Naval History of American Independence – Sam Willis

The Man With the Donkey – John Simpson Kirkpatrick – The Good Samaritan of Gallipoli – Sir Irving Benson.

Copper to Gold – History of Wallaroo [South Australia] – Rex Whiltshire.

The Intelligence and Deception of the D-Day Landings – J Haswell

Under the Southern Cross – Horace Leaf [Intro by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Spiritualism Down under etc] – First Edition 1923

Product Categories