Victoria

Shipwreck Archaeology in Australia – Michael Nash

A fine copy of Michael Nash’s all embracing Australian shipwreck book.

Published by the University of Western Australia Press in 2007. Squarish large octavo, 244 pages, very nicely illustrated throughout, end paper illustration of the dreadful goings on at the Batavia camp.

Pulled together by Nash with contributions from a number of other experts in the field, or the water really.

The fifteen wrecks dealt with in detail are presented chronologically starting with the Batavia (1629) .. then a leap to Hunter’s Sirius (1790) .. the Pandora (1791) all the way to the Tasman (1883). We say fifteen but the last is a place for wrecks Garden Island (1906-1945). Notes, glossary etc finish what is a really good reference or stand alone work.

The other dimension with this book is the back history of many of wrecks – First Fleet; Bounty Related; Slavers; Walers etc and for some another aspect such as Experimental Reconstruction (Zanoni 1867); Timber Shipbuilding techniques (Water Witch 1842).

Australian Wrecks – the way in to the subject – no better presentation.

$50.00

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An account of a Voyage to Establish a Colony at port Philip in Bass’s Strait, on the South Coast of New South Wales, in His Majesty’s Ship Calcutta, in the Years 1803-3-4. – J.H. Tuckey.

Tuckey was a First Lieutenant of the Calcutta and this is a true facsimile of the voyage to and affairs in Australia of the abandoned attempt to create a settlement at Port Philip and the consequence of the move that led to the foundation of Hobart in Tasmania. Some useful footnotes are added.

The voyage out occupies approximately 60% of the book .. to Teneriffe; Cape Verde; Rio de Janeiro [much about Rio]; Cape of Good Hope [Via Voyager’s favourite island group Tristan d’Acunha; then the mysterious St Paul's and on to Port Philip. Them transactions at Port Philip which gives rise to the addenda … lists of plants; Meteorological observations; timbers found and observations respecting the selection of convicts and the means of preserving health. Hobart get a mention but its brief before the vessel turns for home.

Published by marsh etc, Melbourne in 1974. Octavo, set as the original of 1805, 240 pages. Bound in full leather with impressed design to front and back, raised bands to spine, separate leather title label [spare label at back]. Number 51 of a limited edition of 500. Hand bound at the Dove Bindery, Melbourne. A very good copy albeit previous ownership details hidden in the end papers.

Tuckey on the Calcutta – his account.

$120.00

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Chance or Design? – A Pioneer Looks Back [Papua New Guinea] – George Seymour Fort

George Fort (1851-1951) was prodding ninety when he wrote this reminiscence and it’s an interesting one particularly his time in New Guinea as an aid to Sir Peter Scratchley who carried out the annexation. Some history of events in that period that we have not seen elsewhere,

Published by Robert Hale, London in 1942. Octavo, 180 pages, good images from early New Guinea photographs. Original blue cloth covered boards, a very good copy.

As well as Australasia and New Guinea, Fort spent time in South Africa and Rhodesia. Chapters on Prospecting Experiences in Manicaland.

Fort kept the Fort in New Guinea and had some interesting things to say about it…

$40.00

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Tall Ships and Sailormen – A Concise Survey of Victoria’s early Maritime History – J. K. Loney.

Self published by the irreplaceable Jack Loney who knew everything maritime everything shipwreck there was to know.

Soft cover, 100 pages with an unusual unpaginated inset of 18 pages with images from photographs .. this may be an addition to the book … printed on smaller paper stock. Bar that, further illustrations, maps, charts etc.

The usual Loney comprehensive approach covering … Bully Forbes; Lure of Gold; Steamships; Tragic Loch Line; Mosquito Fleets; Hulks and Lighters. And, under “Making History” … Sealing and Whaling; Ghosts at the Rip; West Coast Mysteries; Smugglers; Shenandoah Incident etc etc.

Even to keep you going for a few wintery nights and at least one round of “Mastermind”

Loney summarising Victoria … and there is a lot of it!

$30.00

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A Living Voice of the Living Bush – William Ricketts – Wonderfully Annotated and Signed.

First and only edition published by the Victorian Forestry Commission in 1965 celebrating the incredible art of William Ricketts. Larger format soft cover, 24 pages with sixteen colour illustrations. A bit marked and aged on the cover, clean inside, forgive any deficiencies for his manuscript additions.

The annotation on the first blank page reads as follows … “From my Mountain of Remembrance where we remember with love everything that was created … [followed by his creation symbol underscored with his signature] … The Prayer of the Mountain – The Prayer of the Forest – My prayer – all are one Prayer … “

Added in different hand the name of the receiver.

William Ricketts (1898-1993) misunderstood and maybe he misunderstood … regardless he made beautiful objects. If it offends, well then that’s a bit sad. He was a religious man and felt the earth and whether he misrepresented and misplaced .. well that gives a job for the academic critics. Just enjoy them. They were badly damaged in a massive storm a couple of years ago … we hope they have been resurrected.

In the 1950’s he spent quite some time with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrente people in Central Australia … they inspired his work among the trees in the Dandenong Mountains.

William Ricketts – A rare annotation we believe.

$60.00

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Victoria’s Forgotten Goldfield – Christie and Gray – Signed by Christie – First Edition 1981

… A History of the Dargo, Crooked River Goldfield.

Super little book and a very details and oft curious story of the goldfield at Dargo, in Eastern Victoria.

Softcover, small format, 136 pages, with illustration, tables of information etc a nice production. Signed on the title by Christie, very good condition albeit the back cover is marked at edges, but with no comprise internally which is bright and clean.

After discovery in 1865, gold recovery peaked in 1868 at 7,652 ounces and soon fell away. Despite this brief moment of glory as with other gold fields it spurred an enormous amount of interest and development in the area. We are off tomorrow to look at a spot not too far away.

Well honed history of one of the lesser known and more curious gold finds in Australia

$35.00

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Shipwreck Archaeology in Australia – Michael Nash

An account of a Voyage to Establish a Colony at port Philip in Bass’s Strait, on the South Coast of New South Wales, in His Majesty’s Ship Calcutta, in the Years 1803-3-4. – J.H. Tuckey.

Chance or Design? – A Pioneer Looks Back [Papua New Guinea] – George Seymour Fort

Tall Ships and Sailormen – A Concise Survey of Victoria’s early Maritime History – J. K. Loney.

A Living Voice of the Living Bush – William Ricketts – Wonderfully Annotated and Signed.

Victoria’s Forgotten Goldfield – Christie and Gray – Signed by Christie – First Edition 1981

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