Pacific Voyages and Early Australia from Hordern House

Next up is the first official account of the first real European settlement in Australia. The title is A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay; with an account of New South Wales... The author was Captain Watkin Tench, who sailed with the First Fleet to colonize Australia. Before he left, Tench signed up with London publisher J. Debrett to write an account of the voyage and the new settlement. That he did during its first few months, creating the manuscript which he sent back with the first returning ships to England. There it was delivered to the publisher and printed just a couple of weeks later. It provided the folks back home the first authentic look at the new colony. Item 32. AU $25,000 (US $17,709).

Here is another Australian first – the first account of the colony by a woman. It is also one of first from a private citizen. Item 27 is A Voyage round the World, in the Gorgon Man of War... published in 1795. The author was Mary Ann Parker, wife of the ship's captain, John Parker. The Gorgon was a more pleasant boat than most as it was primarily a supply ship, rather than a prisoner transport. It also carried some important officials. Nonetheless, the rough seas would be more than most could tolerate. Mrs. Parker was unfazed, finding the journey for the most part pleasurable. She writes of the voyage and the colony, Port Jackson and New South Wales. She describes the natives, whom she finds friendly though some of their habits are, in her eyes, disgusting. Rubbing your body with fish oil is something most westerners could not appreciate. She skirts around the issue of the horrors of transportation though she does quote some of her husband's critical comments to the admiralty. Captain Parker died in 1794, whereupon Mary Ann returned to England and wrote this book as she was in need of money. She had children to support, whom she and her husband had left behind when they sailed for Australia. AU $18,850 (US $13,357).

Hordern House may be reached at (+612) 9356 4411 or rare@hordern.com. Their website is found at www.hordern.com.