Item #118891 Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman. John McDouall STUART.
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...
STUART, John McDouall

Explorations in Australia. The Journals of John McDouall Stuart during the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862, when he fixed the Centre of the Continent and successfully crossed it from Sea to Sea. Edited from Mr Stuart's Manuscript by William Hardman ...

London, Saunders, Ottley, 1864 [first edition].

Octavo, xxiv, 511 pages plus an original albumen paper photographic portrait frontispiece (oval-shaped, 68 × 55 mm), a sketch map and 12 wood engravings (by George French Angas) BUT lacking the folding map. The portrait (with the printed credit of 'Professor [Robert] Hall, Adelaide, Apr. 1863') is mounted above a facsimile inscription ('Your's truly | John McDouall Stuart').

Later (turn of the century) full blind-tooled calf, all edges dyed light green; gilt-lettered title-label in contrasting leather on the spine; the spine in compartments of geometric patterns with a small flower in each one, the sides with numerous double and triple fillets with the flower motif repeated in all corners, with blind inner dentelles (a superb Arts and Crafts Movement-inspired binding, with the 'Bound by F. Binns & Co. 70 Grenfell St, Adelaide' small paper label on the rear pastedown). Leather a little worn at the extremities; front joint split in the centre along half its length (but sound); rear flyleaf removed (attached to the missing map); light tidemark to the leading edge of the title leaf; old tissue-paper repair (on the verso) to a clean tear near the foot of one plate; minimal conservation to one plate and a pair of conjugate leaves that had worked loose (now restored); trifling signs of age and use; overall a very good copy, with singular provenance.

The personal copy of Stephen King Jr (1841-1915), surveyor and unofficial artist on Stuart's sixth and final expedition (the first successful return crossing of the continent of Australia from south to north), with his bold ownership signature at the head of the title page, his autograph address and name-stamp on the verso of the frontispiece, as well as numerous annotations (often including his signature) to the text and plates relating to that expedition (pages 325-484). These annotations and emphases appear on over 50 pages in this section (in different coloured pencils and once in ink), and generally serve to highlight his contribution to the expedition. He rightly claims credit for each of the three plates that illustrate this expedition (wood engravings by George French Angas), noting 'see sketch by S. King' or similar in each instance (he repeats this attribution on the title page). Valmai Hankel notes in her lengthy introduction to 'John McDouall Stuart's Explorations, 1858-62. South Australian Parliamentary Papers, 1858-63' (Adelaide, 2001) that 'One of the written instructions to all members of the expedition was that "No journal be kept or notes taken" ... Fortunately, a visual record of the expedition was made by Stephen King, who secretly drew a series of sketches'. Next to the passage recording the carving of Stuart's initials on a tree on reaching the coast at Chambers Bay (east of modern-day Darwin), he writes 'S. King cut some for Stuart'. One passage in the text has been emphasised three times: 'I [Stuart] have chosen King for this purpose, as being the next best bushman to Thring, and one in whom I can place the greatest dependence to execute any charge I may give him with care and faithfulness'. On another occasion, where Stuart writes 'These ponds I name "King's Ponds," in token of my approbation of his care of, and attention to, the horses, and his readiness and care in executing all my orders', King has signed his name in the margin. While his comments are not discursive, they exist in the context where any item associated with any member of any significant Australian inland expedition from the nineteenth century must be deemed rare, thus giving these terse comments considerable significance.

King appears to have reread this account on numerous occasions, especially in his later years, as indicated by calculations in the margins (where he works out on more than a few occasions between 1909 and 1915 the number of years that have elapsed since the expedition). The binding would appear to date from after 1910, as one calculation for this date has been slightly trimmed.

King later participated in Finniss' and Goyder's expeditions to establish a settlement at Port Darwin, and worked as a surveyor on the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line.

Offered together with a copy of the 1962 facsimile edition of Stuart's 'Explorations across the Continent of Australia, 1861-62' (first published 1863). The front flyleaf is inscribed to 'Mercy and Muriel King, from Pattie, 1962'; it is later inscribed and signed 'Left to Mercia A.J. King' (Stephen King's granddaughter). It is further signed there and on the rear flyleaf by another six descendants of members (or sponsors) of the expedition. They are Mona Stuart Webster (great-grandniece, and her husband Clarence William Willoughby Webster); James iv [sic] Chambers (great-grandson of one of Stuart's main backers); Walter McDouall Stuart (great-grandnephew); Alfreda M. Stuart (mother of Walter); and H. Darton Underhill (granddaughter of W.D. Kekwick).

Provenance: Stephen King Jr; by descent.

Item #118891

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