Walter Beilby
Melbourne: George Robertson and Company, 1897.

The first Australian dog breeder’s manual. FERGUSON 6885.

William Frederic Martyn
London: Harrison and Co., 1785.

Popular 18th century reference work by William Fordyce Mavor under his Martyn pseudonym, with 100 hand-coloured plates each depicting 4 to 9 animals, insects, or shells.

J. M. Black
Adelaide: J. M. Black, 1909.

[Robert Chambers]
London: John Churchill, 1846-1860.

Vestiges, published anonymously, had an enormous influence on Charles Darwin, first published in 1844 and here greatly enlarged. This edition (the second to be illustrated) was published just following the publication of Darwin’s Origin and is Chambers; final revision of the text. A twelfth edition, published in 1884 following Chambers’ death, reprints this text and acknowledges his authorship. // Chambers had planned to respond to criticisms of his work by publishing a series of letters to the ‘Times’ followed by a pamphlet of a hundred or so pages, however Churchill convinced the anonymous author (through his friend Alexander Ireland) that it should be issued in book form, printed and bound similarly to the original. Explanations was duly issued in 1845, and was followed by this slightly altered version in 1846. By then the fifth edition of ‘Vestiges’ was ready and the two works were often reviewed together, the publisher going so far as to suggest a combined volume, however his anonymous author pointed out that the arguments were already incorporated in the new edition.

Conrad Guenther
London: A. Owen & Co., 1906.

The First Edition in English translated from the Third Edition by Joseph McCabe.

Queensland Littoral Society
Brisbane: Queensland Littoral Society, 1971.

Field manual of members of the Queensland Littoral Society for conducting wetland surveys. The QLS now known as the Australian Marine Conservation Society is one of the oldest conservation groups in Australia.

John William Lewin
Melbourne: Edition Renard, 2007.

One of 70 numbered copies (from a total edition of 212 copies) bound in an exact facsimile binding in the style of the later superior issue of the second edition, complete with plain interleaves and hand-marbled sides. A new edition of one of the earliest books about Australian natural history, reproducing the text and illustrations of the two earlier editions, together with historical, bibliographical, and publication notes by Julien Renard. The first two editions being bibliographical rarities and extremely difficult to obtain, Renard also provides a census table of known copies.

John William Lewin
Melbourne: Edition Renard, 2007.

One of 70 numbered copies (from a total edition of 212 copies) bound in the style of the first issue of the second edition of 1822. A new edition of one of the earliest books about Australian natural history, reproducing the text and illustrations of the two earlier editions, together with historical, bibliographical, and publication notes by Julien Renard. The first two editions being bibliographical rarities and extremely difficult to obtain, Renard also provides a census table of known copies.

James Edward Smith
Melbourne: Edition Renard, 2005.

One of 60 numbered Large Paper copies (from a total edition of 212, of which 200 were for sale). A fine enhanced edition from the original edition Printed by J. Davis, Published by J. Sowerby, London, 1793-95 and never before reprinted. In this Deluxe issue the text is entirely reset with judicious use of colour and the fine coloured plates are enlarged by 25%. The text is accompanied by extensive bibliographical notes.

R. Dalrymple Hay
Sydney: William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, 1915.

J. H. Maiden; Ernst Betche
Sydney: W. A. Gullick, Government Printer, 1916.

A talented and enthusiastic botanist Joseph Henry Maiden established the colony’s first herbarium, the National Herbarium of New South Wales, together with a museum and library. Among his many studies and achievements he was also responsible for the construction of Sydney’s first playground and worked tirelessly to develop the educational value of the Botanical Gardens for all Australians.

J. H. Maiden
Sydney: Donald Campbell, Government Printer, 1922.

NSW Government Report by Joseph Henry Maiden. Appointed Government Botanist and Director of the Botanic Gardens in 1896 and from that date produced voluminous reports most years throughout his tenure. A talented and enthusiastic botanist Maiden immediately set to work establishing the colony’s first herbarium, the National Herbarium of New South Wales, together with a museum and library. He was also responsible for the construction of Sydney’s first playground and worked tirelessly to develop the educational value of the Botanical Gardens for all Australians. His reports provide detailed insight into such endeavours, as well as the year on year goings on of the gardens in the late 19th and early 20th century, with its developments and challenges, from the growth and maintenance of the grounds, to projects, staff, botanical samples and seed exchanges, botanical and library acquisitions, and more. This extract provides a glimpse into the gardens in 1920 and includes 8 large photographs of trees.

J. H. Maiden; Margaret Flockton
Sydney: William Applegate Gullick, John Spence, and Adam James Kent, Government Printers, 1903-1931.

A complete set, being 75 parts in 8 volumes, containing over 3000 pages and 304 plates, 12 of which are in colour, and 4 of which are maps, of Joseph Henry Maiden’s masterpiece in the field of botanical research, and his major taxonomical work alongside his Forest Flora of New South Wales. The set is illustrated chiefly with lithographs by Margaret Flockton, together with several by Matilda Smith, a facsimile of L’Heritier, and 4 maps, as well as a photographic illustration by L. C. Webster, and a photographic portrait of Maiden in one of the posthumous volumes therein also published an obituary by Richard Hind Cambage. The project, which took 28 years to be published, the final parts prepared by Maiden before his death in 1925 and published posthumously edited by Cambage and William Blakely, was an extension of the work started by Ferdinand von Mueller and George Bentham in Flora Australiensis and continued by Mueller in his Eucalyptographia, devising classifications based on the characteristics of the stamens, and remained an important reference for many years. Maiden’s study of eucalyptus was completed alongside his duties as Government Botanist and Director of the Botanic Gardens, which he commenced in 1896. A talented and enthusiastic botanist Maiden established the colony’s first herbarium, the National Herbarium of New South Wales, together with a museum and library. Among his many studies and achievements he was also responsible for the construction of Sydney’s first playground and worked tirelessly to develop the educational value of the Botanical Gardens for all Australians.