Mining and Geology

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1880

Printed at the “Mercury” Steam Press Office and published 1881.

Briefer than usual but full of papers presented by the most notable observers, natural scientists with an interest in the Society.

A new Helix fossil is found in the Kent Group by geologist R.M. Johnston – with engraved plate. Johnston also reports on a new fish species in the Derwent.

Notes on some Tasmanian plants by the distinguished baron F von Mueller.

Robert Etheridge jnr [now in London] reports on a Unionide found in the Launceston Tertiary Basin – with engraving.

And, reports from discoveries elsewhere – Algae from the New Hebrides and the Lichens of Queensland by expert F.M. Bailey.

Original soft wrappers, 64 pages of papers, followed by meteorological tables [in detail – a daily record presented twice monthly] and the annual reports and accounts, list of Fellows etc Very good condition.

istinguished contributors to a tight honed edition – 1880.

$60.00

Updating cart…

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

Updating cart…

Rocks and Minerals of Australia – Oliver Chalmers

Published by Methuen in Australia a first edition 1976. Very good condition. 246 pages with lots of images, diagrams and maps. And with the striking Crocoite on the front board – see our examples on this website.

Or favourite “Observer Book” part of an Australian contribution to the series. A serious miniature work on the subject and the source of much of Voyager’s knowledge.

The detailed maps at the end and connectivity to the narrative open up the enormous subject to the newcomer

An expert in a day!

$30.00

Updating cart…

De Re Metallica – Georgius Agricola [the Hoover Translation]

This is the second printing of the famous Hoover translation of the equally famous 16^th Century monumental publication by Georgius Agricola on all things then known in mining, metallurgy, geology etc.

Longer title … De re Metallica translated from the first Latin edition of 1556 with biographical introduction, annotations and appendices upon the development of mining methods, metallurgical processes, geology, mineralogy & mining law from the earliest times to the 16^th century by Herbert Clark Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover.

This edition, published by Dover, New York in 1950. 638 pages after xxxi preliminaries, illustrated throughout from the images of the original wood engravings. Blue green themed dust jacket variant. Jacket near perfect. A very good to better copy.

The series of books within the book (an early style) I Arguments against the art of mining II The miner and the mining of veins III Veins and stringers and seams in rocks IV The method of delimiting veins and the functions of the mining officials V The digging of ore and the Surveyor’s art VI The miner’s tools and machines VII The assaying of ore VIII Rules for the work of roasting, crushing, and washing the ore IX Methods of smelting ores X the work of separating silver from gold, and lead from gold and silver XI Separating silver from copper XII rules for manufacturing salt, soda, alum, vitriol, sulphur, bitumen, and glass … Agricola’s works – Ancient authors on mineralogy, mining, metallurgy- Nomenclature to be adopted for weights and measures etc.

There is so much to admire about this book … the date of the foundation work, its breadth and quality, the learning from the engravings. Strangely maybe we particularly like the section on pumps in mines – essential equipment for water bound mines and the ingenuity pre powered machines is very interesting. Regarding the translation – what a job done by Hoover(s). The difficulty must have been very challenging – for example Agricola struggled to find Latin equivalents for many mining terms so had to contrive them from everyday Latin words – Hoover then had to decipher these once and only Latin words – unsurprising that his hair was depleted.

De Re Metalicca – The Foundation Work for all Mining and related – the readable version

$140.00

Updating cart…

Geological Reconnaissance between Roma, Springsure, Tambo and Taroom [The Carnarvon Range and Buckland Tablelands] – H.I. Jensen

A substantial report issued by the Queensland Department of Mines, Brisbane in 1926.

Standard size, 215 pages, folding coloured map near front and a further 12 maps and sections within the text. Staple bound and as often has lost its front paper cover which is a mirror of the title that now form the front. Other than that, a pretty good copy.

Content covered includes after general notes on geography of the region … The coals of Walloon, Yingerbay, Cornwall-Alcurah and Injune and the prospects for Oil. The geology of the Upper, Middle and Lower Bowen = Mineral Resources and Palaeontoology. The Taroon geology ditto Tambi-Barcaldine and again the possibility of Oil.

A scarce one on the Roma to Springsure [South of Emerald] area – and what an area it has been.

$60.00

Updating cart…

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

Updating cart…

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1880

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1892

Rocks and Minerals of Australia – Oliver Chalmers

De Re Metallica – Georgius Agricola [the Hoover Translation]

Geological Reconnaissance between Roma, Springsure, Tambo and Taroom [The Carnarvon Range and Buckland Tablelands] – H.I. Jensen

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

Product Categories