Aboriginal

Weep in Silence A history of the Flinders Island Aboriginal Settlement – Plomley

An monumental work edited by Brian Plomley and published by Blubber Press in 1987.

A first edition, large octavo, 1034 pages with illustrations and endpaper maps. Very good condition albeit with some mild marks to page edges from use. Very good dust jacket.

Plomley had previously issued (1966) a work on this subject titled “Friendly Mission” which concentrated on the early activities of George Augustus Robinson. Here he draws further on unpublished papers of Robinson and on Colonial Government records. The Robinson journal from Flinders islands (1835-1839) is transcribed in full with extensive commentary and annotation. Also relevant extracts from the letters of Commandant William James Darling and the journals of James Backhouse and George Washington Walker. More readable than it sounds.

Important work on the Tasmania aboriginal people

$120.00

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Baudin in Australian Waters – Bonnemains et al – First Edition 1988

A quite spectacular book on very special subject edited by Jaqueline Bonnemains, Elliot Forsyth and Bernard Smith.

The Artwork of the French Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Lands 1800-1804.

Large, folio production, a first edition published by the Oxford University Press, Melbourne in 1988. 347 pages beautifully illustrated and with end paper maps.

With a complete descriptive catalogue of drawings and paintings of Australian subjects by Lesueur and Petit from the Lesueur Collection at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Le Harve, France.

Nicolas Baudin left Le Harve in 1800 with two vessel under his command the Naturaliste and the Geographe. Of the 238 men 22 were scientists. Their focus was the western and southern coastlines of Australia including Tasmania. They studied the habits of the aborigines and collected many natural history specimens.

This book is a tribute to collection of ethnological and zoological drawings and paintings resulting from the expedition. The originals are housed at Le Havre. The book contains over 300 illustrations many in colour enhancing our understanding of the true beauty of the works. The substantial introductory essays on the expedition and the biographies of the key individuals and artist set the perfect scene

Baudin Expedition in all its Beauty

$240.00

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A Journal of the Endeavour Voyager – James Magra

This is a fine facsimile published by Israel Amsterdam in 1967. Note titles “Cook” by Israel but not the author.

The original account … A Journal of a Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Ship Endeavour, in the Years 1768,1769,1770 and 1771 etc published by Becket and Hondt in the Strand in 1791. Quarto, 130 pages plus 3 pages of vocabulary of the language of Otahitee.

Published two years before the official Hawkesworth account in 1793 and now generally attributed to James Magra.

James Magra was a New Yorker and American sympathiser and accordingly to James Cook a man of dubious quality. Almost impossible to find in original form … this was the first published book describing the East Coast of Australia and includes for example reference to Stingray Bay the name given to Botany Bay by James Cook before the latter was adopted sometime before Hawkesworth.

Magra’s account and essential Cook ingredient

$80.00

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The Voyage of the Brig Mercury – Including Maria’s Islands near Van Diemen’s Land

Full title … Observations and Remarks made during a Voyage to the Islands of Tenerife, Amsterdam, Maria’s Islands near Van Diemen’s Land; Otaheite, Sandwich Islands, Owhyhee, the Fox Islands on the North West Coast of America, Tinian, and then to Canton, in the Brig Mercury, Commanded by John Henry Cox …

Illustrated with a Sketch of the Island of Amsterdam, a Plan of Oyster Harbour at the Maria Islands, with some views of the Land; a Curious Medal; and a Club accurately engraved.

Originally published for the author Lieutenant George Mortimer of the Marines, T Cadell in the Strand et al. in 1792.

This fine facsimile published by Israel, Amsterdam in 1975. Small quarto, 73 pages with the charts faithfully reproduced. A clean crisp copy.

The original account of this voyage difficult near impossible to obtain. Mortimer suggests that the Voyage was chiefly undertaken from motives of curiosity by Mr Cox, the fur trade on the North West Coast of America was the ultimate objective.

Mortimer’s narrative is a pleasing and easily read account. The visit to Amsterdam Island well to the South in the Indian Ocean, nearly Antarctic, is important to cold weather island enthusiasts. Cox had planned to call in at Adventure Bay in Van Diemen’s Land but missed it and ended up at Maria’s Island … he named Oyster Bay and the charts produced is of historical value. The progression across the Pacific to the North west Coast of America has unique elements and interesting encounters with Russians in the locale.

Mortimer on Cox’s Voyage .. important Tasmanian content

$60.00

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The Quest of the Black Opals – Alexander McDonald – 1908

A Tale of Adventure in the Heart of Australia … by Alexander McDonald and illustrated by William Rainey R.I.

Published by Blackie & Sons, London, Glasgow and Bombay in 1908.

Octavo 352 pages with nice pictorial covers. Some age to page edges otherwise a very good copy.

The opening sentence sets the scene nicely … “In that desolate tract of country beyond the borders of Queensland through which the mystic Cooper flows, lies a wealth of fire-flashing opal awaiting only the advent of him who can take it away”.

Six full page illustrations including the frontispiece, plus a full page map near the front and a small map reference Burke and Wills.

Adventure stirred up by Opals in the Heart of Oz

$60.00

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Friendly Mission Tasmanian Journals and Papers of George Augustus Robinson 1829 – 1834 – Plomley – First Edition 1966 + 1971 Supplement

The scarce first edition published by the Tasmanian Historical Research Association in 1966.

Super thick octavo, 1,074 pages after preliminaries, nicely Illustrated from period sketches, end paper maps, and numerous maps and route maps throughout.

The book was published without a conventional dust jacket, protected in a simple wax paper wrap of which we appear to have the original! Very good unmarked condition, similarly the 1971 Supplement.

The Mitchell Library had purchased George Augustus Robinson’s voluminous papers from the estate of his son in 1939. Because of the war the papers were no transferred to Sydney until ten years later. Robinson had been conciliator of the Tasmanian Aborigines, Commandant at the Flinders Island aboriginal settlement and Chief Protector of the Aborigines of Port Phillip.

When Brian Plomley wrote this book the papers had still not been fully catalogued at the Mitchell. The papers comprised private correspondence, memoranda and jottings, vocabularies of aboriginal languages and a series of field journals covering Robinson’s expeditions in search of the Tasmanian Aboriginals … and it is these journals that constitute the heart of this edition. Starting with a series of journals kept during his mission to the natives of Bruny Island and his subsequent expeditions throughout Tasmania in search of the then existing tribes. They are a day-to-day account of where he went and what he did. Giving important information on the geography of many parts of Tasmania and of the people who lived there.

The history from contemporary records …

$190.00

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Weep in Silence A history of the Flinders Island Aboriginal Settlement – Plomley

Baudin in Australian Waters – Bonnemains et al – First Edition 1988

A Journal of the Endeavour Voyager – James Magra

The Voyage of the Brig Mercury – Including Maria’s Islands near Van Diemen’s Land

The Quest of the Black Opals – Alexander McDonald – 1908

Friendly Mission Tasmanian Journals and Papers of George Augustus Robinson 1829 – 1834 – Plomley – First Edition 1966 + 1971 Supplement

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