Australiana

The Life of Captain James Cook – J.C. Beaglehole

Published by Adam & Charles Black, London 1974 a first of this issue having been previously published by the Hakluyt Society.

Large “royal” octavo, 760 pages with 4 sketch maps, 1 foldout map, 4 coloured plates and 67 black and white illustrations. Slight sunning of dust jacket spine and hint of foxing as often the case. A very good copy. A heavy book that will require an Overseas postage supplement.

Many would agree the best authority on James Cook. John Beaglehole wrote the definitive analysis of James Cook’s three monumental voyages published by the Hakluyt Society. Likewise, this book, on the man himself, is a superb digestible (albeit 700+ pages) account and a must for Cook admirers with a thirst for knowledge.

Best “Cook Book” by far …

$90.00

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The Charm of Hobart – Jack and Turnbull

And charming it is. A delightful little book on the architecture of Hobart by Clive Turnbull with excellent drawings by Kenneth Jack.

First published in 1949, this is the second printing the year after. Published by Ure Smith, Sydney as part of a broader series.

Small octavo, 56 pages with paper covered boards. A very good copy with previous owners bookplate on front past down. Postage will be reduced on this item on billing.

The narrative is most helpful to those wishing a good and speedy knowledge. This images include some building sadly gone. See if you can spot them.

One of the Hobart Essentials

$20.00

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Wrecks & Reputations [The Loss of the Schomberg and Loch Ard] – Don Charlwood

Published by Angus & Robertson in 1977. A very good copy, 190 pages with fine dust jacket.

Don Charwood’s well researched tightly composed and nicely illustrated account of the difficulties of early vessels sailing through the Western entrance of the Bass Strait.

Particular reference to the fate of the Schomberg and the Loch Ard and to its only survivors Eva Carmichael and the young man that saved her Tom Pearce.

The fate of many other ships of the “Loch” brand are listed – leads one to conclude never to sail in a vessel named Loch anything!

What out for the rocks!

$25.00

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Cooksland in North-Eastern Australia – John Dunmore Lang – First Edition 1847 – Fine Binding

A first edition of Lang’s lengthy book on territory that was essentially shortly to become Queensland. Cooksland was his offered naming and recommending a southern boundary down south of the Clarence River, in modern day NSW.

John Dunmore Lang (1799-1878) hold a important place in the history of and recording of the settlement period. He was instrumental in promoting immigration from both Britain and Germany. Regarded as Australia’s first Republican.

Published by Longman Landon. Octavo, 496 pages with folding map of the proposed “Cooksland”’ as frontispiece, six illustrations of views which are tinted and a portrait of Dr Leichardt. Rebound in full calf by Roger Perry to a super standard. Separate red leather title with gilt work to compartments on spine. Internally some quiet heavy foxing in patches … other area quite clean. Scarce.

The contents are varied and the dry patches of typical Lang on the “artificial productions” of Cooksland can be a bit dreary. However interspersed this some important and lengthy narrative. Such as Leichhardt’s travels from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. Leichhard’s letter from around the Glass House Mountains; Andrew Petrie’s travels to Wide Bay; Schmidt’s travels to the Bunya-bunya tree country. Also, he allocated 130 pages to the aborigines, and whilst he writes with a degree of Lang arrogance there is some useful information there.

Cooksland a unique Dunmore Lang work – some foxing but complete and nicely bound in full leather.

$390.00

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A Guide to maps of Australia in Books Published 1780-1830 – Perry and Prescott

A pretty essential accessory to Tooley regarding the mapping of Australia.

Described as an “annotated cartobibliography” compiled by Tom Perry and Dorothy Prescott.

Published by the National Library of Australia in 1996, small quarto, 315 pages with some illustrations. Hardbound, published without a dust jacket, decorative paper covered boards, quality paper, a heavy book.

A supreme effort cataloguing nearly 600 maps and charts of Australia, or parts of Australia. The referencing system is simple and useful, giving the date of publication then order of appearance, and with a reference to Ferguson’s Bibliography of all books Australian, if appropriate – e.g. 1824.19 is the 1824 published map of Van Diemen’s Land by Sidney Hall published in Wentworth’s “A Statistical Account of the British settlements in Australasia” (Ferguson 990).

Tom Perry was Reader in Geography at Melbourne University and author of a number of celebrated books on Australian discovery and the charting of Australia. Dorothy Prescott was similarly linked to Melbourne University and at one time held the distinguished position of Map Curator at the National Library of Australia.

Up there with Tooley – “Perry and Prescott” Guide to Australian Maps

$160.00

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In Northern Seas: Being Alfred Searcy’s Experiences on the North Coast of Australia – Edited Whitington – Scarce First Edition 1905

Alfred Searcy (1854-1925) was a South Australian writer, adventurer and public servant who had spent the period 1882-1896 based in Darwin. He did much to open up an understanding of the vast northern region and the people that lived there.

His stories and reflections had been published over time in “the Register” here we have them in one place recounted by E Whitington.

Octavo, first edition, 83 pages double column with a number of full page illustrations from photographs which are unpaginated. Original paper wrappers which are browned and chipped quiet a lot particularly the rear. Spine stiffened. Internally, generally good to better. Difficult condition is in the nature of this scarce item. Large folding map at rear which seeks to promote Darwin as the gateway to the World is in very good condition

Signed by Searcy boldly on the title page and under a rather romantic image of him in bush dress, in his hand boldly in pencil “Captain Starlight” a reference to the notorious bushranger.

An important and hard to find work on the Northern Territory and a good bedfellow with Searcy’s published work of which Voyager has a good copy. Includes chapters on Hunting Malay Proas; Searcy’s Cruises; Pearl Fishing; Buffalo and Wild Cattle; All about Alligators?; the Cruise of the Palmerston and Pioneering on the McArthur; Relics of the Explorers; the Last Trip of the Ellengowan; the Cape Brogden Massacre; Robbery of Opium; Early Military Settlements etc etc

Early Northern Account – Rare – Signed by Author

$120.00

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The Life of Captain James Cook – J.C. Beaglehole

The Charm of Hobart – Jack and Turnbull

Wrecks & Reputations [The Loss of the Schomberg and Loch Ard] – Don Charlwood

Cooksland in North-Eastern Australia – John Dunmore Lang – First Edition 1847 – Fine Binding

A Guide to maps of Australia in Books Published 1780-1830 – Perry and Prescott

In Northern Seas: Being Alfred Searcy’s Experiences on the North Coast of Australia – Edited Whitington – Scarce First Edition 1905

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