Australiana

Platypus by Lesueur from Baudin Voyage – c1820

An original hand coloured engraving of Platypus after a drawing by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur from the voyage of Nicolas Baudin. Depicting a female and male platypus and another male head appearing from the rushes to the right and the “tail up” of a diving female showing the monotremate area under the tail with the opening to the reproductive organs.

printed on wove paper 20cm by 13cm … small, charming historic engraving using a stipple engraving technique. Good condition.

Platypus delight from the Baudin expedition

$180.00

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The Lure of Unknown Lands – North Pole and Equator – Major F.G. Jackson – First Edition 1935

A first edition published by G. Bell, London in 1935. Large octavo, 342 pages, 44 illustrations from period photographs and three maps … North Russia; Franz Joseph Land and Central Africa. No dust jacket but otherwise a very good copy.

The maps are large folding and in super condition … the Franz Joseph map is a classic of exploration.

Frederick Jackson (1860-1938) probably the most unsung exploration hero of all time … a little like Hubert Wilkins. Prior to this late life summary as achievements he produced tow great classics … The Great Frozen Land [See Our Copy] and A Thousand Days in the Arctic (Both Voyager Favourites). Famously met Nansen in the Arctic frozen wastes with the Stanley /Livingston like greeting “You are Nansen – aren’t you?” .. the later having been lost for over a winter and had no clue where he actually was … saved by Jackson. The photograph of the meeting was reconstructed after Nansen had a chance to tidy up!

Despite the title the book starts in Western Queensland and the lead up to that is most interesting. Soon we are at Waigate Island, quite a contrast and the journey from Khabarova to to Archangel. Then the big event .. the Jackson – Harmsworth Polar Expedition … Franz Josef Land … winter, new discoveries and dangers and that extraordinary meeting. Further North and eventually a third winter. After all of this cold weather and excursion to war Jackson explores Central Africa and Liberia. What a life …

Jackson in the cold and the hot – super account

$90.00

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Wenworth, William Charles – Australia’s Greatest Native Son – Andrew Tink.

Some of Andrew Tink’s best work resides in this thorough biography of the man behind many things in the early history of New South Wales.

Published by Allen and Unwin in 2009. Large octavo, 329 pages, nicely illustrated from period images. A very good copy.

Wentworth, the son of a highway robber, arrived at a tender age in Sydney. Went on to run the newspaper, founder of the first University, cross the Blue Mountains with Blaxland and Lawson, the strongest advocate for self-government and amass a wealth not to be sniffed at.

Wentworth .. more than a hotel

$30.00

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Captain William Bligh and the Mutiny on the Bounty

The very special Hordern House publication to support the sale of the Parks collection. 133 catalogued items all with a special illustration. Many rare and some unique items.

Hard bound with dust jacket in very good condition and of a standard as would be expected from Hordern House. A must for any Bountaneer!

Special Mutiny on the Bounty item

$60.00

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Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie [A Flinders Item]

Octavo, xiv, 134 pages, published by Hordern House in 2014. A very good copy.

Robert Purdie was a young surgeon who was wrecked on HMS Porpoise on a reef off the Queensland coast (to become known as “Wreck Reef’’). This was the vessel originally taking Matthew Flinders back the England having completed his coastal survey of Australia, confirming the entirety of the land mass. Purdie’s account had been published anonymously in The Naval Chronicle in 1807/07. He had been a junior officer on the Investigator and was among those that stayed on the reef whilst Flinders and other rowed back to Sydney to successfully mount a rescue.

The narrative is lively, informative and readable … here well presented with an excellent introduction and notes by Matthew Fishburn

Flinders and Wreck Reef by Surgeon’s Mate Purdie.

$40.00

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The Great South Land – Searching for the Antipodes from Classical Scholars to Quiros & Dampier.

Published by Hordern House in 2011 another scholarly catalogue of key works presented in a depth and standard unlikely to be surpassed.

Hardback quarto, in dust jacket, unpaginated but circa 180 pages with 127 rare items. A fine copy.

After a useful introduction we start with “Ideas of a southern continent” … Classical Geographers with works by Strabo, Mela, Macrobious, Ptolemaeus … the Renaissance and later. Leading to Marco-Polo, Mandeville and the “travellers and story tellers”. Dutch exploration and the VOC … Duyfken, Tasman, Pelsaert. Before the Spanish and Portuguese … Varthema, Quiros, Mendana. The “English Adventurers make Landfall” .. Drake, Woodes Rogers, William Dampier. Hakluyt wraps it all up. All up 104 voyagers, travellers or distinguished authors.

The period up to Dampier explained by reference to key works

$40.00

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Platypus by Lesueur from Baudin Voyage – c1820

The Lure of Unknown Lands – North Pole and Equator – Major F.G. Jackson – First Edition 1935

Wenworth, William Charles – Australia’s Greatest Native Son – Andrew Tink.

Captain William Bligh and the Mutiny on the Bounty

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie [A Flinders Item]

The Great South Land – Searching for the Antipodes from Classical Scholars to Quiros & Dampier.

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