John Rous. A Queen Anne Story in an Australian Setting...
Melbourne, The Specialty Press, 1918.
Octavo, [viii], 295 pages plus 5 full-page plates by Lionel Lindsay.
Black cloth (blind-ruled on the sides and lettered, ruled and decorated in gilt on the spine) lightly scuffed, rubbed and bumped; spine lightly sunned with the gilt lettering dulled; acidic paper tanned (presumably as ever), with the edges foxed and discoloured; overall, an excellent copy of this publication.
The lengthy subtitle is 'Showing in simple words the passage of a not uneventful life animated throughout by an inborn and unconquerable love of the sea and a most ardent patriotism'. The front flyleaf of this copy is signed and warmly inscribed by the author 'To Henry Gyles Turner, with kindest regards from his very old friend the Author. Geo. G. McCrae. Christmas 1918'. This work is the only separately published novel ('published in 1918 though written earlier') by George Gordon McCrae (1833-1927), poet and man of letters. Henry Gyles Turner (1831-1920), 'banker, historian and littérateur', was indeed a very old friend. 'In 1856-57 Sydney Gibbons, an aspiring journalist, offered Turner space in the "Illustrated Journal of Australasia and Monthly Magazine" and introduced him to Melbourne's literati, including James Smith, (Sir) Archibald Michie, George Gordon McCrae, Nicholas Chevalier and fellow bank employee Marcus Clarke. With their encouragement he helped to launch the short-lived "Australian Monthly Magazine" on 1 September 1865, and contributed articles to weekly periodicals such as the Melbourne "Spectator", Clarke's "Colonial Monthly" and James Smith's satirical "Touchstone"' ('Australian Dictionary of Biography').
Item #129886
Price (AUD):
$250.00