'AUSTRALIA ILLUSTRATED' 'The News Letter of Australasia'
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1049
Symbol: D
1856 (July; the first issue) subtitled 'Journal of Current Events' on white 8vo paper, 8pp (the last two are blank, for letter-writing), stated to be inspired by the similar 'Household Narrative of Britain' with chapters 'Journal of Politics', 'Journal of Social Progress', 'Journal of Science & Industry' and 'Journal of Literature & Art', superb unused. An important publication. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1856 (August; No 2) without subtitle on cream 4to paper, 4pp (the last is blank), fascinating 'Map of the Gold Fields of Victoria' on the face, additional sections for news from NSW, South Australia, Tasmania & New Zealand, superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1856 (November; No 5) subtitled 'Narrative of Events: A Letter to Send to Friends' on white 4to paper, 8pp (three are blank), 'The University of Melbourne' on the face with imprints 'FM White Architect', 'E Gilks del et lith' & 'Printed by J Fergusson' and at the base 'Published by George Slater', reversion to the original content plus 'Journal of Australasian News', superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1856 (December; No 6) on white paper 228x288mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'William Clark Haines/from a Daguerrotype by TA Hill' on the face, very fine unused. Ex Dr John Chapman. [Haines was a surgeon in England. He arrived in Victoria in 1842 & became a major landholder at Geelong. In Parliament he helped draft the Victorian Constitution & effectively became the Colony's first Premier, in November 1856]
1857 (January; No 7) on flimsy blue paper 220x285mm, 8pp (three are blank), Maps of Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne & Geelong on the face with imprint 'Price & Miller [?] Litho 218 Bourke St East', fine unused. [By this time, the gold rush had finished but mining was still a major activity. On page 3 it is reported that 2,594,502oz had been brought to Melbourne during 1856]
1857 (Febuary; No VIII) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'View on the Yarra - The Willows' with imprint 'F Grosse' at L/R on the face, some minor wrinkling still fine unused.
1857 (March; No IX) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'Aborigines of Victoria' with monogram 'NC' of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & imprint 'F Grosse' at L/R on the face, fine unused. [See also Lot 1022 for another version of this image]
1857 (April; No X) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'A View in the South Park...' with monogram 'NC' of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & imprint 'F Grosse' at L/R on the face & portrait of 'Thomas Bugeelene' who was "...placed ...under the care of Mr Hinkins, master of a public school at Moonee Ponds...", superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman. [Thomas was subject of an experiment to make a gentleman of an indigenous boy. The paternalistic note continues "...[he] is so far from inheriting the erratic propensity common among the blacks..." South Park was probably where Albert Park Golf Course is now]
1857 (May; No XI) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'Quartz Crushing and Amalgamating Mill' with imprints 'R Shepherd del' at L/L & 'F Grosse' at L/R on the face plus a smaller study of underground mining, superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1857 (June; No XII) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'The Corroboree' with imprints 'Becker' at L/L & 'F Grosse' at L/R plus 'Drawn on Wood by N Chevalier' on the face, minor wrinkling but unfolded & fine unused. ["...The festival, which appears to have somewhat of a religious character, and always takes place at night, is now a rare occurrence..."]
1857 (July; No XIII) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'View on the Yarra - Hodgson's Punt' with monogram 'NC' of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & imprint 'F Grosse' at L/R, minor blemishes still fine unused. [Charles Hodgson was a major early landholder at Collingwood & Mayor of Melbourne 1853-54. His original home was 'Studley', later 'Studley Park', which he developed as a horse stud. His punt connected his property with Abbotsford but was made redundant by the bridge completed in 1857]
1857 (August; No XIV) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'William Buckley/The Wild White Man' with monogram 'NC' of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & imprint 'F Grosse' at L/R, superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman. [William Buckley was, unintentionally, the first permanent European settler in the Port Phillip District. He arrived in 1803 on a convict ship supporting Lt David Collins short-lived settlement at what is now Sorrento. Buckley escaped, avoided capture &, for the next 32 years lived with local aborigines, who treated him with great respect]
1857 (September; No XV) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), illustrations of the Europeanised Maori 'Tom-a-te Wa-ka' & of three dead trees known as The Bishop of Bendigo, The Monk & The Philosopher of Golden Gully on the goldfield, both with imprint of 'FR Grosse' at L/R, the first illustration with 'NC' monogram of Nicholas Chevalier, the other with imprint of 'L Becker' at L/L, superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1857 (October; No XVI) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (three are blank), 'St Peter's Church (Episcopalian)...' & 'St Francis Cathedral (Roman Catholic)...' both with 'NC' monogram of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & imprint of 'F Grosse' at L/R, superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman. [St Peter's was built at Eastern Hill from 1847. St Francis, erected in the CBD from 1842, is the oldest Catholic church in Victoria. It was a cathedral from 1848 until replaced by the unfinished St Patrick's in 1868]
1857 (November; No XVII) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 6pp (missing the last 2 blank pages), 'An Australian Sunset/From a Painting by E v Guerard' with imprints 'E v Guerard/1857' at L/L & 'Grosse' at L/R, postally used under cover with brief note within "...perhaps you can find something in it interesting", some aging/foxing especially along the folds. [Used examples of any illustrated newspapers are rare]
1857 (December; No XVIII) on flimsy white paper 213x270mm, 8pp (two blank) 'Dry Diggings, Woolshed Creek.../From a Photograph...' with monograms 'NC' at L/L & 'FG' at L/R on the face & 'Australian Native Weapons and Implements' with the same monograms on the reverse, superb unused. Ex Dr John Chapman. [The first edition illustrated on the reverse. With announcement that the 'Illustrated Melbourne News' would be published weekly from 2.1.1858. Woolshed Creek is about 8km NW of Beechworth on the Ovens Gold Field]
1858 (January; No XIX) on a single sheet of flimsy white paper folded to 220x280mm, 8pp, 'Gold Digging' with imprints 'STG' (ST Gill) at L/L & 'Calvert' at L/R plus within a large-format 'Map/of/Melbourne & Suburbs/Showing Thirty-Six Square Miles', minor tear clear of the map & a small internal fault both repaired with archival tape, unused. [The map identifies 46 buildings as per a numbered key, and shows the beginnings of suburbs at Northcote to the N, Hawthorne to the E & St Kilda to the SE. Also shown are 'Toorak', the governor's residence between 1854 & 1876, & the proposed Melbourne Mount Alexander & Murray River Railway, a failed venture that had been acquired by the government in 1856]
1858 (February; No XX) on flimsy white paper, 8pp, 'View of Golden Point Ballarat' with 'NC' monograme of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L and below 'New Year's Day/Pic-Nic on the Banks of the Yarra...' without attribution, very fine unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1858 (March; No XXI) on flimsy white paper, 8pp, 'The Male Lyre Bird' with 'NC' & 'FG' monograms of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & Frederick Grosse at L/R, and below '...with Nest and Egg' without attribution, very fine unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
1858 (April; No XXII) on flimsy white paper, 8pp, 'Gold Diggers Puddling Machine' (an advance on panning) with monograms 'CN' of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & 'FG' of Frederick Grosse at L/R, very fine unused. Ex Dr John Chapman.
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1069
Symbol: D
Cat No: Collection
1858 (May; No XXIII) on flimsy white paper with the internal pages on stouter blue stock, 8pp, 'Bridge over the Yarra at Richmond' unattributed & 'Sketch in a New Zealand Clearing/Burning off Timber' with imprints 'Strutt' at L/L & 'F Grosse' at L/R, minor blemishes & wrinkling on the back page still fine unused. [The original Church Street Bridge was erected in 1857 of iron bought from Britain at the end of the Crimean War]
1858 (July; No XXV) on flimsy white paper, 'Bush Scenery/...on M'Cullums Creek, half-way between Ballarat and the Maryborough gold-fields...' and 'The Benevolent Asylum, Melbourne/Was built in the year 1850-51...to afford relief to the aged or infirm poor...in North Melbourne...' both unattributed, 2½pp letter headed "Collingwood July 14 58" & signed "Thos GR Hastings" to his nephew, minor damage from the acidic ink; plus the mailing envelope to England "Per Royal/Mail Ship Emeu" with Woodblock 6d (3 margins) tied by very fine BN '158' of '___ COLLINGWOOD' (b/s; 'EAST' removed), Melbourne transit & London arrival b/s of SP-10/58 in red, light soiling. Used examples of these lettersheets are rare; with the original envelope they are as "scarce as hens' teeth". [The writer states "...We have a large house and...seven Boarders...working people are getting better employed...you will see by enclosed [internal pages later removed] the state of markets..."
(Qty 2 items)
1859 (March; No 31) on flimsy white paper with the printed text removed, the first issue with a more decorative style & now sub-titled 'A Narrative to Send to Friends' & with proprietor's name removed, 'Picnic Shrubbery, Brighton Point', a few faults including two tears repaired with archival tape.
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1072
Symbol: D
Cat No: Collection
1859-62 Group comprising No 36 'Port Phillip Heads' (with two lighthouses), 4pp with lengthy letter but a large piece missing from the front page; No 37 'Government Printing Office', 2pp unused; No 40 'The Railway Viaduct/Jackson's Creek, Sunbury'; all these with 'Calvert' imprint; then with unattributed illustrations No 45 'Kennedy's Punt/Campaspe River' plus vignettes of horse racing & a cricket match, 2pp unused; No 46 'View on the Yarra/from Richmond paddock - Regatta Day', 2pp unused; No 55 'Malop Street, Geelong/Departure of the Mail for Ballaarat', 4pp with lengthy letter headed "Hawthorne Bridge/Richmond", faults; No 58 'Aboriginal Courtship/Carrying Off a Lubra', 2pp unused; 'No 70' (identified only as 'June 1862') 'Major-General Sir Thomas Simson Pratt/Commander of the Forces in Victoria', 4pp with part-letter headed "Tarnagulla"; and 'No 74' (apparently the last issue) 'Bark Canoes on the Murray River: Overland Corner', 4pp with part-letter, faults.
(Qty 9) (Image1)
Estimate AU$600
Opening AU$ 460.00
Sold...AU$ 725.00
Closed..Apr-26-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 725
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1073
Symbol: D
1861 (April; No 56) on flimsy white paper with the printed text detached but included, 8pp, 'The Werribee Encampment' unattributed plus vignettes including a Gold Mine, an Aboriginal Family and a Sailor with Cricket Bat & Ball, internally another illustration of soldiers in uniform & text "...our volunteers on the Werribee...Never has there been such a large gathering of spectators in the history of Victoria...at least 10,000 spectators..." (with reference to Mr Chirnside's land, indicating the camp was at his property 'Werribee Park'), also a lengthy report on the Maori Wars in New Zealand; postally used under cover - the envelope not included - with letter headed "...East Melbourne/24th April 1861" & signed "William E Adcock", to his cousin in Adelaide "...we have had a grand 3 days encampment of the Volunteers at the river Werribee...A telegram has been received from New Zealand to the effect that the war is at an end, the Maoris having dispersed". Remarkably fine for having been posted. [William Eddrup Adcock was born in 1846 so was only 15 at the time. He later became a prominent businessman in the Northern Territory. His entry in the 'Australian Dictionary of Biography' is a fascinating read]
1861 (October; No 62) on flimsy white paper with the printed text removed, 'The Rush to New Zealand/Hobson's Bay Railway Pier' unattributed plus vignettes including a Gold Mine, an Aboriginal Family and a Sailor with Cricket Bat & Ball, postally used under cover - the envelope not included - with large-part letter headed "Creswick Oct 24th 1861", the writer, apparently a successful alluvial goldminer, states "...while the present Mail arrangement lasts you should always write by the first of the month...I think the Chinamen have done better this season than ever before", minor faults & a couple of splits repaired with archival tape.
1862 (April; No 68) on flimsy bluish paper in a revised format of 4pp only which was probably a commercial expedient, apparently posted under cover - the envelope not included - with some foxing & a few faults, lengthy report 'Cricket - The All-England Eleven'.
1862 (August; No 72) on flimsy white paper with the printed text removed, 'Sneaking the Emu' (an aborigine in possum-skin cloak stalking emu) unattributed but in the style of ST Gill, & vignette at the base including a sailor with cricket bat & ball, posted under cover - the envelope not included - with some minor foxing, the letter headed "Tarnagulla/Augt 22 62" from a young woman who states "...we have had an uncommonly long and wet winter...Provisions are very high just now...You will get a paper with this..." Goldfields mail from women is rarely encountered.
THE POLYGLOT NEWS LETTER: Front pages only of the issues for December 1858 'The Gouty-Stem Tree/...on the River Victoria NW Australia' and April 1859 'Scene at the Dandenong Diggings' both with monogram 'NC' of Nicholas Chevalier at L/L & 'F Grosse' imprint at L/R, a few defects. A similar publication to 'The News Letter of Australasia' but very short-lived, of which only several issues are recorded. These headed 'English Edition', others recorded in Spanish French & Italian! [The 'gouty-stem tree' is a baobab. There was small-scale gold mining in the Dandenong Ranges, not at Dandenong]
(Qty 2)
