Mining and Geology

The Geology and Palaeontology of Queensland and New Guinea – (Plate Album – Some Hand Coloured) – Robert Logan Jack and Robert Etheridge (Jnr) – 1892

This is the scarce first edition plate album published by James Beal, Brisbane in 1892 and Dulau, London

Small quarto (25cm by 19cm) containing 68 striking plates. A plate 69 is listed being a Geological Map of Queensland, as this was bound separately it is nearly always missing as in this case. Original embossed brown cloth covered binding, gilt titles to spine, original patterned endpapers. Some ageing to extremities. Internally very clean, with some damage to one plate (no 25) not affecting the images.

The specimens figured are predominantly from the Geological Survey of Queensland Collection along with some from the British Museum, Australian and Queensland Museum ; and private collections including the late Richard Daintree, Tenison Woods etc

Robert Logan Jack (Voyager hero) was the Government Geologist for Queensland. Robert Etheridge son a an equally famous father of the same name worked with Logan Jack previously on the Geological Survey of Scotland. At the time of this work Etheridge was Government Palaeontologist of NSW.

The first 44 plates contain 661 individual illustrations lithographed by Berjeau & Highley and printed by Mintern Brothers, London a combination active in scientific works of the period including the leading London Societies. 11 of the plates represent geological sections of varying degrees of complexity; a plate of drill cores; a coloured folding chart of the Burrum coal field; a larger folding coloured plan of Gympie Gold Field; a larger again folding coloured plan of Chartered Towers. The 12 excellent hand coloured images of rock thin sections drawn from the microscope by Isabel Phoebe Clarke (1863-1960) wife of Arthur Walter Clarke (1854-1893) who was at Chartered Towers

Important Queensland Geological Work – Special Plates

$490.00

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The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – The Discovery of Gold – Magnetism etc – Georgina King FRASA – Sydney 1924

A self-published pamphlet by Georgina King of work previously published in the “Sunday Times”. Printed by William Brooks, Sydney and issued in 1924.

Octavo, 23 pages, soft wrappers as issued, three illustrations in the text regarding aboriginals. Some age from use still a very good copy.

The articles are as per the title … The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – Two Stone Ages in Australia; The Discovery of Gold and How it was Found in Payable Quantities; Magnetism – terrestrial and Universal; Diamond and Their Origin.

A most usual body of work. Georgina King (1845-1932) was an amateur geologist and anthropologist. As a woman she was excluded from the “professional” category e.g. she was not allowed to read her own paper at the Royal society of NSW. Her ideas were rather whacky though and make for interesting reading … they did not stop her becoming a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Society. The daughter of Rev George King she was advised by him and naturalist Bennett not to marry if she wanted to get on in her chosen filed. She corresponded with Robert Logan Jack regarding geology and Huxley on natural sciences. In her eccentricity she blamed other for stealing her ideas, including Edgeworth David on her radical concepts of the earth’s formation and Einstein on the theory of relativity. She believed diamonds were fossilised marine organisms … quoting from the paper contained here …

“Diamonds existed as marine organisms. They are composed of pure carbon, containing only a little hydrogen, and the most minute particles are often found in what were small cavities, perhaps their breathing apparatus; some were like feathers. The cleavages of the diamond were the gills of those marine organisms …”

Her article of the aborigines is a lot more grounded. She was a friend of Daisy bates and provided financial support to Bates for her work among aboriginal people.

Georgina King isolated Australian Scientist with some wild ideas and some interesting ones.

$50.00

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Gold-Dust and Ashes – Ion Idriess – 1935 Edition

The Romantic Story of the New Guinea Goldfields

First published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1933 this is an eighth edition (still early) 1955.

Octavo, 285 pages plus Idriess catalogue. Endpaper maps and nicely illustrated with period photographs. Very good dust jacket. Spotting to page edges and occasionally in text. A very good copy of this pre war edition.

Ion Idriess’s great book about the early New Guinea Goldfields of Bulolo, Wau and Edie Creek.

One of the must have books in the PNG list.

Gold- Dust it is!

$80.00

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Glimpses of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand – Captain Barry – First edition 1903

Subtitled … “A Thrilling Narrative of the Early Days: Embodying the Life-History of Captain William Jackson Barry Who Arrived in New South Wales in 1829” … and it is really quite “Thrilling”

Published by Brett, Auckland in 1903. Small quarto, 211 pages, decorated end papers, illustrated with photographic portraits. Original cloth covered binding with gilt embossed design and title to front and spine … gilt a little faded … otherwise a very good solid unmarked copy.

William Barry was born in 1819. His father was a vet. At a dinner party Sir John Alcock took a liking to him and asked his father to let William enter his service. With this achieved, Alcock set off for Australia with young William on the “Red Rover” in the year 1828. Typhus broke out onboard and many died. On arrival at Sydney the ship was quarantined for six weeks … it was dreadful… and life ashore not much better. Alcock hated it and organised swift passage to Buenos Ayres. On the way to the dock Barry decided he liked Sydney so much he ran away and hid in a tank until the ship had gone. And so Barry’s life in the Antipodes started then … at the age of ten!

His life was certainly different … at various times he sailed … carrying Timor Ponies to Sydney … shipwrecked nearly starved and rescued. Other times he was in the gold fields in Victoria (Eureka), New Zealand and California. Was variously a butcher (his early trade), farmer, auctioneer and horse dealer (bushrangers robbed him) … married more than once into money.

Near the back of the book is a potted history of Australia and a selection of biographies of notable gents … the most common feature being and incredible collection of beards

Captain Barry the sort of life films should be made about

$60.00

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Rocks and Minerals of Australia – Oliver Chambers

Published by Methuen in Australia a first edition 1976. Very good condition. 246 pages with lots of images, diagrams and maps. And with the striking Crocoite on the front board – see our examples on this website.

Or favourite “Observer Book” part of an Australian contribution to the series. A serious miniature work on the subject and the source of much of Voyager’s knowledge.

The detailed maps at the end and connectivity to the narrative open up the enormous subject to the newcomer

An expert in a day!

$30.00

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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 Geology and Palaeontology of Queensland and New Guinea – (Plate Album – Some Hand Coloured) – Robert Logan Jack and Robert Etheridge (Jnr) – 1892

The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – The Discovery of Gold – Magnetism etc – Georgina King FRASA – Sydney 1924

Gold-Dust and Ashes – Ion Idriess – 1935 Edition

Glimpses of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand – Captain Barry – First edition 1903

Rocks and Minerals of Australia – Oliver Chambers

The Quest of the Black Opals – Alexander McDonald – 1908

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