Australiana

Red Kangaroo – Rene Primevere Lesson – Published Paris in 1838

Original hand coloured copper engraving of the Red Kangaroo produced for Rene Primevere Lesson (1794-1849) for his extension of the great natural history work originally produced by Count Buffon. They were published in Paris in 1838. Lesson participated as doctor and naturalist in the Duperry voyage round the world on board La Coquille (1822-1825).

This is engraved using the painstaking stipple technique with each hair etched one after the other … look around the outside of the kangaroo image.

The Red Kangaroo is Australia’s largest kangaroo, largest mammal and the world’s largest living marsupial. It inhabits the whole of the central area of Australia avoiding only the fertile regions around the coast.

Price $160.00 unframed – if you would like it framed – enquire

The big Red Kangaroo in a fairly contemplative pose.

$160.00

Updating cart…

A Voyage Round the World – Mary Ann Parker – The First Account of the Colony to be Published by a Woman

First published in 1795, reissued with a commentary by Gavin Fry of the Australian National Maritime Museum. Sydney Horden House 1991.

Octavo, hand bound in half maroon Scottish calf over marbled boards, 34, xxxi, 150 pages. With 2 illustrations and 3 facsimiles. (Australian Maritime Series No 1). Very good condition.

Mary Ann Parker was the wife of Captain Parker of the Gorgon – she accompanied him out to Australia and back in 1791/2. The voyage also carried Gidley King and his new wife Anna – the only other woman. Approximately a third of the book is taken up by goings on in Port Jackson.

The book is known not only for it being the first female account of such travels to and from Port Jackson but for its full, lively and positive content … nothing dour here.

Limited edition of 750 copies.

$120.00

Updating cart…

An Account of the Discoveries Made in the South Pacific Ocean – Alexander Dalrymple

A quality production, Number 3 in the Australian Maritime Series published by Hordern House, Sydney.

A Limited edition of 950 copies hand bound in midnight blue Scottish calf with marbled papered boards. Designed by Margo Snape.

Octavo, 103 pages plus portrait frontispiece, six folding plates and folding map at rear. All in very good condition.

First published in 1767 one of the rarest accounts. First time reissued faithfully reproduced.

The original account used as a reference on the Endeavour and mentioned by Banks and Cook.

Dalrymple lead Cook to Australia

$120.00

Updating cart…

Back O’ Cairns – Ion Idriess – First Edition 1958

Published by Angus and Robertson a first edition 1956.

Octavo, 310 pages end paper maps, other maps and illustrations from period photographs.Previous ownership name cut from corner of front free end paper otherwise a very good copy.

Ion Idriess at his best beyond and around Cairns in the Queensland Far North with amazing early photographs. Much about the pioneers, the land and the gold.

Idriess in the Far North a First Edition super copy.

$60.00

Updating cart…

Reminiscences of Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales and Victoria – R Therry – First Edition 1863

Few know that this is quite a controversial book. Irish born Roger Therry [1800-1874] had arrived in New South Wales in 1829. For the next thirty odd years he served various Governor’s with distinction and praise. He rose to be a Judge of the Supreme Court and had served at both Sydney and Port Phillip. He retired back to England in 1859 and wrote this long and readable account.

This is a true first edition [a re-run included a small map] very thick octavo, 514 pages after preliminaries. Bound in original heavily embossed full deep red cloth covered boards. Original spine relayed, new end papers by Perry. A little age but really a nice copy of this scarce work.

Re the controversy. Therry had 100 copies made up and sent 300 to New South Wales. Unfortunately, some did not like his references and it soon became a talking point for the wrong reason. The book no doubt contains some factual errors [there are a lot of facts] but it was the pseudo slander that got under the skin of some. Therry re-purchased the remaining Australian stock!

“Judgely” writing may not sound entertaining, but this book is easily read and full of facts and stories that make it more interesting the more you get into it. We may all know about Hargraves and the discovery of gold in 1851, but did you know it was really Strezelecki in 1839 and with Clarke in between. The didn’t announce the earlier discoveries lest it would cause a stampede and riot among the convict class.

Therry writes in a compassionate way – his account of the discovery of a massacre of an aboriginal group suggests many new settlers were horrified and the culprits were brought to justice.

John McCarthur had a hand in the editing which is why his family are treated well and add to the supposed factual errors

Therry looking back over the important goings on over thirty years in Australia.

$180.00

Updating cart…

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie, Surgeon’s Mate of HMS Investigator [A Matthew Flinders Item]

Octavo, xiv, 134 pages, published by Hordern House in 2014. A very good copy. The best dust jacket ever with a facsimile period map on the reverse from Flinder’s Journal Atlas.

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 others 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.

Matthew Flinders and Wreck Reef by Surgeon’s Mate Purdie.

$30.00

Updating cart…

Red Kangaroo – Rene Primevere Lesson – Published Paris in 1838

A Voyage Round the World – Mary Ann Parker – The First Account of the Colony to be Published by a Woman

An Account of the Discoveries Made in the South Pacific Ocean – Alexander Dalrymple

Back O’ Cairns – Ion Idriess – First Edition 1958

Reminiscences of Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales and Victoria – R Therry – First Edition 1863

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie, Surgeon’s Mate of HMS Investigator [A Matthew Flinders Item]

Product Categories