Product Description
Further Papers Relative to the Discovery of Gold in Australia.Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, July, 1855. London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 1855. Folio, pp. vi, 114, 3 hand colored maps by John Arrowsmith (two folding), 4 b/w plans, geological columns and profile. AND Further Papers Relative to the Discovery of Gold in Australia.Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, July, 1856. London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 1856. Folio, pp. 2, 40, folded hand colored map by John Arrowsmith, b/w geological profile across gold region. AND Further Papers Relative to the Discovery of Gold in Australia.Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, 25th August, 1857. London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 1857. Folio, pp. 110.
The three works are complete and bound as a set in blue pebbled cloth with gilt spine titles. The binding is tight and pristine, the contents, maps and plans are very clean. The blind stamp of noted collector, writer and historian Sir Thomas Meek Ramsay (1907-1995) is present on the first end sheet. In very good condition with the Arrowsmith maps present.
The 1855 report contains papers from Governor-General Sir C. A. FitzRoy containing details on the amount of gold mined from the districts for the quarter ended June 30th, 1854. Details are provided on the gold exported. This is followed by a Geological and Mineralogical report by the noted geologist and naturalist Samuel Stutchbury (1798-1859) on the mapping of the colony of New South Wales. Much of his report is focused on the newly discovered coal fields in the region of Ipswich and Brisbane. The report is supplemented with colored maps by Arrowsmith and profiles. Stutchbury is also remembered for his work with Gideon Mantell. Hewas the co-discoverer of Thecodontosaurus, which in 1836 was the fourth dinosaur genus to be named. He also played a part in Gideon Mantell'snaming of Iguanodon. Mention is also made of the correspondence received from Sir Roderick Murchison in which Murchison makes reference to the fact that he had anticipated the discovery of gold in Australia and wishing to have his evidence included in the record of the discovery. Further papers follow with details on the quantity and value of gold from the various districts and social unrest occurring within districts. Two short papers announce the anticipation for the discovery of gold in Western Australia and also Van Diemen’s Land.
The 1856 report contains contributions to the geology and mineralogy of the gold districts by Samuel Stutchbury with a folded hand colored map and profiles.
The 1857 report details the quantities and values of gold from the districts in New South Wales and Victoria. This is followed by the announcement of the discovery of gold in Tasmania at Fingal on the east coast of Tasmania. This is followed by the announcement of the discovery of gold in the Nelson region of New Zealand.
