Tasmania and Van Diemens Land

Joseph Conrad and the Barque Otago – Sir William Crowther – 1975

Bound notes by Sir William Crowther for the handing over of the restored companionway superstructure to the officers’ cuddy from the Otago [Joseph Conrad’s ship].

Very few would have been produced so a scarce as it is brief. Quarto in size, bound nicely in blue cloth covered boards with gilt titles. Original photograph of the glorious companionway affixed to front paste down. Title, Preface and five pages typescript one side only. Dated 21st March 1975, fine condition. Our image of the blue covers looks a little drab … that’s just our scanner …

The work represents a brief summary of association of the great writer Joseph Conrad, then Captain Conrad with the barque Otago. The State Library had acquired the structure recovered by Crowther, a great bibliophile and collector, a number of years earlier at Risden, Hobart when the boat was finally broken up. It lay in Crowther’s back garden for many years before being restored by Philip Fowler.

Whilst brief the article gives a nice potted history of Conrad’s early days and how he came to be in charge of the Otago. His novel The Shadow Line, from which Crowther quotes was written about his voyage to Singapore to pick up the Otago.

Sir William Crowther should not be confused with his Grandfather of the same name who committed some rather nasty acts regarding the bodies of aboriginal people. This Crowther whilst still perhaps confused by the right and wrong at least gave up the family collection of indigenous relics to the Museum and these have since been given some final respect.

Regarding this item .. well a unique work in the Conrad genre.

$50.00

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Vanished Fleets [Tasmania] – Alan Villiers

Published by the Cat & Fiddle Press, Hobart a new edition 1974 … first published 1931.

A special maritime history of Van Diemen’s Land by the knowledgeable Alan Villiers. Superbly illustrated.

Villiers himself crewed with the whale-ship Sir James Clark Ross into the Ross Sea in 1923-24.

Covers Captain Kelly (see Voyager book on Kelly); The voyage of the “Woodman”; the loss of the “George III”; the adventure of the whaler “Essex” and Captain Tregurtha’s Log; Hobart Clippers and “Graveyard Island”.

The illustrations include – The “Royal William”; the “James Craig”; the “Hobart Regatta”; the “Fram” (Amundsen) in the Derwent; the “velocity” and the “Tasmanian Cape Horn Trader in Hard Weather”.

A smorgasbord of Tasmanian Sail

$50.00

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Tasmanian Tiger – Original Thylacine Engraving – by Varin – 1830’s

Scarce hand coloured engraving of the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine). A delightful depiction by Pierre Amedee Varin (1818-1883).

Paired with a botanical Thunbergie … as the engravings appeared in la Dictionnaire Pittoresque d’Histoire Naturelle et de Phenomenes de la Nature published in Paris in the 1830’s

28cm by 18cm in dimensions and in very good condition. Stipple engraved probably in steel … you can see the technique reflected in the hairs of the thylacine especially in the enlarged iamge … super technique.

Thylacine lovers often frame their favourite part omitting the botanical. We always leave those decisions to the buyer.

Pierre Varin came from a family of engravers and illustrators who came from Chalons- sur-Marne, now named Chalons-en-Champagne … a really beautiful part of France.

Scarce Thylacine engraving … well they are

SO SORRY SOLD

$170.00

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[Tasmanian Legal Stoush] – Montagu & Stephen Van Diemen’s Land 1836 – James Dally Publication No 5 of 99 Only

Algernon Montagu & Alfred Stephen in Supreme Court Proceedings against T.W. Rowlands; with a comment by Robert Lanthrop Murray; with Geo. Arthur’s Despatch.

An interesting and at times amusing record of goings on in the Hobart legal fraternity in 1836. Mrs Rowlands had been drunk seemingly according to Mr Moore which had led Mrs Rowlings to strike him on the shoulder with a whip in public, calling him a slanderer and liar … she challenged him to a duel … feisty stuff.

A court cased resulted at the Supreme Court Hobart presided over by Judge Montagu. The animosity the was on open display between Montagu and Attorney General Stephen was something special. The cocky young Stephen was late, ill prepared, unsuitably dressed and caught eating and drinking at the Bench … worse he questioned the authority of the Judge … the outcome we will leave that for your reading.

Published in Adelaide by James Dally dated 2007. Quarto, 166 pages bound in red cloth covered boards with matching slipcase. Only 99 copies were produced … this numbered and initialed number 5 … so extremely scarce.

James Dally a highly respected antiquarian bookseller in Hobart and Adelaide published a number of works under the imprint Sullivan’s Cove. The editor of this work Eustace FitzSymonds was a pseudonym of James Dally. Dated after James Dally’s death which records show was 2005.

Unique Tasmanian Legal History in a fine production and James Dally’s last work

$120.00

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The British Steel Challenge Round the World Yacht Race 1992/3 – “Pride of Teesside”

Promotional folder with original full-size photographs.

The 1992/93 round the world challenge involved ten identical vessels, apart from distinguishing colours and trimmings, all built at the Devonport Dockyards in Plymouth.

The Pride of Teesside was skippered by In MacGillivray coming a creditable fifth in 155 days. Nuclear Electric skippered by John Chittenden finished four days earlier so a tight finish all things considered. The race was eventful taking a route west round the Horn several boats suffered serious rigging screw failures … British Steel II, a contender after leg I to the Horn was de-masted and had to limp to Hobart under Jury rig.

The portfolio contains … a fact File; Route Map; seven extra large colour photographs (30cm by 21cm); Crew Profiles; Yacht Specifications etc.

A unique item of sailing memorabilia

$40.00

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Into the Blue – Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before – Tony Horwitz.

Published by Allen & Unwin in 2003 a substantial softcover, 480 pages, illustrated appropriately, very good like new condition.

Horwitz follows James Cook as if on all three of his famous voyages of exploration. From the very first page this book has you hooked in what Bill Bryson describes as an “enthralling excursion around the Pacific”. Even for those that have read the first hand accounts and the monumental works of Beaglehole we suggest this will provide a new perspective

Captain Cook by Horwitz – a new take with superb perspective.

$25.00

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Joseph Conrad and the Barque Otago – Sir William Crowther – 1975

Vanished Fleets [Tasmania] – Alan Villiers

Tasmanian Tiger – Original Thylacine Engraving – by Varin – 1830’s

[Tasmanian Legal Stoush] – Montagu & Stephen Van Diemen’s Land 1836 – James Dally Publication No 5 of 99 Only

The British Steel Challenge Round the World Yacht Race 1992/3 – “Pride of Teesside”

Into the Blue – Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before – Tony Horwitz.

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