Rare first editions of First Fleet material at the Melbourne Rare Book Fair

At the Melbourne Book Fair next week, collectors of Australian literature will be offered important first editions of historical works, including eyewitness accounts with detailed and hand-coloured maps, travelogues and survey works from the First Fleet era by Peter Harrington.

The fair, which takes place from 25 to 27 July in the Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne, also includes numerous lectures and events leading up to the main event and during the three days themselves.

Peter Harrington’s remarkable first editions include some of the earliest and most significant accounts of the founding and exploration of Australia, including documents, books, manuscripts and maps directly related to the First Fleet, the eleven ships that took on board the first European settlers, including convicts, marines and officers, to establish a penal colony in New South Wales in 1788.

These include a first edition of A report on the expedition to Botany Bay by Watkin Tench. Published in 1789 and costing £12,500, the book is the first authentic eyewitness account of the new colony and offers a vivid and valuable description of life in the settlement during its early years. Tench, who sailed with the First Fleet as a lieutenant commander in the marines, gives a detailed account of his explorations and discoveries, including the pursuit of the Nepean River to the Hawkesbury.

Another significant rarity is a first edition of A historical diary of transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island. Published in 1793, this work by John Hunter, a captain of the First Fleet, provides an early account of the first years of Australian settlement. Hunter’s journal contains detailed descriptions of the exploration activities and settlement of Norfolk Island, as well as finely engraved plates and maps. Of particular note, this copy is additionally illustrated with a rare hand-coloured map by Robert Wilkinson showing the coastal regions of New South Wales. The book will be available for £4,500.