Non-fiction

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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French Miniature Furnace Microscope – c1850-60

Scarce miniature Mineral or Furnace Microscope attributed to Bertrand, Paris in the Billings Collection pages 37 and 193. The Billings example no 369 on page 193 is identical even down to the circle made on the outer case from running the closing catch around.

Beautifully made, the original mahogany box has a conical dove tail slide cut into its top into which the instrument sits. The brass base screws to the tune stand. There is a square cut in the front that houses a single mirror on a milled head pivot. The stand is cut away for the fixed circular stage. At the top of the stand there is a screw in cylinder into which the body tube slides. There is an outer casing which slides downward to become a slide holder. The objective and ocular screw in.

This is a collector’s item – it is probably one of the smallest practical microscopes ever made, is extremely well made and in as perfect a condition one could expect for its age. The case is undamaged with a great patina.

Case dimensions approximately 85mm x 45mm x 35mm. Microscope height 75mm base diameter 25mm.

Perfect collectable miniature microscope – over 150 years old.
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$260.00

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Mining Medal – Centenary of The Deep Navigation Coal Mine – 1979.

The Deep Navigation Colliery was a major underground mine at Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. It was the deepest of all South Wales cola mines. It produced high quality “steam coal” which powered the Mauretania and the Lusitania in successful Blue Riband attempts for the fastest Atlantic crossing.

Opened in 1879 after much effort sinking shafts, many lives were lost. Throughout its life it suffered from huge amounts of water ingress and massive pumps were used constantly to keep it manageable. The quality of the coal ensured its profitability until the early 1990’s when the geology became more challenging and it was closed and the area reclaimed as public sports fields.

This medal was given to each miner in the workforce in 1979 at the 100-year anniversary of the mine opening – so about 500-600 were likely struck. A fine example, gilt finished, haunched miner figures to both sides – one an early 19thC miner with mandrel and Davey lamp, the other a modern miner with safety helmet vs cloth cap. 40 mm diameter fine condition, high relief 25 gm.

Scarce Coal Mining Commemorative

$60.00

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Australian Poetry – Light -Margaret Diesendorf – 1981

A first edition of Margaret Diesendorf’s first published collection of poetry. A very special collection by a special person.

Margaret Diesendorf (1912-1993) escaped Austria in 1938 and made her way to Australia. Her Jewish partner, an engineer, left separately and they came together and made a life first in Sydney. She was a highly respected translator … she taught languages and did translations for the likes of the ABC. Later in life she concentrated more of original poetry and was to write upwards of six hundred poems.

An unusual, interesting and exciting style drawing on her understanding of the arts and the World outside Australia. She had a passion for writing poems stimulated by great art works and great artists. This book is set out in two section – the first “On Canvas” represents this them with poems about works by Monet, Picasso, Modigliani, Klimt [the Kiss] and also Australian artists Brett Whiteley [soup Kitchen] and Lloyd Rees [the Pinnacle Mount Wellington].

Slim octavo, published by Edwards and Shaw, Sydney, 1981. 79 pages. A very good copy of another nice production.

Gift worthy poetry and a Voyager favourite

$30.00

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Original PhD Thesis – The Force-Field Approach to Neutron Monitor Observations of the Eleven-Year Cosmic-Ray Modulation Cycle – H. Morall

Harm Moraal [1947-2015] born in the Netherlands but spent most of his life in his adopted home South Africa where he was Professor of Physics at Potchefstroom University. He became an accepted world authority in Cosmic Rays and a member of the Commission on Cosmic Rays of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics – now the Commission on Astro-particle Physics – in the 1990’s he was Chair of the Commission. He was involved in numerous other related bodies.

Harm Moraal completed this PhD in December 1973. The work comprises 130 pages reproduced from typescript bound in faux black Morocco, gilt titles to front hand done consistent with the techniques of the period.

This is high level science and of history of science merit. Chapter subjects include :–

Cosmic-Ray Modulation Theory [Development of Equations; Mono-Energetic Solutions; Force-Filed Solutions etc]

The Force-Field Equation Applied to Neutron Monitor Response Functions [Force-Field Equations for a Mixture of Particle; Neutron Monitor Distribution Functions (the Experiments); Validity of the modified convection diffusion approximation etc]

The Force-Field Equation Applied to Measurements of Stationary Neutron Monitors [Fractions Counting Rates etc]

The Modulation of Cosmic-Ray Electrons [Comparison with neutron monitor results and separability of the diffusion coefficient etc]

Various Appendices including – the Rigidity Dependence of the Diffusion Coefficient near the Cosmic-Ray Maximum of May 1965.

Important PhD Thesis by a man who then devoted his life to his subject Cosmic-ray Physicist Harm Moraal .

$140.00

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The Geology of the Broken Hill District – E.C. Andrews – 1922 – along with the Supplement of 1923.

Memoir No 8 of The Geological Survey of New South Wales – probably the most important and certainly the most comprehensive / voluminous.

Large thick quarto (25cn x 32cm) xx, 432 pages, 124 plates, numerous maps, plans and diagrams.

Light ageing to the original heavy boards, very clean inside a super copy of a now scarce item, rarely together with the Supplementary item, quarto, same dimensions, 28 pages and nine excellent coloured plates of mineral specimens.

The principal work produced by William Gullick, Government Printer, Sydney – the Supplement by Alfred Kent also appointed Government Printer – maybe a specialist in the colour plates.

A heavy item and an Overseas postage supplement may be required – please enquire we can be helpful.

Ernest Clayton Andrews (1870-1948) another legend from the “golden era” of Australian geology – disciple of Edgeworth David. Had a tough upbringing but still managed to get to Sydney University to study mathematics. It was there he met Edgeworth David. Taught but continued to study chemistry and geology. Presented his first geological paper in 1898 on the Bathurst region. Did much work on coral reefs [using Agassiz material]. This work and the later Mineral Industry of New South Wales [1928] are considered epics. Highly praised and prized – Lyell Medal London Royal Geological Society. His entry in the official Australian Dictionary of Biography well worth the read.

Important substantial geological work together with its supplement.

$790.00

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

French Miniature Furnace Microscope – c1850-60

Mining Medal – Centenary of The Deep Navigation Coal Mine – 1979.

Australian Poetry – Light -Margaret Diesendorf – 1981

Original PhD Thesis – The Force-Field Approach to Neutron Monitor Observations of the Eleven-Year Cosmic-Ray Modulation Cycle – H. Morall

The Geology of the Broken Hill District – E.C. Andrews – 1922 – along with the Supplement of 1923.

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