Aboriginal

The Jubilee History of Tasmania – Two Volumes – First Editions1887

Complied by Thaddeus Leavitt with a significant contribution from then Hobart historian, James Fenton.

Covers more as title continues … illustrated, with which is incorporated, the Early History of Victoria, Biographical Sketches, as well as incorporating some of the author’s earlier volume the Australian Representative Men.

Two volumes, large heavy set of near 1000 pages in original publishers half morocco with gilt page edges and designs (a superior binding), a little rubbed but really and excellent set. Very clean and crisp internally.

Full of historical information, with many illustrations and hundreds of biographies. Topics include Aborigines, Businesses, Churches, Dutch East India Co, Education, Exploration, Famine, Institutions, Land Grants, Newspapers, Supreme Court, Wool and much more.

The engravings of commercial building of the day of very interesting both in Tasmania and Victoria … seem to be quite a few pubs among them … and some coffee houses!

Very good Tasmanian and Victorian History – Scarce and nicely bound

$890.00

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Two Representative Tribes of Queensland – John Mathew – First Edition 1910

Two Representative Tribes of Queensland – With and Inquiry Concerning the Origin of the Australian Race.

A scarce and sought after ethnological work. First edition published by T. Fisher Unwin, London in 1910.

Octavo, 256 pages, rough cut edges., some pages not yet opened. Hints of foxing, generally very clean and tidy. Original red cloth covered binding with gold title to front a spine. A little flecked, not as bad as usual. Includes a map and six illustrations from photographs. Tables of vocabulary, genealogy etc A very good copy of a desirable work.

The author, a Presbyterial Minister migrated from Scotland to Queensland to work on his uncles farm in 1864. He took a great deal of interest in the aboriginal people. And this work which includes significant discussion regrading social behaviour and language was regraded as pioneering in the field of anthropology. He spent a lot time with the Kabi and Wakka people living around Barambah.

A wonderful pairing with the Walter Roth book on the tribes of North-West-Central area of Queensland.

Important work of the aboriginal people

$390.00

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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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The Jubilee History of Tasmania – Two Volumes – First Editions1887

Two Representative Tribes of Queensland – John Mathew – First Edition 1910

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

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