Papua New Guinea

First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea George Collingridge – First Edition1906 [Important Work]

Cornerstone book on the early exploration of Australia / New Guinea … a Voyager favourite/

A narrative on the Portuguese and Spanish Discoveries in the Australasian Regions, between the Years 1492-1606, with descriptions of their old charts.

Octavo, 132 pages the appendices with maps striking maps and images throughout. Published by Brooks, Sydney in 1906. Original green cloth covered binding with gilt title at front, bumped and rubbed, previous ownership signatures, very good internally.

Includes the 16th century voyages to the spice islands and the discovery of New Guinea, the Villalobos Expedition and further discoveries in Papua, Jave-le-Grande and the early map of Australia, the maps of Pierre Descelier, and Deslien. The discovery of the Solomons by Mendana and Sarmiento with an early map and of course Queiroz voyage to Espiritu- Santo and Torres and his important discoveries.

Frontispiece map and many others mostly coloured plus black and white illustrations and a useful chronology.

Collingridge on the early discoveries.

$120.00

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Islands of Men – Inside Melanesia – Colin Simpson.

Another good book about Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Hebrides and our favourite regional island Mer – by the knowledgeable Colin Simpson.

A first edition published in 1955 by Angus and Robertson. Octavo, 248 pages, nicely illustrated from photographs, some in colour, with decorative end papers. Dust jacket a little worn – still a very good copy.

Ion Idriess wrote about Mer and here we have Simpson putting his own keenly observed view of the island and the culture of its inhabitants.

Simpson in the broader Melanesia – unique view of customs – great images.

$30.00

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Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

Williams was the then Government appointed Anthropologist. Published by the Oxford University Press, with an introduction by Sir Hubert Murray.

Octavo, 355 pages, illustrated with images from period photographs.

The Orokaiva are the rather fierce proud people of Oro Province in New Guinea, the Owen Stanley Range bordering the southern reaches of their territory. They are divided into three groups … River, Salt Water and Inland. There tribal practices are complex and rather strange, partly resulting from their belief that they are descendants of Giants. As with most New Guinea tribes the initiation customs are rather complex and scary.

Francis Edgar Williams (1893-1943) was an Australian Rhodes Scholar who studied anthropology at Balliol, Oxford. He met the great Hubert Murray back in Australia who persuaded him to come to New Guinea. He spent over twenty years there much of it in the field strongly supported by Hubert Murray. He died in a light plane crash near Kokoda.

Tough growing up in Oro.

$120.00

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Adam in Plumes [New Guinea] – Colin Simpson.

A first edition published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1954. Octavo, 268 pages, many illustrations, great condition albeit small piece missing from free end paper. Dust jacket to die for.

This is Simpson’s fourth book and third non-fiction work, and the second time in New Guinea.

An often overlooked account of the Wahgi Valley, an astonishing place, so immense in New Guinea. And, the Leahy brothers who following an expedition set out to live among, exploit and integrate (they certainly did that) with the local people.

Very nicely illustrated with some quite special images … we particularly like the Wahgi man brandishing his stone axe at Jim Taylor … some passion there.

Adam in Plumes – Well among the Wahgi.

$30.00

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Argonauts of the Western Pacific – Bronislaw Malinowski – First edition 1922

An account of Native Enterprise and Adventures in the Archipelagos of Melanesian New Guinea.

Malinowski’s other landmark book published by Routledge, London in 1922. Octavo, 527 pages with 5 maps and 65 illustrations from l photographs. We have another copy, layer published but with provenance.

Rebound nicely at some time in black cloth covered boards with gilt titles to spine. A very good copy accepting this.

A richly illustrated account of the ceremonial exchange of manufactured shell valuables linking the Trobriand Islands with other island groups in Eastern New Guinea. Malinowski follows a canoe voyage around the Kula ring of islands.

Following an introduction about subject, method and scope which is regarded as some of the most influential pages in the field of social anthropology .. Malinowski explores the country and inhabitants of Kula; the Natives of the Trobriand Islands; Canoes and sailing; Ceremonial Buildings at Waga; Ceremonial Visiting; an Overseas Expedition; the Fleet at Muwa; Sailing to Pilolu; a Shipwreck; in the Amphlets – the Sociology of the Kula; Tewara and Sanaroa- mythology; the beach at Sarubwoyna; the journey Home; the return visit of the Dobuans to Sinaketa; Magic and Kula; the Power of Words in Magic; Expeditions to Kiriwinan d Kitava …. meaning of Kula.

Malinowski a pioneer in the field of social anthropology and perhaps not yet eclipsed and, the most interesting of subjects – First Edition 1922.

$80.00

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The Rattlesnake – A Voyage of Discovery in the Coral Sea – Jordan Goodman.

We have always though that this was the most accessible book regarding the important Voyage of the Rattlesnake.

Published by Faber in 2005. Large octavo, 357 pages, nicely illustrated, a very good copy.

From the preparations in London and Portsmouth which take up the short Part I we head for the Tropics and Rio before a sharp east to the Cape and on to Mauritius in 1847. Part III is to Hobart, Sydney and on to the Barrier Reef. Dropping explorer Kennedy at Cape York [from whence he was speared and killed by aboriginals]. Then off to the objective and New Guinea and much coastal exploration, charting and the usual naming after friends, sponsors and the upper levels of society.

Of course not you normal seagoing adventure we have the truly talented artist Captain Owen Stanley [Mountain Range behind Port Moresby his name] and the soon to be famous Thomas Huxley as naturalist.

The discovery of Barbara Thompson on far north Darnley Island, sole survivor of a calamitous shipwreck and living with the local aboriginals adds extra drama to an already riveting account.

Rattlesnake without the poison.

$30.00

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First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea George Collingridge – First Edition1906 [Important Work]

Islands of Men – Inside Melanesia – Colin Simpson.

Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

Adam in Plumes [New Guinea] – Colin Simpson.

Argonauts of the Western Pacific – Bronislaw Malinowski – First edition 1922

The Rattlesnake – A Voyage of Discovery in the Coral Sea – Jordan Goodman.

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