Rare First Editions of First Fleet Material to Go on Sale at the Melbourne Rare Book Fair

JULY 2024: Peter Harrington, the world-leading rare book seller, is due to offer a selection of rare First Fleet material at the Melbourne Rare Book Fair, with the works considered to be cornerstones of any significant Australiana collection.

Among the notable first editions that will go on sale are some of the earliest and most significant accounts of the foundation and exploration of Australia—documents, books, manuscripts and maps directly associated with the First Fleet—the eleven ships that carried the first European settlers, including convicts, marines, and officers, to establish a penal colony in New South Wales in 1788.

These include a first edition of A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay by Watkin Tench. Published in 1789, the book provides the first authentic eyewitness account of the new colony, offering a vivid and valuable description of life in the settlement during its initial years. Tench, who sailed with the First Fleet as captain-lieutenant of marines, provides a detailed narrative of his explorations and discoveries, including the tracing of the Nepean River to the Hawkesbury. The rare and sought-after book is priced at £12,500.

Another significant rarity is a first edition of An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island. This handsome work by John Hunter, a captain of the First Fleet, published in 1793, provides an early account of the first years of settlement in Australia. Hunter's journal includes detailed descriptions of exploration activities and the settlement at Norfolk Island, along with finely engraved plates and maps. Notably, this copy is extra-illustrated with a rare hand-coloured map by Robert Wilkinson showing the coastal regions of New South Wales. The book will be available at £4,500.

Also on offer will be a first edition, hand-coloured issue of John White's 1790 publication, Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, "the first major work on the flora and fauna of Australia to appear after the arrival of the First Fleet in Port Jackson". White was appointed chief surgeon of the expedition to establish a settlement at Botany Bay and on joining the First Fleet, began to keep a journal with notes of birds examined in the colony. The book is on sale for £9,000.

Finally, a presentation copy of the Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle from 1839 will also be offered for sale and is expected to excite the interest of both private collectors and regional institutions. This book, co-written by Charles Darwin, Robert FitzRoy, and Phillip Parker King, charts the famous expeditions of HMS Adventure and Beagle and includes important surveys in the area of the Barrier Reef. This extremely rare first edition was gifted by Captain FitzRoy to Admiral James Gordon, a naval officer who ensured that the Beagle and her crew were fit to sail. It will be offered for sale at £97,500.

The Melbourne Rare Book Fair once again promises to be a landmark event for collectors and historians alike, offering a unique opportunity to acquire some of the most significant early accounts of Australia's formative history. "We are thrilled to be back in this part of the world, exhibiting once again at what is the only significant rare book fair in the Southern Hemisphere," says Pom Harrington, Owner of Peter Harrington. "We are keen to reconnect with fellow lovers of rare books and share these exceptional rarities with both institutional and private collectors."

Other fascinating works the London-based rare book seller will have on sale include:

 

• A chart of the South Polar Sea (1839) - a unique, meticulously marked up copy of this map, it documents the Farthest South reading of 78°09'30'' S, a record that lasted nearly six decades - £50,000

• A remarkable 17th-century stumpwork casket, an exquisite example of women's needlework, employing a number of complex techniques and fine materials. The finely detailed panels depict biblical, allegorical, and mythological scenes, and incorporate a host of female figures. The casket, which functions as both a public and private object, simultaneously celebrates the embroiderer's skill and provides personal space for jewellery, cosmetics, and other items within its hidden drawers - £65,000

• The English cricket researcher Irving Rosenwater's retained copy of Australian Touring Side 1964, inscribed by him: "Of this booklet only two copies have been produced. One copy I have presented to my good friend Leslie Gutteridge. This is the other. Irving Rosenwater. March, 1964". The book is accompanied by three brief notes in his hand, relevant newspaper clippings, and the original annotated envelope - £1,850

ENDS

www.peterharrington.co.uk