Non-fiction

Scott’s Last Expedition – a Play – “The Fire and the Snow”

A play by Douglas Stewart about Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition.

It premiered on ABC radio in June 1941 to great acclaim. It was to star Peter Finch as Scott but he joined the army four days before broadcast so Frank Harvey stepped in. No copy of the original production appears to exist. The BBC produced another version in 1951 which superseded this publication in 1945.

Comes along with the script of the play “The Golden Lover” a Maori romance.

Scott’s on the Radio and in Film!

$50.00

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Fine Binding – Magnetism – Sir W Snow Harris -1850

Rudimentary Magnetism: being a Concise Exposition of the General Principles of Magnetical Science and the Purpose to which it has been Applied.

Published by John Weale, London in 1850-52. Three parts in two (as issued) 159, 186 and 152 with all preliminaries bound finely in full calf, spine richly gilt with raised bands and black title label.

A very good copy of an important mid-19th Century work on electricity and magnetism. A good gift for a worthy scientific mind.

Finely bound 19th Century Scientific Work

$120.00

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Scarce Lawrence of Arabia Memorabilia – Ross … A Dramatic Portrait – 1960 Theatre Royal London

A scarce program to Terence Rattigan’s successful London play on the enigmatic Lawrence of Arabia. 12 pages all in fine condition

The play commences during his period as Ross before he was Shaw and flashes back to his activities as Lawrence. Alec Guinness was much acclaimed as the great man but here we have Michael Bryant in the role.

Brief but interesting biographical notes on T.E.L. and the distinguished biographies of other cast.

We especially like that in that “Huntley & Palmers Cake is Served in this Theatre” … what else! And that a Hoovermatic washing machine was used in the Wardrobe department and that Christian Dior Stockings can be found in Good Shops – Everywhere.

Rare Lawrence item obscure but collected

$30.00

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Jardine’s Journal – Narrative of the Overland Expedition of the Messrs. Jardine from Rockhampton to Cape York – First Facsimile Issue 1994

Originally published by J.W. Buxton, Brisbane in 1867. Compiled from the Journals of the Brothers, and edited by Frederick Byerley, Engineer of Roads, Northern Division of Queensland.

This is the first and preferred Corkwood Press (Bundaberg) facsimile of 1994 of the near impossible to get 1867 Brisbane original. Very good condition … Manfred Cross’s copy

Includes a facsimile of the map published with that original account.

Voyager Background Note

In 1863 it was decided by Governor Bowen that a settlement should be established at the tip of Cape York at Albany. He selected John Jardine a magistrate at Rockhampton for the task who in turn thought that his sons Frank (22) and Alexander (20) could make their way overland with a mob of cattle. They put together a party and set off in May 1864. There were ten in all including six aborigines. They all convened at Carpentaria Downs the property of J.G. McDonald beyond here the country was basically unknown. It was not until October that they finally set off with a mob of 250 head and 42 horses. They were well armed. They moved North West along the Einasleigh River and were soon followed by native aborigines in war paint but were not attacked – at this point. They reached Parallel Creek and found evidence of cannibalism in an abandoned fire. The landscape softened from large granite boulders to flat sandy beds. They reached 120 miles and decided to rest a few days and it was observed that the forage was good and the cattle and horses improved. They moved on and crossed and later named the Byerley Creek. A fire demolished their camp and much of their supplies were lost. They made on to Staaten River (named by the Dutch during their early marine explorations) and then on to find the Mitchell River having been lost a number of times. On 20th November 1864 the first fight with the aborigines took place on a river bank and several aborigines were wounded or killed but none of the Jardine party. A number of encounters followed and they decided to move on North. Eventually they found the Mitchell which was the site of their bloodiest encounter with up to 30 aborigines killed or wounded before they retreated. As they moved into December storms rolled in and the journey became difficult – they had to resort to killing their cattle as supplies ran out. They moved quickly noting beautiful grazing country in the region of the Archer River. On 11th January 1865 they reached the Batavia River where several of their horses died from eating poisonous plants. They pushed on as hard as they could and sent a scouting party out on 30th January 1865 to find their destination estimated to be 25 miles distant but were unsuccessful. The terrain was difficult steep hills and gullies crossed by narrow deep creeks overgrown by dense tropical vegetation. It was not until 1st March 1865 that the party heard the yelling of scouts sent out from the settlement to find them – just in time. Their journal records that a camp was made at Vallack Point and “there the weary cattle and horses at last found rest, while their drivers were able to indulge in the luxuries of regular feeding and uninterrupted sleep”

$80.00

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Java la Grande – Lawrence Fitzgerald

Published in Hobart in 1984 a very good copy in a fine dust jacket.

A useful and easily read book on the Portuguese Discovery of Australia … where else could it be … Brigadier Fitzgerald was well qualified to compile this well illustrated account. A good understanding of the Dauphin map.

Portuguese First … no really they were!

$40.00

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Scented Isles and Coral Gardens – Torres Straits, German New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies – C.D. Mackellar – 1912

Published by John Murray, London in 1912. The greatest travel and adventure publisher of all time.

A very interesting a quite early book on the authors travels. Whilst published in 1912 it contains accounts, primarily from his detailed letter from 1885 onwards. Some of the illustrations are from his watercolours for which he apologises regarding quality. He need not as they are really quite good. There is some mild foxing which is usual for this book as it is printed on that spongy paper of the period.

Nice images and content on the Torres Straits islanders, of Kerapuna in New Guinea and the birds of paradise, the Solomon Islands and New Britain under German rule.

The last 70 pages of 190 are devoted to Java and Sumatra similarly written as if in the moment and with numerous relevant images.

A valuable New Guinea and broader book from the pre WWI era.

$90.00

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Scott’s Last Expedition – a Play – “The Fire and the Snow”

Fine Binding – Magnetism – Sir W Snow Harris -1850

Scarce Lawrence of Arabia Memorabilia – Ross … A Dramatic Portrait – 1960 Theatre Royal London

Jardine’s Journal – Narrative of the Overland Expedition of the Messrs. Jardine from Rockhampton to Cape York – First Facsimile Issue 1994

Java la Grande – Lawrence Fitzgerald

Scented Isles and Coral Gardens – Torres Straits, German New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies – C.D. Mackellar – 1912

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