Papua New Guinea

Rabaul 1942 – the Story of the 2/22nd Australian Army Infantry and others – Douglas Aplin

This is the second printing of Douglas Aplin’s definitive book on the, as he calls it, “tragic story of the 2/22^nd …. The men and women of the Lark Force, including units of the RAN, RAAF, New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, 1^st Independent Company etc and New Guinea residents who were caught up in the calamity following the January 1942 invasion of the New Guinea Islands by the Japanese”

Softcover, perfect bound, published by the Battalion, effectively self-published by the author, 1980. 294 pages, illustrated – very good condition.

And, what a calamity it was … many lost their lives amid the confusion sparked by the ineptitude of military and political hierarchy in Canberra … for weeks invasion had been inevitable and opportunities to move anyone at risk were lost … those left must have been terrified and bewildered. Without dragging too much up, as is the mood of current times, … things were not good. The Japanese brought 3,000 of their own prostitutes to Rabaul to “service” their troops, gives you some idea …

Nevertheless, there are some good stories here among the debris of war … those that made every personal effort to escape … often by risky means … but with success. This is an important book to reflect on how humans behave in the worst of circumstances … but the “escapes”… they provide some happiness and relief.

Important thorough work by Douglas Aplin based on numerous journals, diaries, records etc.

$70.00

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A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas from Balambangan: including and Account of Magindono, Sooloo and other Islands … performed in the Tartar Galley, during the years 1774,1775 and 1776 – Thomas Forrest -First Edition 1779

A rare first edition published by Robson, Donaldson et al London 1779. Quarto, 388 pages, and with 32 copper engraved maps and plates, many double page or folding. Offsetting to plates, as usual. A good copy in original full calf re-backed and re-cornered to style.

Scottish born Thomas Forrest (1729-1802) was a brilliant sailor and navigator. He was a midshipman by sixteen and soon spent most of his time in the “Indian waters”. He was commissioned by the British East India Company in 1762. By 1770 he was engaged in forming a new settlement, Balambangban, Borneo … an idea fostered by Alexander Dalrymple.

He was soon involved in plans to explore the islands to the east in the direction of New Guinea. He sailed on 9^th December 1774 in the Tartar a garay boat from Sulu of about ten tons. His crew comprised two English officers and eighteen Malays. He was accompanied part of the voyage by two even smaller boats. The expedition, the subject of this book pushed as far as Geelvink Bay, New Guinea having explored and charted the Sulu Archipelago, Mindanao, Mandiolo, Batchian and Waiego, returning to Achin in the March of 1776.

This volume with its sumptuous array of plates was produced to a very high standard. A well written account published quite speedily after the events reflects the support and standing offered the author Forrest.

Forrest went on to publish further works relating to navigation in the east such as “A Treatise on the Monsoons in East India”.

Forrest exploring and charting the eastern islands of the East Indies and Northern Coastline of New Guinea.

$1,280.00

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Owen Stanley R.N. – Captain of the Rattlesnake – Adelaide Lubbock

Published by Heinemann, Melbourne etc in 1968 a first edition. Octavo, 298 pages, illustrated throughout very nicely. A super copy

Whilst this book deals well with the voyage of HMS Rattlesnake” up the east Coast of Australia and over the southern coastline of New Guinea – his earlier years are also carefully researched.

Key Rattlesnake / Papua account – good all round adventure biography

$30.00

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Queensland Royal Geographical Society Journal – Diamond Jubilee Issue 1885-1945. Interesting Papua New Guinea content – Including the Kokoda Trail

The journal as published by the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland). Octavo, soft wrappers, 113 pages after preliminaries, folding chart, images from period photographs, sketch map of Papua New Guinea etc. A very good copy bar innocent marks to the covers … pretty clean and bright inside.

After various historic introductions articles re “Queensland Pastures – Their Development and Improvement; Across Papua’s Mighty Delta by A.L. Ethell; Irrigation (Queensland); The Interior of Eastern Papua by Captain Vernon – which describes the immediately post war Kokoda with interesting observations

Nicely illustrated and with a fold out sketch map from Bootless Bay (near Port Moresby) to Buna showing a vertical cross section of the Kokoda track.

A special issue of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland) Journal with particular interest to New Guinea collectors and readers.

$60.00

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Islands of Men – Inside Melanesia – Colin Simpson.

Another good book about Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Hebrides and our favourite regional island Mer – by the knowledgeable Colin Simpson.

A first edition published in 1955 by Angus and Robertson. Octavo, 248 pages, nicely illustrated from photographs, some in colour, with decorative end papers. Dust jacket a little worn – still a very good copy.

Ion Idriess wrote about Mer and here we have Simpson putting his own keenly observed view of the island and the culture of its inhabitants.

Simpson in the broader Melanesia – unique view of customs – great images.

$30.00

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Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

Williams was the then Government appointed Anthropologist. Published by the Oxford University Press, with an introduction by Sir Hubert Murray.

Octavo, 355 pages, illustrated with images from period photographs.

The Orokaiva are the rather fierce proud people of Oro Province in New Guinea, the Owen Stanley Range bordering the southern reaches of their territory. They are divided into three groups … River, Salt Water and Inland. There tribal practices are complex and rather strange, partly resulting from their belief that they are descendants of Giants. As with most New Guinea tribes the initiation customs are rather complex and scary.

Francis Edgar Williams (1893-1943) was an Australian Rhodes Scholar who studied anthropology at Balliol, Oxford. He met the great Hubert Murray back in Australia who persuaded him to come to New Guinea. He spent over twenty years there much of it in the field strongly supported by Hubert Murray. He died in a light plane crash near Kokoda.

Tough growing up in Oro.

$120.00

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Rabaul 1942 – the Story of the 2/22nd Australian Army Infantry and others – Douglas Aplin

A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas from Balambangan: including and Account of Magindono, Sooloo and other Islands … performed in the Tartar Galley, during the years 1774,1775 and 1776 – Thomas Forrest -First Edition 1779

Owen Stanley R.N. – Captain of the Rattlesnake – Adelaide Lubbock

Queensland Royal Geographical Society Journal – Diamond Jubilee Issue 1885-1945. Interesting Papua New Guinea content – Including the Kokoda Trail

Islands of Men – Inside Melanesia – Colin Simpson.

Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

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