Tasmania and Van Diemens Land

Hobart-town – Oder Sommerfrilche in den Antipoden (A Summer Holiday in the Antipodes) Ludwig Salvator von Toaskana, Archduke of Austria – Signed as a gift by the Author

Signed boldly by the author “The Count Archduke Ludwig Salvator to W. M. Middleton”.

Published privately in Prague, printed by Mercy, 1886. Quarto sized 286 pages after preliminaries with 6 text xylographs (woodcuts). 23 (1 tri-folded) xylograph full page plates and 1 color lithographed map. Faded spine and some wear to covers, else a good copy of a very scarce item complete and original. Limited to 400 copies.2

Begins with a general history and covers climate (klima), geology, plants (pftanzan), animals, aboriginals (eingenborenen) … farming, trade, education etc. Interesting references made including Rev Spicer on Tasmanian Plants, Bonwick “Daily Life …”, Marcus Clarke, Fenton, Louisa Anne Meridith etc.

Ludwig Salvator (1847 – 1915) was the grandson of Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuscany. He left Tuscany with his family in 1859, received legal training, and devoted himself to natural sciences and nautical interests. Later he took his residence in Majorca and traveled extensively in the Mediterranean, as well as overseas. Ludwig Salvator conducted extensive correspondences, including Jules Verne, who included him as the title figure of his novel Mathias Sandorf. As well as his estates on Majorca (now owned by Actor Michael Douglas) he owned substantial properties in Austria-Hungary, France, Spain and Egypt.

The book contains many interesting views xylographed from original drawings by Count Eugene Storza, Chamberlain to the Duke. The tri-folding panorama of the “View looking South from Mount Romny” is rather special. The map shows Hobart and its surroundings and is based that of F.J. Evans.

Rare Hobart collectable with unique illustrations of views.

$390.00

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Abel Tasman Medal – 350th Anniversary of the Discovering of the West Coast of Tasmania 1642-1992 [Large Version]

An interesting medallion for historians and the cartographically inspired. Produced for the Trust Bank of Tasmania.

48 mm diameter, 42 gm, intricately engraved on one side with gum leaf design on reverse.

The intricate design has a map of the central west coast of Tasmania noting Zeehan, Queenstown and Strahan; a nice image of Tasman’s vessel and a compass rose. Narrative details of the sighting 24th November 1642 and the landing at Tasman Bay on the East side on the 3rd of December 1642.

Tasman – first European sighting commemorated

$70.00

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King of the Australian Coast [Phillip Parker King] – Marsden Hordern

Marsden Hordern’s magnificent book about “the Work of Phillip Parker King in the Mermaid and Bathurst 1817-1822”.

A quality production by the Miegunyah Press. Published in 1998 a second limited release. Large octavo, 441 pages nicely illustrated throughout some in colour many from images drawn or painted by PPK. A heavy book. Eight folding historic maps in facsimile in pocket at rear.

Very good condition.

We agree with the summary of this work .. Phillip Parker King stands with Cook and Flinders in the history of exploration and charting of the Australian coastline. To a degree until this book he has not been given the credit deserved … this sumptuous book makes amends. It is the go to reference of PPK and his time in and around the Australian coastline. A must have and already highly sought after.

Phillip Parker King in Australia in Full.

$90.00

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Clay Pipes from Port Arthur 1830-1877 – Maureen Byrne’s 1977-1978 Excavations at Port Arthur – Descriptive Account by Alexandra Dane and Richard Morrison.

Maureen Byrne was emerging as one of Australia’s best archaeologists before she tragically died from a terrible asthma attack in 1978, she was only 24-year-old. [See also our copy of her work on the Ross Bridge]

The massive collection of clay pipe fragments she found are held at Port Arthur. Dane and Morrison produced this thorough analysis. Published by the Department of Prehistory at the ANU, Canberra – Technical Bulletin No 2 – issued in 1979.

Large sized, original wrappers, spiral bound fifty-five pages with eleven pages of plates covering a multitude of examples.

Port Arthur established as a convict settlement in 1830 and remained so for a quarter of a century, after that it was a home for the poor and those with metal health issues. This work identifies that at some time it was likely a home for a number of military officers.

The pipes [over a thousand of them] were mainly made in Scotland which in the Victorian era was the centre of such pipe making in the World. Makers are identified – Mc Dougall, Murray, Coghill, Burns etc and the many decorative bowls that followed such lines as heraldic, heads, botanicals etc.

An unusual subject the detail of which could make you the star of the next dinner party – do people still have dinner parties?

Port Arthur its history through the pipes left behind.

$40.00

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Kaleidoscope – E.R. Jim Henry

A solid humorous memoir by Tasmanian legal identity and raconteur Eric Rutherford “Jim” Henry. A funny man – author of self described best seller “Revelations of a Retired Lawyer” –

The first page of this book proves he had not lost his wit – a man that definitely wore his heart on his sleeve. Not quite the Dubliner’s but there is also some gossip in here. Not only good with the law and the pen he could hold a tennis racket with some style and success.

Self published in 1981 and signed, soft cover, perfect bound, 242 pages, lots of images from photographs. If you went to Hutchins then this should be on your shelf.

Call me “Jim” Henry and his life and observations with fun and information thrown in.

$30.00

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The Struggle of the Penguin Tramway and the Tasmanian Iron Mines at Penguin 1897-1910 – Ron Parnell.

Well this is one of the best local histories we have put eyes on – not only because of the unusual mining connection, but the rivalry between the two major players .. Parnell has done a wonderful job bringing the story to life. There is a movie in this.

Soft covers, 59 pages, illustrated well throughout with maps, diagrams, images etc, effectively self published, no date but 1986 and scarce.

If you get this before you read it skim the chronology on page 52 as it gives you a heads up on what is to come and joins the while together nicely. There is also and extensive bibliography and it’s no surprise to us that Fenton’s “Bush Life in Tasmania” starts the list.

Scarce mining, tramway, Penguin collectable packed with information.

$40.00

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Hobart-town – Oder Sommerfrilche in den Antipoden (A Summer Holiday in the Antipodes) Ludwig Salvator von Toaskana, Archduke of Austria – Signed as a gift by the Author

Abel Tasman Medal – 350th Anniversary of the Discovering of the West Coast of Tasmania 1642-1992 [Large Version]

King of the Australian Coast [Phillip Parker King] – Marsden Hordern

Clay Pipes from Port Arthur 1830-1877 – Maureen Byrne’s 1977-1978 Excavations at Port Arthur – Descriptive Account by Alexandra Dane and Richard Morrison.

Kaleidoscope – E.R. Jim Henry

The Struggle of the Penguin Tramway and the Tasmanian Iron Mines at Penguin 1897-1910 – Ron Parnell.

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