Fishing

The Mystery of Swordfish Reef – Arthur Upfield – First UK Edition 1960

Published by Heinemann, Lonon in 1960, a first UK edition. Octavo, 247 pages. Jacket a bit rubbed still a nice copy of perhaps our favourite Upfield / Bonaparte book. Dust jacket design by Bill Morden.

A fishing boat disappears along with its four occupants. It all happens in the New South Wales game fishing grounds – something the author was familiar with.

A skull is found by a passing trawler. Our Favourite police inspector, “Bony” Bonaparte is called in, and the “mystery” is unravelled.

Based on a true story the disappearance of geologist Lamont Younger at Mystery Bay, NSW in 1880

True mystery behind this entertaining Upfield “fishy” mystery.

$80.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1892

Printed at the “Mercury” Steam Press Office and published 1893.

A interesting journal. Much about fish, probably the most comprehensive account of Tasmanian estuary and fresh water fish to date. Interesting note on the Derwent Hand-Fish which is described as not uncommon – reference made to Mrs Meredith’s painting of the hand-fish which she uses to illustrate her book Tasmanian friends and Foes.

Nice paper of Silurian Trilobites [or bits of then] in the Mersey region by Robert Etheridge Jnr [Voyager paleo hero … he is now at the British Museum references samples sent to his famous Dad of the same name. Nice plate of the Trilobites and Silurian Mollusca similarly found.

Paper on Antachini [marsupial shrew] first one found in Tasmanian.

The accounts always make interesting reading … the Society has financial responsibility for the Museum [annual spend GBP282 and the Botanical gardens GBP700] cash in the bank at year end was GBP27!

Interesting reference early on to the first telephone demonstration from the Society rooms rooms to Battery Point and Mount Nelson – 20mls – everyone fairly astonished.

Original soft wrappers, xlvi pages followed by 178 pages of papers, followed by tables and the annual reports and accounts, list of Fellows etc A very solid edition with good content. Very good condition.

Fish and Fossils and the first telephone trial

$90.00

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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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Resources of the Sea – Record of a Symposium arranged by the Royal Society of Tasmania

Published by the Society relating to a symposium held at Bicheno on the east Coat of Tasmania in 1974.

Perfect bound 199 pages, decorated card covers. High standard and intensity narrative, numerous, charts, images, diagrams etc.

Divided into non-biological [Physical setting; Scenic Margin; Minerals of the Ocean and Oil] – biological [Fisheries; Farming the Sea; Ecosystems]

Whilst this is the 1970′s and the offshore oil industry is now well established, it is the sections on Minerals and Farming the Sea that we find particularly intriguing given that the former had gone into hibernation until Trump II came along and the latter is such a contested issue in Tasmania these days.

In the minerals paper we have much on manganese and the various methods of harvesting at various depths of ocean … go for it we think … or maybe not?

Resources of the Sea – a set of paper to look back on and look forward.

$30.00

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Collection of Vintage Fishing Floats

A super collection of vintage fishing floats an number hand made. Some quite well used but float collecting is not like stamps – a mint float is unromantic.

Thirty or so in all – would make an interesting display or just to have would be good.

What floats your boat?

$90.00

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Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado New Zealand – Zane Grey – First edition 1926

First edition, published by Hodder & Stoughton, London in 1926.

Quarto, x,228 pages bound in the original blue cloth covered boards with gilt titling and leaping fish to front. A little age to spine ends otherwise a super copy for a book near 100 years old. Heavy at circa 2kg so likely not suitable for Overseas.

Zane Grey (1872-1939) famous for his interest in and writing about great fishing adventures rather than his profession – dentistry. He was also handy with the camera and the many illustrations are from photographs taken by the author. Additional sketches by Frank Phares.

Fishing for some big guys … Marlin, Swordfish and the Mako Shark and maybe less butch for Taupo and Trout on quieter waters.

Zane Grey is the man with the “fush” in New Zealand ..

$120.00

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The Mystery of Swordfish Reef – Arthur Upfield – First UK Edition 1960

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1892

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

Resources of the Sea – Record of a Symposium arranged by the Royal Society of Tasmania

Collection of Vintage Fishing Floats

Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado New Zealand – Zane Grey – First edition 1926

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