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Australian Coastal Exploration and Maritime

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Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie [A Flinders Item]

Octavo, xiv, 134 pages, published by Hordern House in 2014. A very good copy.

Robert Purdie was a young surgeon who was wrecked on HMS Porpoise on a reef off the Queensland coast (to become known as “Wreck Reef’’). This was the vessel originally taking Matthew Flinders back the England having completed his coastal survey of Australia, confirming the entirety of the land mass. Purdie’s account had been published anonymously in The Naval Chronicle in 1807/07. He had been a junior officer on the Investigator and was among those that stayed on the reef whilst Flinders and other rowed back to Sydney to successfully mount a rescue.

The narrative is lively, informative and readable … here well presented with an excellent introduction and notes by Matthew Fishburn

Flinders and Wreck Reef by Surgeon’s Mate Purdie.

$40.00

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The Great South Land – Searching for the Antipodes from Classical Scholars to Quiros & Dampier.

Published by Hordern House in 2011 another scholarly catalogue of key works presented in a depth and standard unlikely to be surpassed.

Hardback quarto, in dust jacket, unpaginated but circa 180 pages with 127 rare items. A fine copy.

After a useful introduction we start with “Ideas of a southern continent” … Classical Geographers with works by Strabo, Mela, Macrobious, Ptolemaeus … the Renaissance and later. Leading to Marco-Polo, Mandeville and the “travellers and story tellers”. Dutch exploration and the VOC … Duyfken, Tasman, Pelsaert. Before the Spanish and Portuguese … Varthema, Quiros, Mendana. The “English Adventurers make Landfall” .. Drake, Woodes Rogers, William Dampier. Hakluyt wraps it all up. All up 104 voyagers, travellers or distinguished authors.

The period up to Dampier explained by reference to key works

$40.00

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George Bass 1771-1803: His Discoveries, Romantic Life and Tragic Disappearance – Keith Bowden – First Edition 1952

A very good first edition of this well researched and written book on Bass.

Published by the Oxford University Press Melbourne in 1952. Octavo, 171 pages with illustrations and a fine dust jacket.

The author Keith Macrae Bowden was the author of the official Australian Dictionary of Biography re Bass and therefore holds a certain authority on the subject explorer.

After various introduction we have a family history and the first naval activity on HMS Shark and HMS Reliance. Off to Australia and the exploratory adventures on the Tom Thumb before a trip to South Africa. Time in Port Jackson and the discovery of coal before the “Discovery of the Bass Strait” and the final whale boat voyage. Plans for a fortune and his Pacific voyages and on to South America and his disputable fate.

Nice appendices on the Tom Thumb; Source of Information and a succinct listing of the subjects achievements.

George Bass a fairly full life

$50.00

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Abel Tasman Medal – 350th Anniversary of the Discovering of the West Coast of Tasmania 1642-1992

An interesting medallion for historians and the cartographically inspired. Produced for the Trust Bank of Tasmania.

48 mm diameter, 42 gm, intricately engraved on one side with gum leaf design on reverse.

The intricate design has a map of the central west coast of Tasmania noting Zeehan, Queenstown and Strahan; a nice image of Tasman’s vessel and a compass rose. Narrative details of the sighting 24th November 1642 and the landing at Tasman Bay on the East side on the 3rd of December 1642.

Tasman – first European sighting commemorated

$70.00

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Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons – Part I. Dampier to Cook.

Hordern House have done a number of similar works. This by far the best. Published in 2005.

English born David Parsons was educated at Corpus Christi, Oxford. He spent his adult life in the USA where applied his mathematical skills as a top actuary. The collection written up by the House was the first of two parts (see our copy of Part II sold separately), the most important works we would say in chronological order up to Cook.

Parsons had decided to focus in on early Spanish/ Portuguese exploration. The proceeds from this magnificent collection would have provided a pretty healthy budget.

Octavo, unpaginated, circa 125 pages, magnificently illustrated. Contains all of the key works one would expect, often of super quality or special provenance. Generally organised as follows … Dampier to Swift; The Anson Expedition; The South Pacific before Cook; The North Pacific before Cook; Cook. As always an excellent description of content and relevance of each work with a helpful selection of images

Super reference of a collection to envy for sure.

$60.00

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Captain James Cook – The Greatest Discoverer [Hordern House Reference]

Well, another magnificent Hordern House production. A catalogue of encyclopedic quality and proportions to reflect the once only collection of Robert and Mary Anne Parks.

No Cook devotee or great voyages enthusiast should be without this incredible reference to 133 works some unique some so rare that they make one shimmer with envy.

Cook delights dished up on quality service.

$40.00

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Pages: « First < Previous 3 4 5 67 8 9 10 Next >Last »

Australian Coastal Exploration and Maritime

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie [A Flinders Item]

The Great South Land – Searching for the Antipodes from Classical Scholars to Quiros & Dampier.

George Bass 1771-1803: His Discoveries, Romantic Life and Tragic Disappearance – Keith Bowden – First Edition 1952

Abel Tasman Medal – 350th Anniversary of the Discovering of the West Coast of Tasmania 1642-1992

Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons – Part I. Dampier to Cook.

Captain James Cook – The Greatest Discoverer [Hordern House Reference]

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