The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay;; with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson and Norfolk Island...
London: Printed for John Stockdale, 1789. First Edition. Quarto : pp. [ii] [ii] [3]-6 [ii] [viii] i-x [8] [4] 298, lxxiv [2] (advertisements) : first state engraved title, stipple-engraved portrait of Phillip by W. Sherwin after F. Wheatly, and 53 further plates, plans and charts (7 folding; 55 plates in total), errata and advertisement leaves, list of subscribers : armorial bookplate (George Henry Cherry, Denford) to pastedown : contemporary calf, spine gilt. Occasional light discoloration or offsetting; occasional bloom and foxing to plates (particularly plates 4, 9, 10, 16, 36, 37, 41, 44, 51, 52, & 54) ; 5mm tear at corner fold of Shortland's chart; small flaw at D3 affecting letters, E3-4 torn and skilfully repaired, 2cm horizontal tear to outer margin of K; printing flaw at line 2 of P causing a blank space to occur within two words; upper joint weak. [Wantrup 5a; Ferguson 47]. Very good. Item #15936
First edition, first state of one of the earliest and most important books about the establishment of the Australian colonies. With the "Kangooroo" and "Wulpine" spellings on plates 10, 16 and 30; "T. Medland sculpt." on the vignette medallion of the title page; and page 122 has the uncorrected mispagination 221.
As Wantrup notes, although Stockdale's Phillip was preceded by Tenches Narrative by many months, it is significant for the record it provides of events on land and at sea in the first months of settlement. It details early expeditions of Phillip and other officers into the interior around Botany Bay and Port Jackson as well as the earliest coastal voyages of discovery and important discoveries in the surrounding areas. "The plates illustrate and the text describes newly-discovered animal life, and among the charts and plans are included detailed charts of Port Jackson, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, and the island of New Georgia. Most interesting and famous of the charts is the earliest plan of the settlement at Sydney Cove." (Wantrup 2023, p.80).
Provenance: Sotheby's Valuable Printed Books: London, 24 June 1988, private Australian collection 1988 - 2026.
Price: $10,850.00