Western Australia

The Lizard Eaters [The Pintubi of the Western Deserts] – Douglas Lockwood – First Edition 1964

A first edition published by Cassell, Australia in 1964. Octavo, 171 pages, end paper maps and illustrated throughout with images from photographs by the author. A very good copy.

Seems rather strange today … as late as 1957 the first real contact was made with the Pintubi who live in the Gibson and Great Sandy Desert west of Alice Springs. This book is about the 1963 Patrol to locate them and find out more about them and their way of life. A sympathetic account with special images.

The Pintubi people .. their isolation and struggles to find foot and water.

$30.00

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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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Looking for La Perouse – Frank Horner

Looking for La Perouse D’Entrecasteaux in Australia and the South Pacific 1792 – 1793 by Frank Horner.

A 1996 first soft cover edition. Octavo, 317 pages, published by Melbourne University Press. A nice copy. Heavily illustrated.

Solid read with maps, charts and illustrations. Bruny d’Entrecasteaux might have failed to find the doomed La Perouse but made some important observations in Tasmania, Western Australia and New Guinea.

Top of the class Frank Horner

$30.00

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Australian Bristlebird (Dasyornis Australis) [Endangered] – Sir William Jardine – 1826

An original hand-coloured engraving of Bristlebird published in Edinburgh 1826 by Scotland’s greatest naturalist Sir William Jardine (1800-1874). This image is one of the earliest fine engravings of the bird. First found and described by Latham around Port Jackson in 1801.

The engraving was published as part of Jardine’s first great work “Illustrations in Ornithology” a now scarce and valuable collection of bird engravings. Printed on thick wove paper (30cm by 23cm) with a strong plate impression, good strong colouring and generally clean condition. Would frame up nicely for display.

The Bristlebirds are named after the stiff “’hair like” feathers that arise around the beak. They are thought to assist in catching insects upon which they feed and also provide protection to the eye. There are a number of sub-species of the Eastern, Rufous and Western Bristlebirds. Subclassifications of those number six of which one is extinct, one critically endangered and two endangered and the other two on the way. Bush fires and land clearing the main culprits.

Jardine was the 7th Baronet of Applegirth, Dumfriesshire and founder of the Ray Society. He was a superb artist in his own right but utilised the great illustrators of the day to complete his works including, Edward Lear, Selby, Stewart, Thompson and William Holmes-Lizars

Price $180.00 Unframed

Early engraving of the endangered Australian Bristlebird … help to save them

$120.00

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Journals of Expeditions into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George’s Sound in the years 1840-1 in 2 Volumes – John Eyre

Fundamental Australian overland exploration.

Published by the Libraries Board of South Australia 1964. Facsimile reprint of the 1845 edition – Australiana Facsimile number 7 – only 500 copes printed.

two volumes thick octavo, xviii, 448, 512 pages light brown/ caramel colour with gilt lettering. Two folding maps in pocket at rear. One map of the whole of Australia demonstrating all of Eyre’s wanderings including earlier expeditions east into New South wales. The large folding map relating to this expedition is close to a metre wide so we have scanned it in three sections and still did not quite get the depth in … it really is special and makes the understanding of the narrative very clear. Very good and maps in great condition.

Eyre attempted to set up an overland route from Adelaide to the Swan River. After great hardships, with his second on charge being killed by Aborigines, and losing some of the supplies, the party arrived at Albany in 1841.

Heavy books so our postage allowance will not cover a single item Overseas purchase.

Eyre’s Travels Across Australia … required reading for any Australia(n) Historian

$120.00

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Glimpses of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand – Captain Barry – First edition 1903

Subtitled … “A Thrilling Narrative of the Early Days: Embodying the Life-History of Captain William Jackson Barry Who Arrived in New South Wales in 1829” … and it is really quite “Thrilling”

Published by Brett, Auckland in 1903. Small quarto, 211 pages, decorated end papers, illustrated with photographic portraits. Original cloth covered binding with gilt embossed design and title to front and spine … gilt a little faded … otherwise a very good solid unmarked copy.

William Barry was born in 1819. His father was a vet. At a dinner party Sir John Alcock took a liking to him and asked his father to let William enter his service. With this achieved, Alcock set off for Australia with young William on the “Red Rover” in the year 1828. Typhus broke out onboard and many died. On arrival at Sydney the ship was quarantined for six weeks … it was dreadful… and life ashore not much better. Alcock hated it and organised swift passage to Buenos Ayres. On the way to the dock Barry decided he liked Sydney so much he ran away and hid in a tank until the ship had gone. And so Barry’s life in the Antipodes started then … at the age of ten!

His life was certainly different … at various times he sailed … carrying Timor Ponies to Sydney … shipwrecked nearly starved and rescued. Other times he was in the gold fields in Victoria (Eureka), New Zealand and California. Was variously a butcher (his early trade), farmer, auctioneer and horse dealer (bushrangers robbed him) … married more than once into money.

Near the back of the book is a potted history of Australia and a selection of biographies of notable gents … the most common feature being and incredible collection of beards

Captain Barry the sort of life films should be made about

$60.00

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The Lizard Eaters [The Pintubi of the Western Deserts] – Douglas Lockwood – First Edition 1964

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

Looking for La Perouse – Frank Horner

Australian Bristlebird (Dasyornis Australis) [Endangered] – Sir William Jardine – 1826

Journals of Expeditions into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George’s Sound in the years 1840-1 in 2 Volumes – John Eyre

Glimpses of the Australian Colonies and New Zealand – Captain Barry – First edition 1903

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