Australiana

Mon Voyage Aux Terres Australes – Journal Personnel du Commandant Baudin illustre par Lesueur et Petit

A special book, in the French language, published by Imprimerie Nationale, Paris in the year 2000. Large octavo, 467 pages original illustrated softcover. Very high standard of colour illustration.

Illustrations include 2 sketch plans, 2 maps, 4 charts and 10 facsimiles of original manuscripts, plus 96 colour plates with 195 illustrations – including 5 insects, 5 animals, 96 fish and marine animals, many relating to Australia. Also some views and many coastal views and 10 magnificent portraits of aboriginals. Very good near fine condition.

The journal of Baudin commences in March 1800 at Le Harve. Baudin had been given command of an expedition to map the South West and South coast of Australia. He had two ships, Geographie and Naturaliste the latter captained by Hamelin. They had a total of nine naturalists on board. By May 1801 they has reached the West Coast of New Holland. Moving east they famously met Flinders at Encounter Bay. They sailed to Sydney and down to Van Diemen’s Land and reached the d’Entrecasteaux Channel and then Maria Island by November 1801. It is claimed that more than 2,500 new species were discovered on the voyage.

Incidentally, it is now claimed that naturalist Francois Peron later wrote a report for Napoleon on ways to invade and capture the British Colony at Sydney Cove.

Even if you have limited French this book is worthwhile for the magnificence of the illustrations.

Baudin his Journal in French as it should be …

$80.00

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Sailor and Beachcomber – Safroni-Middleton – First Edition 1915

“Confessions of a Life at Sea, In Australia and amid the Islands of the Pacific”. Published by Grant Richards, London a first edition 1915.

Thick octavo, 304 pages private library stamp at front and rear of Thomas Kinmore of Cork, Ireland. Nicely illustrated with 23 images from photographs. Pretty good condition.

An unusual book starting with “I run away to sea” but finds himself stranded in Brisbane and then off to the bush before leaving for the South Sea Islands. The usual chapter on cannibalism with much time spent in Samoa and Fiji, then Tahiti (and the usual chapter on morals) and the Marquesan Queens and back to Samoa before returning to Australia. Lost in the bush and on to the Gold Fields and Coolgardie. References to the Bounty and of course R.L.S. And quite a bit of violin playing – see his biography below.

Written in an interesting somewhat casual style but packed with observation if not sometimes a bit puffed up.

The author George Arnold Haynes Safroni-Middleton (1873-1950), also known as Count Safroni, was a British Composer, violinist, harpist, writer and astronomer. Born in Kent he studied violin with Pablo de Sarasate and later played with the orchestra at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney. He toured Australia and explored Borneo, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia (and also obviously the Pacific). He composed “Imperial Echoes” in 1913 which for many years was the theme of “Radio Newsreel” on the BBC. Quite an odd chap.

In Australian and (mainly) in the Pacific – entertaining

$80.00

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Incidents of a Collector’s Rambles in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea – Sherman Denton 1889

Published by Lee and Shepard, Boston 1889. 272 pages with 13 plates and numerous text illustrations.

Original cloth covered binding. A pretty good copy.

Travels through New Zealand then to Australia (Victoria, Melbourne, Brisbane, trip through Queensland to Townsville) then to New Guinea, beginning at Port Moresby and moving inland.

A well illustrated and interesting account of the tour of a family devoted to natural history. Good New Guinea and Queensland content. Early note of the extremely unusual and primitive Mary River Lung Fish (The Jumping Fish).

Scarce Australian, Papua New Guinea item and a favourite of Voyager

$80.00

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James Mario Matra – Alan Frost

His precarious life magnificently presented by Alan Frost and The Miegunyah Press. A fine edition 1995 first. Large octavo, 264 pages printed on Pageantry text cream paper and limited to 1,000 copies.

Matra sailed with Cook on his first voyage on the Endeavour and famously published the account of that voyage anonymously before the official account. He lost his inheritance in the American war of Independence but was helped out by Joseph Banks. He had grand plans of his own for NSW which did not come to fruition .. he saw out his later years as Consul at Tangier.

Matra the first to report Cook’s Voyage

$60.00

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Hermannsburg – West MacDonnell Ranges – Richard Forrester

By acclaimed artist Richard Forrester of the Aranda painted in 2007.

Rich vibrant Hermannsburg watercolour following the style of the great Albert Namatjira. Strong lines and imparting the deep colours of the early morning and late evening light among the West MacDonnell ranges, near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Price $240.00

Quality vibrant Hermannsburg by Forrester

$240.00

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The Journal of Philip Gidley King: Lieutenant RN 1787-1790

Published by Australian Documents Library, Sydney 1980. Hard cover in good condition with good dust jacket. Quarto 401pages with 17 black and white plates.

The first publication of the private journal purchased by the Mitchell Library from the King family in 1933. The journal of his time at Norfolk Island and New Zealand has an immediacy lacking other accounts

Philip Gidley King – First Hand

$70.00

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Mon Voyage Aux Terres Australes – Journal Personnel du Commandant Baudin illustre par Lesueur et Petit

Sailor and Beachcomber – Safroni-Middleton – First Edition 1915

Incidents of a Collector’s Rambles in Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea – Sherman Denton 1889

James Mario Matra – Alan Frost

Hermannsburg – West MacDonnell Ranges – Richard Forrester

The Journal of Philip Gidley King: Lieutenant RN 1787-1790

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