Non-fiction

Fire-Bird – A Study of D.H. Lawrence – Dallas Kenmare – First Edition 1951

A quality book on D.H.L. published by James Barrie, London a First Edition in 1951.

The author Dallas Kenmare was fascinated by the poetry of Lawrence and it’s the great man’s poetry that is the focus of this unique book. Written in 1951 so before Penguin had a shot at publishing Lady Chatterly’s Lover – Kenmare has a view on that prospect which is a tad old-fashioned to modern views.

Slim octavo, 81 pages, all in very good condition with a nice example of the dark fire-bird dust jacket.

D.H. Lawrence get to know the man better with Fire-Bird [Reference Lawrence Phoenix] …

$30.00

Updating cart…

Meteorite Craters at Henbury [Central Australia] – Geophysical Report – J. M. Rayner – 1939 [Edric Chaffer's copy]

Report No 42 of the Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of Northern Australia published in 1939.

Report on the Magnetic Survey conducted in 1937 with large folding plan showing craters and position of magnetic traverses and anomalies (75cm x 75cm) and a second folding plate showing the profiles of horizontal and vertical components of the magnetic field (70cm x 55cm). All in very good condition.

Ownership signature of E. K. Chaffer to front page. Edric Keith Chaffer was a geologist and long time supporter of the Royal Society of New South Wales – he was President of the Society in the 1970′s. His interest in all things geological started at Knox Grammar School … there he participated in the schools special interest in climbing. Know were the first school to climb Ayers Rock in 1950 – Chaffer as a participant narrated the film recording the event title – “Red Horizon”.

Thirteen craters ranging from 9m to 200m in diameter.

A significant cluster of meteorite craters can be found on the Henbury Station which is 130km south of Alice Springs. The craters were recognised by A. R. Alderman, who surveyed and catalogued them, in 1931 closely followed by the Bedford group – a substantial amount of meteor samples was removed. Jack Maxwell Rayner (1906-1982) conducted the first serious scientific study in 1937 the work forming the basis of this unique report published in 1939.

The craters have special scientific significant as it is believed to be the only example where all criteria e.g. size, shape, degrees of erosion can be studied in the one place. There are 13 significant craters and Rayner conducted full technical studies on all but crater no 9 {not sure why]. Rayner went on to become Director of the Commonwealth Bureau of Minerals and Resources.

Henbury Meteorite Crater Cluster.

$220.00

Updating cart…

Roald Amundsen’s Journey in Flight – From Pole to Pole – Garth Cameron.

Hard to find in Australia possibly because of the unusual publisher Skyhorse Publishing albeit first American 2014 having been published by the equally difficult to find Pen and Sword, England version of the previous year.

Octavo, 199 pages, illustrated throughout, maps and from original photographs. Useful although sometimes patronising glossary of terms [we do know what an aircraft is]. Very good if not fine copy.

Amundsen’s aviation involvement and it was extensive and, given the period, rather experimental. He was lost through it in the end … his list of life achievements is undoubtedly heroic – we find this side of him all that more interesting.

The writer a New Zealander with a love of flying – powered and gliding produces a well researched book – the presentation has a hint of a self-published style likely because of then Skyhorse – but we like it.

Amundsen in the air – the cold air that is – a significant story and one that was his end.

$35.00

Updating cart…

Rare Image of Australia’s Rarest Bird – Rawnsley’s Satin Bower Bird [Ptilonorhynchus Rawnsleyi] – Silvester Diggles – c1870

Rare original hand-coloured image lithographed on stone by Queensland naturalist Silvester Diggles. Highlighted with gum Arabic. Published as part of his magnificent work “The Ornithology of Australia” between 1866 and 1870 in twenty-one parts by Pugh of Brisbane, in a very limited edition. By the time part sixteen was published there were only ninety-two subscribers. The original plates were executed by Diggles and his niece, Rowena Birkett.

The bird specimen from which this lithograph was derived was found by H.C. Rawnsley in the scrub behind his house in Witton [Indooroopilly] on the Brisbane River in Julu 1867. Diggles dedicated and named the bird after him. The narrative that accompanies the plate goes on and is of historical interest. Diggles states that the strong resemblance in the bird’s colouring to the Satin Bower bird and the Regent Bower bird may lead to the suspicion of it being a hybrid. However, he refers to the explorer A.C. Gregory, who inspected the bird and confirmed that he had seen the very same species in Northern Queensland … the narrative goes into detail regarding Gregory’s testimony. However, we now know that the bird was a hybrid after all – the only other examples of a similar occurrence are quite recent … in the last twenty year. We believe though only three such occurrences have been identified to date.

The work measures 38cm by 27cm, good strong hand colouring clean and undamaged. A very scarce item.

About Silvester Diggles

Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) artist and musician born in Liverpool, England. He came to Australia in 1853 settling in Brisbane where he taught music and drawing. Diggles was a founder of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Philharmonic Society in 1861 known as “the father of music in Brisbane”. Diggles was also a founder of the Queensland Philosophical Society and helped establish the Museum. His greatest work was The Ornithology of Australia. It nearly sent him broke. His health deteriorated worry about finances being a factor. He died at Kangaroo Point in 1880.

Price $590.00 unframed
An opportunity to own a Silvester Diggles lithograph of an exceedingly rare bird indeed.

$590.00

Updating cart…

Treks and Palavers [Travels in Nigeria]-Richard Oakley – 1938

Before we go further “Palaver” is meant in the truest sense – an improvised meeting which was often held with groups to iron out some difficulty – Oakley was good with a palaver … Voyager likes this book – there is something special about it …

A first edition published by Seeley etc, London [they published a number of high quality serious travel accounts. Thick octavo, 300 pages, good sketch map and numerous full page illustrations from original photographs. No jacket, original red cloth covered binding, top edge stained red as required – very good condition.

A full and interesting account from Captain Oakley who was for a period a Magistrate in the Nigerian Administrative Service. He draws on other key references as well as his own extensive travels and experiences. We like it even more the deeper he gets into Nigeria up towards the Chad border. Surprisingly few good accounts on this African major and their now disappearing underlying culture(s)

Richard Oakley and one of the better accounts on Nigeria.

$60.00

Updating cart…

The Life of George Bass – Surgeon and Sailor of the Enlightenment – Miriam Estensen – Signed and Inscribed by the Author

Published by Allen & Unwin in 2005. Octavo, 259 pages, nicely illustrated and in fine condition.

A thorough account by the meticulous researcher Miriam Estensen .. the end notes and references take up the last 35 pages.

Boldly signed by the author, on the half title, as a gift to a clearly very good friend

Bass the surgeon, and a good one seemingly, more at home on the waves as an explorer adventurer. Later after much accomplished his adventures turned to money making and off he set for South America only to disappear. And throughout all this his beloved Bess … who he left following his primary passion. Estensen explores all of this and provides insight regarding his whereabouts at the end.

George Bass a truly adventures medic.

$30.00

Updating cart…

Fire-Bird – A Study of D.H. Lawrence – Dallas Kenmare – First Edition 1951

Meteorite Craters at Henbury [Central Australia] – Geophysical Report – J. M. Rayner – 1939 [Edric Chaffer's copy]

Roald Amundsen’s Journey in Flight – From Pole to Pole – Garth Cameron.

Rare Image of Australia’s Rarest Bird – Rawnsley’s Satin Bower Bird [Ptilonorhynchus Rawnsleyi] – Silvester Diggles – c1870

Treks and Palavers [Travels in Nigeria]-Richard Oakley – 1938

The Life of George Bass – Surgeon and Sailor of the Enlightenment – Miriam Estensen – Signed and Inscribed by the Author

Product Categories