Tasmania and Van Diemens Land

Bruny Island and Adventure Bay – John McLean – Self Published 1950

An extremely scarce historical booklet concerning Bruny Island. Self-published likely with the help of the Tasmanian Government circa 1950.

18.5cm by 12cm, 73 pages. Attractive decorative soft cover (a fold line down the front). Two full page maps of Bruny Island and Adventure Bay … both with references.

Potted histories including Tasman; Dufresne; Furneaux and Cook; Bligh; Cox; D’Éntrecastaux; Hayes; Baudin and Bass … and Captain Kelly. Other content includes … Adventure Bay Historical Sites; Bruny Island Aborigines; Triganini and “Bruny Island Nomenclature”

A scarce little history from a devoted local with some little treasure that only a local and an enthusiast could properly articulate.

$60.00

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The Tasman Map of 1644 – Mitchell Library – 1948 – Tom Perry’s Copy

A staple bound booklet of 31 pages produced by the Mitchell Library in 1948 .. a historical note and description of the manuscript map held in the Mitchell.

Bound in hard boards, with persoanl library label to spine, over original textured cream soft wrappers, 31 pages, with 3 reproductions of or pertaining to the map one in colour. Australian cartographic expert Tom Perry’s personal copy … author of A Guide to Maps of Australia .. Landmarks in Map Making etc

Excellent notes and the striking “comparison map” drawn by Geoffrey Ingleton from details provided by J Emery. A brief description of Tasman’s ships and a good write up on the map itself with excellent further references and selected bibliography at the time.

Tasman’s Map in Summary

$45.00

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The Discovery of Australia – G. Arnold Wood – First Edition 1922

First edition of Arnold Wood’s broad and well researched book about the European discovery of Australia. Published by Macmillan, London in 1922.

Despite the Cook frontispiece there is much about the pre-Cook era.

Thick octavo, 541 page well illustrated and with folding map at rear. “Presentation Copy” blind stamp on title which might explain the rather drab blue cloth covered binding, with gilt title to spine which does not appear as a published standard. Binding a trifle rubbed up join, internally clean, still a good to better copy.

Oxford educated Wood was offered and took up the Chair of History at Sydney University in 1891 and was still there at time of publishing this book.

The contents commence with Ancient and Medieval conceptions of the Land of the South; the Indian Ocean in the 13thC; the successors of Marco Pol; Portuguese and Spanish; was Australia known in the 16thC; the discovery of the Solomons; the voyage of 1595; Quiros; Torres; the Dutch and Tasman in 1642 and 1644; Dampier and the Roebuck; the Precursors to Cook; the Endeavour Voyage and the discovery of Eastern Australia; Successors to Cook …

One of our favourite “histories” with much on the early era accompanied by good illustrations many from rare early maps.

$50.00

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Voyages that Changed the World – Peter Aughton

A very good copy of the first hardback edition of Aughton’s interesting book.

Published by Quercus, London, Small folio, 208 pages, decorated boards, heavily illustrated. Bookplate on front paste down.

Comprehensive chronology starting with the Phoenicians and Polynesians; Saint Brendan’s miraculous voyage; Erik the Red and Leif Erikson in America well before Columbus; Madoc ab Owen Gwynedd’s voyage across the Atlantic … and some other obscure to Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, Columbus, Cabot, Magellan, Drake, Tasman and the discovery of Tasmania, Roggeveen and Easter Island, Bougainville, Cook … Harrison and the Longitude .. right to the Polar expeditions and submarine activity. We like it

Broadly based, informative and intriguing maritime ..

$30.00

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Looking for La Perouse – Frank Horner

Looking for La Perouse D’Entrecasteaux in Australia and the South Pacific 1792 – 1793 by Frank Horner.

A 1996 first soft cover edition. Octavo, 317 pages, published by Melbourne University Press. A nice copy. Heavily illustrated.

Solid read with maps, charts and illustrations. Bruny d’Entrecasteaux might have failed to find the doomed La Perouse but made some important observations in Tasmania, Western Australia and New Guinea.

Top of the class Frank Horner

$30.00

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Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons. 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 executed at Corpus Christi, Oxford. He spent his adult life in the USA were applied his mathematical skills as a top actuary. The collection written up by HH was the first of two parts, the most important works e would say in chronological order up to Cook. Parsons, now gone, 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. Very goo near fine condition.

Generally organised as follows … Dampier to Swift; The Anson Expedition (delicious); The South Pacific before Cook; The North Pacific before Cook; Cook. As always with HH an excellent description of content and relevance of each work with a helpful selection of images

Super reference a collection to envy for sure.

$65.00

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Bruny Island and Adventure Bay – John McLean – Self Published 1950

The Tasman Map of 1644 – Mitchell Library – 1948 – Tom Perry’s Copy

The Discovery of Australia – G. Arnold Wood – First Edition 1922

Voyages that Changed the World – Peter Aughton

Looking for La Perouse – Frank Horner

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

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