Queensland

Sent Forth a Dove [Discovery of the Duyfken] – James Henderson

In 1606 the Dutch India Company ship the Duyfken came upon the Cape York Peninsula. The author reconstructs the fascinating adventure of this little ship and tells of the building of the replica.

The Duyfken appeared at the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival in 2023.We hope it returns in 2025. Voyager photograph of the vessel in the River Derwent shown here.

A softcover, large octavo, 218 pages, heavily and nicely illustrated. Published by the University of Western Australia in 1999. A super copy.

The Duyfken started it all as a Dove would

$30.00

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Three 19thC Prepared Microscope Slides of Australian Diatomaceae by J.D. Moller

Three fascinating early microscope slides by preparer Johann Diedrich Moller (1844-1907). The most talented and famous preparer of diatom slides of all time.

Three slides carrying a relatively early version of his distinctive slide labels.

His makers label announcing – Gold Medal St Petersburg & Altona 1869 J.D. Moller Wedel in Holstein [Germany].

The slide subjects being Diatomaceae and further labelled.

Fossils – South Australia
Fossils – South Yarra
Aqua Marina – Carpentaria Gulf Australia.

Fine examples of historical significance, likely harvested during one of the scientific and surveying voyages of the second half of the 19thC.

Price $190.00 the group – if you would like an individual one they will be $80.00 each. Send us a message through our enquiry page.

Postage costs likely to be reduced on final billing.

A trifecta of rather unique 19thC slides top maker and Australian subjects.

$180.00

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THE NAVAL STORES BRISBANE – An Historical Survey and Management Plan – Don Roderick

A unique item. Landscape presentation, 103 pages, copied and perfect bound monochrome illustrations throughout in good plus condition. Produced for the Queensland Government in 1984.

An Historical Survey and Management Plan. Unusual and rare. Typescript reproduced on a duplicating machine. Includes: an historic perspective, chronology of site development, stores buildings concept and design, the designers, the design documents, remedial works, possible uses etc..

Scarce Queensland/ Brisbane History of the Naval Stores

$50.00

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Exchange of Letters between Sir Leslie Orme Wilson and the Maharaja of Gondal on the former’s appointment as the Governor of Bombay – 1923. Subsequently Wilson to become Governor of Queensland

An official exchange along with a corrected draft from the Maharaja so clearly from the files of his office.

Military man and parliamentarian Leslie Orme Wilson (1876- 1955) was appointed Governor of Bombay (1923-1926). His formal advice to His Highness Sir Bhagwatsinhji Sagramji – Thakor Saheb of Gondal ((1865-1944) was sent dated 13 December 1923 on the rather striking elaborately bordered paper of the day and regime. It is framed with a “Friendly disposition”.

The delightful response was not made until 5th February the following year and I have no doubt there may have been an underlying message despite the responses carefully crafted words “great pleasure to receive the assurance of the friendly disposition”. We also like the fact that the Maharaja’s similarly elaborate paper has retained far more gold over the years than his British counterpart.

There relationship did in indeed prove friendly and Wilson was “sent on” to Brisbane to become it’s longest serving Governor from 1932 through the war years to 1946. He was the head honcho in the Queensland masons and did a lot of tress planting including sone of the nice ones down around the beginning of Coronation drive – have they survived the continuous development?

An unusual and friendly piece of history with a Queensland connection

$80.00

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Medal in Celebration of the Discovery of the Johnstone River, Queensland in 1873.

Produced in 1973 the celebrate the 100 year anniversary of George Elphinstone Dalrymple’s Discovery.

Cast in coppered bronze by K G Luke. 50 mm in diameter, weighing 48 gm, very good condition.

Nice design of the North and South Johnson combining and meandering down to the Pacific Ocean through heavily wooded hilly terrain. A very clear horizon, and in the sky above the explorers full name and commemorative dates the full commemorative details in a border around the edge. On the reverse a Floral and scroll design, presumably to take the engraved name of any recipient – here still blank.

The designer is associated with Sir Kenneth George Lake (1896-1971) who had a very successful business making all things requiring metal design … he was also an important identity in sports administration in Australian particularly the AFL.

George Elphinstone Dalrymple was a legendary explorer, pioneer and pastoralist in northern Queensland. See Robert Logan Jack’s Northmost Australia for a good account of his efforts. He named the Johnstone River in 1873 in honour of Robert Johnstone of the Native Police who had carried out his handy work in the region. Unusually, the river had already been named by Captain Moresby a year or two earlier … his name the Gladys did not stick, thankfully. The Johnstone is a spectacular part of Australia .. the rivers are subject to exceedingly high rainfall and make for the very best of white water rafting. The confluence of the North and South is about five kms west of the town of Innisafail. If you go there … watch out for salty crocodiles.

Very good uncirculated condition, strong relief.

Celebrating Northern Queensland Exploration

$80.00

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The South Pole – An account of the Norwegian Expedition in the “Fram” 1910-1912 – Roald Amundsen – Queensland University Facsimile 1976

Facsimile edition, and a scarce one, published under the moniker of the University of Queensland Press in 1976. The original edition was published in 1912 and is highly collectable. Two volumes bound as one making it quite an impressive book in stature xxv, 392 pages; x, 449 pages. Illustrated from the original with plates and maps, one folding of each. A very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

The first to the pole. Account of Amundsen’s legendary dash to the Pole. He beat Scott’s Expedition by a month reaching the Pole on 14th December 1911. The use of dog sleds, better clothing, nutrition and a single minded purpose are factors that put Amundsen ahead of Scott.

Norwegian Captain Roald Amundsen had initially intended make an expedition to the Arctic, but changed his plans at the last moment and announced he would try for the South Pole instead. His explanation to the public was that if he could beat the English and Japanese expeditions to the Pole then he could secure success and funds for his extensive Arctic expedition, and also snatch the prize for his own country.

Amundsen sailed southward in the Fram to the Bay of Whales that would afford his expedition both the shortest route to the Pole and a route that would not overlap with either the Japanese or the English expeditions. From start to finish, Amundsen’s expedition ran like clockwork. He carefully planned every moment of the trip, using his experience in the Arctic and his extensive knowledge of dog-teams to help him through. His team was entirely Norwegian, accustomed to a harsh and cold climate, and were excellent ski-runners. In addition, Amundsen travelled light; he brought five men and fifty dogs on his expedition so that the latter could eventually serve as food for the former. Part of what doomed Scott’s party was the fact that he favoured men and ponies over dogs, bringing twelve men, eight ponies, and only twenty-six dogs.

Amundsen’s party remained in excellent health and always had enough to eat from their plentiful provisions at their well-stocked supply depots. They also supplemented their food stores with a great seal hunt just before the winter, after which 120,000 lb. of fresh seal meat were added to their stores, which helped protect them against scurvy.

Unlike Scott’s party, Amundsen’s party were also fortunate enough to have favourable weather conditions on their side, so that they were able to reach the Pole using their supply depots and dog sleds in just 99 days, a distance of 1860 miles, covering an astonishing average of 19 miles a day over frozen and difficult ground. Their journey was truly an extraordinary accomplishment, and Amundsen’s account of it is no less riveting

Amundsen – Fine facsimile of The South Pole published by Queensland University

$140.00

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Sent Forth a Dove [Discovery of the Duyfken] – James Henderson

Three 19thC Prepared Microscope Slides of Australian Diatomaceae by J.D. Moller

THE NAVAL STORES BRISBANE – An Historical Survey and Management Plan – Don Roderick

Exchange of Letters between Sir Leslie Orme Wilson and the Maharaja of Gondal on the former’s appointment as the Governor of Bombay – 1923. Subsequently Wilson to become Governor of Queensland

Medal in Celebration of the Discovery of the Johnstone River, Queensland in 1873.

The South Pole – An account of the Norwegian Expedition in the “Fram” 1910-1912 – Roald Amundsen – Queensland University Facsimile 1976

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