South Australia

The Exploration of Australia – Albert Calvert – First Edition 1895

A pretty good copy of the first edition of Calvert’s book much admired and coveted in any collection on the subject. A compendium volume was issued a year later due to the success of this work.

Published by George Philip, London in 1895. Small quarto, 26cm by 21 cm, quarter bound cream buckram (simulated vellum) over deep blue buckram with gild titles and line decoration. Aged to spine as usual, corners rubbed. Pretty good internally the large folding map repaired close tear. Internally a little browned due to the spongy nature of the paper, really quite clean throughout; viii, 26 pages. Frontispiece of Dampier, 16 plates. A solid book 1.4kgs.

The super map is 87cm by 72cm with the routes of the likes of Sturt, Mitchel, great, Winnecke etc marked

Albert Calvert carried out his own explorations often influenced by gold exploration and mainly in western Australia. He was a prolific writer about Australia partly to fund his exploratory activities. He had previously published ‘The Discovery of Australia” concerning the early maritime activities of the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, British etc. In the Preface to this work he describes his pain in working with the early accounts, in terms of their completeness, reliability etc. In this work he is more at ease in that he has the first hand accounts of the various explorers .. on land he mapped out each day of their activities … hence the huge map included.

Exploration covered include in the maritime, Dampier; the Dutch; Cook; Flinders; Phillip; Baudin, Bougainville … in the interior, Wentworth; Sturt; Mitchell; Macquarie; George Grey; Eyre etc

Calvert’s collectable account on the exploration of Australia with valuable map.

$150.00

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Gold Escort [The Victorian Gold Fields to Adelaide] – L. J. Blake.

First edition published by The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne in 1971. Large octavo, 228 pages, illustrated with good end paper maps. Dust jacket a little rubbed otherwise a very good copy.

The Gold discoveries in Victoria in the 1850’s caused a massive shortage of labour in South Australia with considerable economic effect. Alexander Tolmer who was the South Australian police Commissioner cam up with the idea of providing an armed escort service to bring gold back to Adelaide … it worked. A super story .. Tolmer a quick tempered man made many enemies due to the success of this initiative.

Money to made in gold … the moving of it

$30.00

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[A History of the Aclare Mine – South Australia] – Silver and a Trace of Gold – J.K. Chilman

A very good copy of Special Publication No 1 celebrating 100 year of the Department of Mines and Energy, South Australia.

Soft silvered cover, 212 pages with numerous illustrations … from photographs, sketches, maps, mine plans etc.

From discovery in the 1840 to the end of that century … and the continuing heritage interest an extremely thorough work.

R.K Johns in his preface … “Silver and a Trace of Gold” establishes the mood of these times and painstakingly and sympathetically traces the events connected with speculation and mining investment, the opening and closure of mining operations, and the developments in metallurgical practice and smelting of mixed metallic ores. It not only traces the history of the Aclare mine, and the Kanmantoo- Callington mining field, but has relevance to the whole mining history in the State” … a bit dry but does capture the breadth and depth of this study.

A Mining History well presented and more … processes etc

$40.00

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The Birds of Australia in 3 Volumes [the S.A. White Facsimile] -Gregory Mathews

A numbered limited facsimile edition of the complete work in three volumes, reproduced faithfully without alteration or correction. Published in South Australia by State Publishing. The original published in 1910-1927 by Witherby & Co, London. Regarded as the last great bird plate book relating to Australia with the consequential accuracy in form and description.

Folio on quality paper so rather heavy. Printed by offset lithography and bound in half grey polished leather. Published in 1989 based on a set held in the S.A. White Collection. Fine condition.

Unpaginated but 182 pages each. A total of 105 full-page colour plates. 500 sets were produced. Getting hard to find and here sold at an attractive price.

Mathews and his Birds of Australia.

$340.00

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Australia Trade Cards – Set of Six – Liebig – Over 100 Years Old

A group of six decorative trade cards by Liebig advertising their tasty Bouillon Oxo. Printed and issued around 1910. In French with a very good description the rear of the card … a good language lesson.

Delightful chromolithographs depicting scenes from around Australia including a nice one of Hobart, Tasmania with Storm Bay (not quite technically correct as we are now in the Derwent proper) and Mount Wellington covered in snow in the background. Also, we have the Murray River and its vegetation; the Kimberleys; Rundall Creek in the MacDonald Range; the Blue Mountains west of Sydney and Coolgardie and its Gold. Images of indigenous people from various parts of Australia given the French romantic treatment in terms of their clothing. Each 10cms x 7.3cms.

Scarce six card set rarely found together.

$50.00

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More than Half a Century of Colonial Life (South Australia) – Henry Hussey

Title continues … “and Christian Experience, with Notes of Travel, Lectures, Publications etc”

Henry Hussey (1825-1902) was an Evangelist, Printer, Historian who recorded his life an travels and published the work in 1897. It is full of colonial detail on many subjects.

The Adelaide’s Library Board selected the work for their magnificent facsimile series, published by them as no 203 in 1978.

Octavo, 504 pages, bound in tan in their normal style. A fine copy.

Interesting that the original was published by Hussey & Gillingham, Adelaide … the authors jointly owned business.

Hussey emigrates to South Australia and recounts his early days; visits Launceston and Sydney. Has various occupations and commercial failures and “disasters”. Commenced business as a printer, distracted by gold discovery in Victoria; recommences business …saves the “Observer”. Travel to America via Tahiti and Panama with “incidents” … a tour Baptised at Bethany … to England and back home to Adelaide. A History of Sa … Secretary to Angus … etc

A fine copy of a book about a fine man in fine times in Australia.

$30.00

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The Exploration of Australia – Albert Calvert – First Edition 1895

Gold Escort [The Victorian Gold Fields to Adelaide] – L. J. Blake.

[A History of the Aclare Mine – South Australia] – Silver and a Trace of Gold – J.K. Chilman

The Birds of Australia in 3 Volumes [the S.A. White Facsimile] -Gregory Mathews

Australia Trade Cards – Set of Six – Liebig – Over 100 Years Old

More than Half a Century of Colonial Life (South Australia) – Henry Hussey

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