Australian Inland Exploration

Sketch of the History of Van Diemen’s Land – James Bischoff

Originally published by John Richardson, London, 1832. This is from Australiana Facsimile Editions published in Adelaide in 1967. A scarce edition of this series maybe not as mainstream as some of the others.

First in this form 260 pages including the appendices, large folding coloured map by John Arrowsmith, frontispiece and one other plate, both also by Arrowsmith, of the Van Diemen’s Land Company’s establishments at Circular Head and Emu Bay.

Original faux leather binding, gilt titles to spine, very clean, large folding map in super condition. The map is far far too big to scan on our A3 scanner so we have just done a bit of unfolded bit so you can see the quality.

An important book which Bischoff intended for distribution to the Van Diemen’s Land Company shareholders and to encourage potential investors. In it he reprints several of the Company’s yearly reports, including the important third report of 1828, and in full the exploration journals of Alexander Goldie, Henry Hellyer and Joseph Fossey, which were included in an appendix to the third report. An important appendix includes Lt-Governor Arthur’s dispatches on the Aborigines and their growing resistance to the European settlement

Good facsimile of Bischoff’s important early work on Van Diemen’s Land

$90.00

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Lachlan Macquarie – Governor of New South Wales – Journals of his Tours in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land 1810-1822

A special and substantial book about the activities of this energetic and decisive Governor. Without his tour of Van Diemen’s Land the north of Tasmania would have ended in ruins.

Published by the Library of Australian History in 1979. Large octavo, 280 pages. Tipped in colour portrait of the great man and 10 other tipped in colour plates. Three large folding maps and facsimile page. A sumptuous production in very good condition.

Printed from the original manuscripts held in the Mitchell Library. Illustrations from the Mitchell collection and the Dixon Library.

Macquarie a leader ahead of hid time – so much accomplished.

$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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Triumph in the Tropics (Queensland) – Cilento and Lack – 1959

This substantial book was produced for the Centenary Celebrations of Queensland published 1959 effectively by the Historical Committee of the State Government. It is free from government style and influence and jam packed with facts in a naturally chronological order.

Thick octavo, 446 pages plus index. Illustrated throughout, including charts, coloured frontispiece of the Cooktown Orchid (quite beautiful but we find a slightly strange choice). Facsimile signatures on endpapers and a pretty good example of the decorative period dust jacket. Very clean.

Starts with very early explorers (the reference to first nation people comes later) .. Cook, Flinders, Oxley, Convict establishments, foray into the interior, self Government. Then the development of the “Modern Queensland” … pastoral, maritime and mining (more about Mount Morgan).

It is the depth of information that impresses us most about this book, whilst the content concerning aboriginal people would not meet today’s standards, it is hard to find a book anywhere that addresses progress in Queensland better than this account. Not surprising given the authors [note their humble reference to mere editors] Cilento and Lack.

A Triumph it is … Queensland!

$50.00

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Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons (Part 2). La Perouse to Wilkes.

The second part of the Parson’s collection offered by Hordern House. Published in 2006 a year after the first part. Quarto hardback, unpaginated, circa 130 pages, magnificently illustrated. Fine example in a fine dust jacket.

English born David Parsons was educated at Corpus Christi, Oxford. He spent his adult life in the USA where he applied his mathematical skills as a top actuary.

Contains all of the key works one would expect, often of super quality or special provenance. Contains, inter alia, English voyages – First Fleet … Bligh & the Bounty; French voyages – La Perouse and the search … Baudin … Freycinet; Russian voyages – Krusenstern … Kotzebue; Spanish voyages – Malaspina; American voyages – Wilkes and special rare works relating to Hawaii (this list does not do it justice). As always with HH an excellent description of content and relevance of each work with a helpful selection of images

Super reference a collection to envy for sure

$60.00

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The Exploration of Australia – Albert Calvert – First Edition 1895

A pretty good copy of the first edition of Calvert’s book much admired and coveted in any collection on the subject. A compendium volume was issued a year later due to the success of this work.

Published by George Philip, London in 1895. Small quarto, 26cm by 21 cm, quarter bound cream buckram (simulated vellum) over deep blue buckram with gild titles and line decoration. Aged to spine as usual, corners rubbed. Pretty good internally the large folding map repaired close tear. Internally a little browned due to the spongy nature of the paper, really quite clean throughout; viii, 26 pages. Frontispiece of Dampier, 16 plates. A solid book 1.4kgs.

The super map is 87cm by 72cm with the routes of the likes of Sturt, Mitchel, great, Winnecke etc marked

Albert Calvert carried out his own explorations often influenced by gold exploration and mainly in western Australia. He was a prolific writer about Australia partly to fund his exploratory activities. He had previously published ‘The Discovery of Australia” concerning the early maritime activities of the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, British etc. In the Preface to this work he describes his pain in working with the early accounts, in terms of their completeness, reliability etc. In this work he is more at ease in that he has the first hand accounts of the various explorers .. on land he mapped out each day of their activities … hence the huge map included.

Exploration covered include in the maritime, Dampier; the Dutch; Cook; Flinders; Phillip; Baudin, Bougainville … in the interior, Wentworth; Sturt; Mitchell; Macquarie; George Grey; Eyre etc

Calvert’s collectable account on the exploration of Australia with valuable map.

$150.00

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Sketch of the History of Van Diemen’s Land – James Bischoff

Lachlan Macquarie – Governor of New South Wales – Journals of his Tours in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land 1810-1822

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

Triumph in the Tropics (Queensland) – Cilento and Lack – 1959

Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons (Part 2). La Perouse to Wilkes.

The Exploration of Australia – Albert Calvert – First Edition 1895

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