Australiana

Autobiography of Australia’s Great Aviator – Sir Gordon Taylor – First Edition

A particularly good copy of the first edition of this desirable autobiography published by Cassell in 1963.

Subtitled – “A famous aviator’s personal story of pioneering aviation: 1916 to 1951”.

Octavo, 366 pages, illustrated from period photographs.

Gordan Taylor (1896-1966) was one of those adventurous Aussies, one of the few that flew in WWI – he won the Military Cross [the Air Force was part of the Army in those days]. So, his story starts in 1916 at the age of twenty. On return to Australia, he pursued his passion for flying with vigour – teaming up with Charles Kingsford-Smith there are many adventures. One of which saw him out of the aircraft [Southern Cross] over the Tasman Sea shifting oil from one engine to the other, in a thermos flask, in order to make terra firma.

Lots more.

Gordon Taylor – one of the great pioneering aviation heroes

$95.00

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The Prehistory of Australia – D.J. Mulvaney

John Mulvaney (1925-2016) was born and educated in Victoria and went on to study archaeology at Cambridge. On return to Australia, he devoted hid academic career to understanding and recording Aboriginal pre-history.

This is a first edition of his most popular work on the subject published by Thames & Hudson, London in 1969.

Squat quarto, 276 pages, a super near fine copy in a nice dust jacket, top edge stained blue as required of the first printing. Profusely illustrated with maps, technical drawing, and photographic images.

Mulvaney, a wealth of understanding and information

$50.00

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The Fossil Fishes of the Hawkesbury Series at Gosford – Robert Etheridge Jnr – 1890

A very good copy of this rare report issued by the New South Wales Department of Mines – Memoirs of the Geological Survey of New South Wales – Palaeontology No 4.

Thick hard cover, cloth crimped spine, as issued. Large format 30 cm x 25 cm.

Begins proper with a letter from Wilkinson Geological Surveyor in Charge to the Minister setting out the background and content. A railway was being built in the Hawkesbury region, and a superb group of fish fossil remains were found … they were examined by non-other than T. W. Edgeworth David who provides a “Stratigraphical Note” as an introduction along with a geological section of the “find”.

55 pages of scientific narrative are followed by ten full page plates on very thick paper / card with interwoven explanatory notes. An impressive set of engravings lithographed by Berjeau & Highley printed by Mintern Bros.

Philibert Charles Berjeau [1845-1927] was a leading London based natural history lithographer who worked hand in hand with Percy Highley [1856-1929]; the printers Mintern Bros were also London based and produced work of a high technical standard including John Gould’s Birds of New Guinea.

Rare work edited by Etheridge introduced by Edgeworth David and lithographed by a top London outfit.

$140.00

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Bush Tram-Ways & Private Railways of Tasmania – J.G. Branagan.

Self-published by Branagan in 1992.

A fine copy, softcover, perfect bound, 174 pages, profusely illustrated from period images, and lots of maps of tracks etc.

Cover the period 1850 to 1960 and we doubt there has been much missed by an author thoroughly immersed in his task.

Cover every region of Tasmania and the number of lines referenced too many to count … and the mining industry, of course, features heavily.

Bush-Tramways – love it

$30.00

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Robbins Island Saga [North-West Tasmania] – Pauline Buckby – Signed Annotated

A fine copy of the comprehensive history of this fascinating island off the north-west of Tasmania.

Authored by local historian Pauline Buckby with a forward that sets the scene by Kerry Pink.

Signed by the author with thanks to Cyril Smith on publication. Cyril Smith, a maritime expert who along with shipwreck hero Jack Loney gets an acknowledgement.

Softcover, perfect bound, 186 pages very nicely and profusely illustrated. Effectively self-published in 1988.

Starts from the very beginning of settlement and the early whalers, then the Reids and the maritime Holyman’s … along the way a cheese factory and other ventures until after WWII when American Gene Hammond arrived and quite a story … the Hammond family still have the island and “cowboy” their prized Wagu cattle across the channel to the mainland, an activity that can be seen on video if you search hard enough. Good people.

Robbins Island more than a wind farm.

SO SORRY SOLD

$40.00

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Sir Hubert Wilkins – His World of Adventure – Lowell Thomas

Unusual publishing disclosure … by the Readers Books Club, by arrangement with Arthur Baker, London in 1963. However, actually published in Australia by Colorgravure Publications, Hawthorn Melbourne. A pretty good copy a little age but clean and a nice jacket. Discrete prior ownership stamp on paste down.

Octavo, 247 pages, illustrated with numerous images from photographs of our hero and his endeavours.

This is a late book by, the prolific American traveller, Lowell Thomas who made his name writing about Lawrence of Arabia of whom he also made newsreel which he used as a basis for his sell out lectures in the USA and England – Covent Garden no less – and for months sold out.

After all that we have little room left for Hubert Wilkins, Australia’s greatest ever adventurer in our mind. There are some modern publications on Wilkins and we suggest they are largely based on this book. Lowell Thomas has come in for some criticism re exaggeration [also happened re his work on Lawrence] – we suggest only because the critics struggle with the breadth and depth of the subject character

Lowell Thomas on Hubert Wilkins – we are true believers.

$35.00

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Autobiography of Australia’s Great Aviator – Sir Gordon Taylor – First Edition

The Prehistory of Australia – D.J. Mulvaney

The Fossil Fishes of the Hawkesbury Series at Gosford – Robert Etheridge Jnr – 1890

Bush Tram-Ways & Private Railways of Tasmania – J.G. Branagan.

Robbins Island Saga [North-West Tasmania] – Pauline Buckby – Signed Annotated

Sir Hubert Wilkins – His World of Adventure – Lowell Thomas

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