Non-fiction

A King Island Settler’s Tale – Jim Paterson – Self published

Scarce self published, Hobart 2001.

Soft cover, perfect bound, octavo size, 302 pages, illustrated from period photographs, fine condition.

Jim Patterson was born in 1992 in Sydney .. he moved around Australia, married had jobs of sheep stations, woolscour sorter, driver … WWII came long and afterwards in the 1950’s was awarded a War Service Land Settlement block on King Island. This enthralling account is all about the trials and tribulations associated with that life. Politic gets in the way – well it does.

This is a life in a book and the chapters headings give a clue … such as “they burnt the bloody pub down” and “disaster after disaster” … “a boat with one oar” .. the epilogue is more uplifting and it has a nice poem. Don’t be put off – this is a unique account and Jim comes out with a positive conclusion.

King Islands Post War Settler tells the Truth .

$60.00

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A Record of Tasmanian Nomenclature with Dates and Origins – J Moore-Robinson

Extremely scarce item> we have not seen any original copies available .. and this one in fine condition.

A pretty early place-name book … that is mainly European place-names. At a time when the consideration of original aboriginal names for places is foremost in mind this is a worthwhile counterpoint. We are not sure which work has most places covered … a confluence of both would be worthwhile … we don’t mean reading the obvious .. more the less obvious.

Published at the Mercury Press in 1911.
An unusually nice looking item. Thick like sugar paper covers, 106 pages, demi octavo, perfect bound, super condition for such a potentially fragile item over 110 year old

Small scarce and in perfect condition.

$90.00

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The Book of Kells and The Art of Illumination

In the year 2000 Ireland’s greatest treasure the illuminated medieval manuscript the Gospel of St mark from the Book of Kells visited the National Gallery of Australia. We cannot imagine the insurance costs for this item beyond the wealth of any man.

Written painstakingly by Irish Monks and lost for many years before found “under a sod”.

Large format, perfect bound soft cover, 80 pages, heavily illustrated as you would expect.

The Book of Kells impossible not to stir some emotion.

$30.00

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[Tasmania] – Female Factory Female Convicts – Tony Rayner

The story of more than 13,000 women exiled from Britain to Van Diemen’s Land.

Quite a bit of the Female Factory still exists today and its worth a visit if you are in Hobart.

Octavo, perfect bound soft cover, 198 pages, illustrated, a very good to better copy. Published by Esperance Press in 2005.

Whilst the book concentrates very much on Hobart there is also a good chapter on the other Female Factories on the Mainland … Parramatta; Newcastle, Bathurst, Port Macquarie, Moreton Bay etc.

The Female Factory not your ordinary sort of workplace.

$30.00

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[Tasmania] The Zinc Works – Producing Zinc at Risden 1916-1991 – Alison Alexander

Commissioned by Pasminco and written by distinguished and thorough historian Alison Alexander.

Large octavo, perfect bound soft cover, 360 pages with about as many illustrations mainly from period photographs.

One of our favourites among our collection of industrial histories of Tasmania.

This a significant business employing many Tasmanians an enterprise of international scale. So much so it attracted the attention of the Japanese during WWII. The Japanese carried micro reconnaissance aircraft on their submarines, and one was launched to photograph the works. Hobart already had anti-aircraft guns on the go – but they did not fire because the didn’t want to expose their position.

Some very good content about the growth and investment and success of the business and some of the lighter side such as the “belching” competitions in the metallurgy department. Well people were easily amused back then

Zinc works – now that’s a real business.

$40.00

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In the Footsteps of [Captain Robert Falcon] Scott – Mear and Swan

Large octavo, 306 pages, published by Jonathan Cape, London in 1987. Nicely illustrated and with end paper maps.

Robert Swan had an ambition to walk to the South Pole in honour of Robert Scott and his party. He enlisted Mear and another. They were supported by Peter Scott and Lord Shackleton. There were many challenges and they accomplished a number of firsts in their preparation – first up Erebus in the Winter. A really great account.

Swan always an adventurer cycled from Cape Town to Cairo and circumnavigated (if that’s the correct term) the Vatnajokull Ice Cap in Iceland on skis. What fun he had.

Swan all the way to the Pole

$25.00

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A King Island Settler’s Tale – Jim Paterson – Self published

A Record of Tasmanian Nomenclature with Dates and Origins – J Moore-Robinson

The Book of Kells and The Art of Illumination

[Tasmania] – Female Factory Female Convicts – Tony Rayner

[Tasmania] The Zinc Works – Producing Zinc at Risden 1916-1991 – Alison Alexander

In the Footsteps of [Captain Robert Falcon] Scott – Mear and Swan

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