Latest Acquisitions

Biographies & Autobiographies, 24 Australian related 6 and others 18

127200
ERICKSON, RICA.: The Brand On His Coat. Biographies of Some Western Australian Convicts.
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. xii, 359; 2 maps, 36 b/w illustrations, appendices, bibliography, index, bound in original stiff illustrated wrapper, good copy.
Nedlands, WA; University of Western Australia; 1983.
An exploration of convict life in Western Australia, focusing on the men who were transported there from Britain. Erickson meticulously details their lives, challenges, and the impact of their forced labor on colonial society. The book delves into the personal stories behind the faceless convicts, illustrating their resilience and humanity. Click here to Order

AUD$40

127285
GALBALLY, FRANK.: Galbally for the defence. Crimes and Controversies - the courtroom dramas of Australia's best known lawyer.
First Edition; Med. 8vo; pp. 233; 12 pages of b/w. photographic plates, notes, bound in original black cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, very good copy.
Ringwood, Vic.; Viking/Penguin; 1993. Click here to Order

AUD$45

127504
POWER, PHYLLIS M.: From These Descended. Book Number One. Homestead Books Series.
First Limited Edition; Roy. 8vo; pp. xii, 202; illustrated with 26 half tone photographic plates, one being double page, index, original quarter leather binding, title lettered in gilt on spine, embossed decoration to front board, original full leather slip case, signed by author and printer on limitation page, fine copy.
Kilmore; Homestead Books; 1977.
This edition limited to 500 copies, of which copies numbered 1-100 are quarter bound in hide, slip cased and signed by the author. This copy being numbered No. 20. Click here to Order

AUD$250

127334
STIRLING, ALFRED.: Gang Forward: A Stirling Note-Book.
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. [x], 261; bound in original blue cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, very good copy.
Melbourne, Vic.; The Hawthorn Press; 1972.
The book traces over eight centuries of a family from a small corner of Scotland, as they spread to the Middle east, Central Africa, Southern Ireland, Canada and Australia. Click here to Order

AUD$65

127318
TAIT, THOMAS.: John Dunmore Lang: A Fighter For The Right.
First Edition; Cr. 8vo; pp. 58; 7 b/w plates, 1 b/w letter, appendix; original blue cloth, flecking to page edges, browning and foxing to endpapers and some pages, good copy.
Sydney; Angus & Robertson Ltd.; 1923. Click here to Order

AUD$26

127280
TOMLINSON, GERRY.: "Bring Plenty of Pickles".
First Edition; Cr. 4to; pp. 80; illustrated endpapers, b/w illustrations, bound in original maroon cloth, title and illustration laid down on upper board, very good copy.
Buckinghamshire; Gerry Tomlinson; 1986. Click here to Order

AUD$40

OTHER COUNTRIES

127215
ADAMS, IAN H; Editor.: Papers on Peter May Land Surveyor 1749-1793. (Scottish History Society, Fourth Series, Volume 15).
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. xlii, 314, 6, 4; 2 folding family trees, footnotes, carto-bibliography, biographical index, general index, bound in original light blue cloth, title lettered in silver on spine, previous owner's bookplate on front endpaper otherwise a very good copy.
Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable Ltd for the Scottish History Society; 1979. Click here to Order

AUD$35

127279
AINSWORTH, RICHARD.: The Lingards of Huncoat and Their Descendants.
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. 51; text with 15 b/w. photographic plates, bound in original maroon cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, institution bookplate on front endpaper, numerous institution stamps throughout text, working copy only.
Accrington: Wardleworth Ltd.; 1930. Click here to Order

AUD$75

127339
BROWNE, JANET.: Charles Darwin: Voyaging Volume I of a Biography.
First Edition, First Printing; Med. 8vo; pp. xvi, 605, (1); portrait frontispiece, 32 pages of b/w. photographic plates, 1 double page map, several text illustrations, notes, bibliography, index, bound in original quarter mustard cloth with mustard papered boards, title lettered in gilt on spine, gilt decoration on upper board, dustjacket, a crease to edge of one page otherwise a very good copy.
London; Jonathan Cape; 1995. Click here to Order

AUD$35

127343
COWLEY, GORDON; DEACON, LES.: In The Wake of Captain Cook: The Life and Times of Captain Charles Clerke, R.N. 1741-79.
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. x, 197; portrait frontispiece, text with 15 maps and illustrations, chronology, bibliography, references, index, bound in original stiff illustrated wrappers, very good copy.
Boston, UK; Richard Kay; 1997. Click here to Order

AUD$45

127253
GORE, JOHN.: Mary Duchess of Bedford 1865 - 1937. (Two Volume Set).
First Edition; Super Royal 8vo; Vol. I. pp. xv, 200, (80; Vol. II. pp. [viii], 201-480; numerous b/w. photographic illustrations, facsimile letters, indexes, bound in original half blue leather, with blue cloth boards, title lettered in gilt on spine, a nice association copy with a presentation slip on the endpaper of volume one from The Duke of Bedford (Lord Herbrand Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford) Mary's husband and prominent zoologist to Sir P. Chalmers Mitchell the Scottish zoologist, Mary Duchess of Bedford was self noted for her ornithological voyages and work, her journal A Bird-watcher's Diary , was privately published in 1938 after her death, the bottom edges of the spines are worn on this set but the bindings are tight and internally a clean bright set.
London; John Murray; 1938. Click here to Order

AUD$190

127506
HAWKER, MURIEL.: H.G. Hawker, Airman: His Life And Work. With A Foreword By Lt.-Col. J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon.
First Edition; Med. 8vo; pp. xxiv, 25-319; b/w portrait frontispiece, 15 b/w plates, original navy cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, spine and corners bumped, cloth marked with a few small areas of wear to cloth, flecking to top of page edges, front and rear free endpapers browned, frontispiece tissue guard creased, previous owner's bookplate on front endpaper, good copy.
London; Hutchinson & Co.; 1922. Click here to Order

AUD$350

127307
O'BRIEN, PATRICIA.: Tautai: Samoa, World History, and the Life of Ta'isi O. F. Nelson.
Med. 8vo; pp. xl, 399, (1); 2 maps, text illustrated with numerous b/w. photographs, glossary of Samoan terms, list of key historical figures, chapter notes, bibliography, index, bound in original green cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, signed and inscribed by author on title page, fine copy.
Wellington, NZ; Huia Publishers and University of Hawai'is Press; 2017. Click here to Order

AUD$125

127257
ROSS, W. HUGH.: Te Kooti Rikirangi: General and Prophet.
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. 196; bibliograpgy, bound in original green cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, corners bumped, dustjacket a little worn, very good copy.
Auckland; Collins Bros & Co. Ltd.; 1966.
The life and legacy of Te Kooti, a significant Maori leader and prophet in 19th-century New Zealand. The book explores his role in the New Zealand Wars, his spiritual teachings, and the creation of the Ringatu faith. Ross presents Te Kooti as both a resistance figure and a complex individual shaped by colonial conflict. Click here to Order

AUD$35

127202
ROWE, GEORGE STRINGER.: The Life of John Hunt, Missionary to the Cannibals in Fiji.
First UK Edition; Cr. 8vo; pp. viii, 278, 16; portrait frontispiece, text with 6 engraved full-page plates, 18 page book advertisements at rear, bound in the publishers original green decorated cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine and upper board, decoration in black on spine and upper board, previous owners name on front endpaper, good copy.
London; T. Woolmer, 2, Castle Street; 1859.
A detailed biography of John Hunt, a pioneering Methodist missionary who played a significant role in Fiji’s Christianization during the 19th century. The book highlights Hunt’s profound faith, tireless efforts to spread Christianity, and his compassionate engagement with indigenous Fijians, who practiced cannibalism at the time. Rowe vividly portrays Hunt’s personal sacrifices, cultural challenges, and missionary successes. Click here to Order

AUD$125

127368
SKLOOT, REBECCA.: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
First Edition; Med. 8vo; pp. xvi, 368; 8 pages of photographic plates mostly in colour, notes, index, bound in original brown cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, very good copy.
London; Macmillan; 2010.
Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells, were taken without her consent in the 1950s, became the first immortal human cell line. Known as HeLa cells, they have revolutionized medical research, contributing to advances in cancer treatment, vaccines, and genetics. Skloot weaves Lacks’ personal story with scientific history, shedding light on issues of ethics, consent, and racial injustice in medical research. Click here to Order

AUD$50

127129
SMALLWOOD, IMOGEN.: A Childhood at Green Hedges: A Fragment of Autobiography by Enid Blyton's Daughter.
First Edition; Demy 8vo; pp. 159; text illustrated with numerous b/w. photographs, bibliography, index, bound in original green cloth, title lettered in silver on spine, dustjacket, very good copy.
London; Methuen Children's Books; 1989. Click here to Order

AUD$125

127241
SMITH, WILLIAM M'COMBIE.: Memoir of the Family Of M'Combie. A Branch of the Clan M'Intosh: Compiled from History and Tradition.
First Edition; Med. 8vo; pp. x, 167; appendix, addendum, bound in original maroon cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, nice association copy with the armorial bookplate of Macknight Crawfurd of Cartsburn and Lauriston Castle (8th Baron of Cartsburn 1856-1909) cloth a little worn, good copy.
Edinburgh and London; William Blackwood and Sons; 1887. Click here to Order

AUD$225

127319
SPIELMANN, PERCY EDWIN.: The Early History of The Spielmann Family and of Marion Harry Alexander Spielmann (1858-1948) to the year of his marriage (1880) by his son Percy Edwin Spielmann, together with some associated excursions and diversions.
First Limited Edition (Copy no 44); Cr. 4to; pp. [ii], 62; text with 22 b/w. illustrations, bound in original red cloth, title lettered in black on spine and upper board, good copy.
Reading; privately printed for the Author by The Berkshire printing Co. Ltd.; 1951. Click here to Order

AUD$225

127300
STEEDMAN, JOHN ARAMETE WAIREHU.: Nga Ohaki O Nga Whanau O Tauranga Moana: Known Genealogies and History of the Maori Families of Tauranga and Surrounding Districts.
Second Edition with Supplement; Demy 8vo; pp. 285; text with several b/w. illustrations and maps, numerous family trees, index to better known ancestors mentioned in the text, family index, supplement, bound in original stiff illustrated wrappers, very good copy.
Tauranga, NZ; J.A.W. Steedman: (1986)
First Edition published in 1984, this edition is reprinted with supplement (p. 267-285) Click here to Order

AUD$125

127263
TAYLOR, ROGER.: George Washington Wilson: Artist & Photographer (1823-93).
First Edition; Oblong Demy 4to; pp. x, 204; portrait frontispiece, text with numerous b/w. photographs, list of stereoscope and album views, bibliography, plate index, subject index, bound in original maroon cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, very good copy.
Scotland; Aberdeen University Press; 1981. Click here to Order

AUD$35

127420
WALTERS, S. M; STOW, E. A.: Darwin's Mentor: John Stevens Henslow 1796-1861.
First Edition; super Royal 8vo; pp. xx, 338; text with 8 pages of coloured plates, numerous b/w. illustrations and drawings, genealogical tables, chronology, endnotes, bibliography, index, bound in original brown cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket with minor creases on bottom edge, very good copy.
Cambridge; Cambridge University Press; 2001.
A well-researched biography highlights Henslow’s scientific contributions and mentorship, which shaped Darwin’s evolutionary thinking. The book is important for shedding light on Henslow's crucial role in the history of science, particularly in Darwin’s development. Click here to Order

AUD$65

127268
WILSON, MONA.: The Life of William Blake.
Reprint: Cr. 4to; pp. xvi, 397; portrait frontispiece, text with a further 23 full page plates, notes, index, bound in original cream cloth, contrasting title label on spine, title lettered in gilt on label, good copy.
New York; Cooper Square Publishers, Inc.; 1969.
Reprint of the 1927 Nonesuch Press Edition with the revisions of the 1949 edition. Detailed and scholarly biography that captures the essence of Blake's life and work. Wilson presents a well-researched account of his artistic and personal struggles, highlighting his complex personality and visionary genius. While thorough, the writing can feel dense at times, making it more suited to dedicated Blake enthusiasts or scholars than casual readers. It remains a key resource for understanding Blake’s life. Click here to Order

AUD$35

127298
WOOD_ELLEM, ELIZABETH.: Queen Salote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900-1965.
Med. 8vo; pp. xix, [28], 376; 3 pages of maps, 25 pages of family trees, 24 pages of b/w. photographs, glossary, notes, selected bibliography, index, bound in original purple cloth, title lettered in gilt on spine, dustjacket, inscribed and signed by author on front endpaper, very good copy.
Auckland, NZ; Auckland University Press; 1999.
Comprehensive and sensitive biography of Queen Salote, the beloved monarch who reigned over Tonga from 1918 to 1965. Wood-Ellem draws on personal interviews, letters, and extensive research to explore Salote's role in modernizing Tonga while preserving its traditions. The book delves into her political acumen, cultural advocacy, and her dedication to her people, portraying her as a strong and empathetic leader. It’s a richly detailed study of a remarkable Pacific queen. Click here to Order

AUD$175