Non-fiction

Fossil Fern – Lune River Tasmania – Early Jurassic Forest circa 182 million years old.

A nice slice of petrified tree fern from the Lune River area deep in the southern reached of Tasmania.

The dating of the examples in this location to the middle of the early Jurassic Period (182 Ma) was by isotopic measurements on zircons found in the volcanic sandstone hosting the fossils (Bromfield et al 2007). Also refer the excellent guide by P. Manchester.

Weighing 70gm and 16cm by 5cm.

This region is the area of the world where these plants developed. Twelve tree paratypes (arborescent) ferns and one bracken-like (rhizomatous) fern have been studied in the region. All of the tree ferns belong to the genus Osmundacaulis. This example shows clear and tight trachioles

These plants evolved in this region, the Australian portion of Pangea, all that time ago. Gradually they have spread elsewhere and appear in North-west USA … examples were only discovered in Eurasia in the year 2000.

Nice part section of a fossil tree fern from Jurassic Tasmania .

$60.00

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Chrysocolla [Copper Silcate] – Kumarina – Western Australia

Chrysocolla, such a beautiful colouring. A hydrated copper silicate from the oxidation zone around copper deposits. Likely from the Peak Hill’s region Kumarina copper mine which closed down in the 1970’s.

A beautifully example 8.0cm by 6.5cm, 2.0cm deep, weighing 130.0gm

Chrysolcolla a nice Western Australian example

$30.00

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Queensland Mineral – Rain Forest Jasper [Spherulitic Rhyolite] from the Mount Hay Volcano

Mount Hay is to the west of Rockhampton in Queensland. It is an extinct volcano and it was the volcanic environment that gave rise to this unique form of rhyolite. It is called rainforest jasper because of the rainforest like colour palette.

The underlying rock form is high in silicon and the long cooling process from the volcanic activity allowed for numerous inclusions of quartz, chalcedony etc.

A sizeable example 14.0cm by 9.0cm, 1.0cm deep, weighing 390gm

Striking Mount Hay Jasper – a nice piece

$50.00

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Environmental Change in the Sub-Antarctic -Proceedings of the Second International Forum on the Sub-Antarctic – Hobart April 2009

Perfect bound, softcover, 118 pages, illustrated throughout, some colour, a very good copy.

Published in the December after the conference this is the Proceeding of the Royal Society of Tasmania, representing Volume 143 Parts I and II.

Part I features … Climate trends at Macquarie Island; Exploitation of the marine ecosystem; Biological systems at Prince Edward Island; Terrestrial vegetation changes at Macquarie and Heard islands; Invasive species etc

Part II features … Orchids of Macquarie island; Freshwater diatoms; Antarctic vignettes Shackleton; Foraminifera ad paleoenvironment of Late Pleistocene sands, White Rock Point, Southeastern Tasmania; HMS Beagle in Tasmanian waters.

We particularly like the foram papers by Quilty et al … the site being round South Arm … and the tracking of the Beagle is up right up our street … or Ocean.

Antarctic forum – wish we had been there.

$35.00

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Rare Microscope Slide by Harry Webb – Transverse Section of Mistletoe – c1860

Harry Webb (1816-1866) was a professional mounter who lived in George Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham England. His initials are embedded in the custom-made decorative slide papers.

A nice transverse section of the mistletoe stem.

There is a brief reference to Harry Webb in the key work by Brian Bracegirdle – Microscopical Mounts and Mounters (page 100) and an unattributed example (Page 39-P). we have this information from a later reviewer who knows their stuff – but we struggle to agree that the example shown in the book is from HW.

Webb’s work featured in several international shows and he is thought to have been awarded at least one prize. He was recommended by top line microscope makers. Unfortunately, something went very wrong and he took his life drinking phenol – which would not be a nice way to go.

Rare maker with definitive slide papers – 165 years old!

$40.00

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Around Tasmania in a Whaleboat 1986 – In the Wake of James Kelly – Ben Cuthbertson [Signed by the Author]

170 years after James Kelly’s famous voyage in a whaleboat around Tasmania, Ben Cuthbertson, sailor, marine enthusiast, maritime historian set out to replicate the event.

In this his personal, self published account he describes the adventure from the outset and during the voyage compares his with that of Kelly which makes the whole much more enjoyable.

Octavo, soft cover, 80 pages, some illustrations, published the year of the voyage. Fine condition. Signed boldly by the author bottom of title page.

Cuthbertson around Tassie in the style of the great seaman James Kelly of Hobart Town.

$35.00

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Fossil Fern – Lune River Tasmania – Early Jurassic Forest circa 182 million years old.

Chrysocolla [Copper Silcate] – Kumarina – Western Australia

Queensland Mineral – Rain Forest Jasper [Spherulitic Rhyolite] from the Mount Hay Volcano

Environmental Change in the Sub-Antarctic -Proceedings of the Second International Forum on the Sub-Antarctic – Hobart April 2009

Rare Microscope Slide by Harry Webb – Transverse Section of Mistletoe – c1860

Around Tasmania in a Whaleboat 1986 – In the Wake of James Kelly – Ben Cuthbertson [Signed by the Author]

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