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MARITIME
HISTORY
and MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY |
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SHIPWRECK
ARCHAEOLOGY IN AUSTRALIA
Edited
by Michael Nash. $56.00
"Since
the loss of the Trial (Tryal) in 1622 more than seven thousand shipwrecks
have occurred in Australian waters. A significant number of these have
now been ocated - often revealing theselves as time capsules providing
fascinating insights into marine transportation, cargoes and early colonial
life." So states the blurb on the fly of this excellent book. I would
have said that the number of wrecks is more in the order of 10,000, probably
more, and that the number found is rather insignificant when one considers
the aspect of quantity - but, quite significant if we consider the historical
importance of the wrecks that have been, and more important, competentally
researched and investigated in situ. To continue the blurb... "This is
the story of how a unique underwater resource has been consertved and protected
as part of the nation's rich maritime heritage - including wrceks associated
with early exploration, colonial trade, whaling and the introduction of
steam technology. Containing comprehensive maps and many previously unpublished
photographs, Shipwrecks Archaeology documents the work of leading maritime
archaeologists on some of Australia's most important shipwreck sites."
Yes, indeed we have here a description of exceptional woprk on several
important wrecks: Batavia, Sirius, Pandora, Sydney Cove, Rapid, Clonmel,
James matthews, William Salthouse, Water Witch, Cheviot, City of Launceston,
Zanoni, Xantho and Tasman. Each ship, ie chapter, is written
by an expert in their field, a maritime archaeologist and/or historian
who has had an intimate reltionship with the vessel. And how fortunate
we are in this country to have such people as Anderson, gesner, Green,
Harvey, Henderson, Jeffery, McCarthy, Nash, Richards, Sexton, Stanbury,
Staniforth and Strachan... and many others who have also contributed to
the maritime archaeology on the wrecks. This is a surperb book which covers
my doctrine of judging an excellent publication - the three ‘E's' - does
it Educate, Entertain and Encourage: it certainly does. It is a wonderful
source of knowlegde, a great read, and an enthusiastic inspiration for
us to appreciate our mritime heritage and to preserve what we can of its
physical representations for future generations. I should also add that
the book itself is superbly prsented, which apprears typical, it seems,
of anything that Mike Nash puts his hand on.
Hardcovr,
dustjacket, medium format, 224 pages, full colour throughout, maps, drawings,
photographs, notes, bibliography, index. |
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MARITIME
ARCHAEOLOGY - A TECHNICAL HANDBOOK
Second
Edition. Jeremy Green. $115.00
From
the back cover blurb:
Jeremy
Green's systematic overview of maritime archaeology offers a step-by-step
description of this fast-growing field. With new information about the
use of computers and Global
Positioning
Systems, the Second Edition of this handbook shows how to extract as much
information as possible from a site, how to record and document the data,
and how to act ethically and responsibly with the artifacts. Treating underwater
archaeology as a discipline, the book demonstrates how archaeologists,
academics, governments, the general public, and "looters" interact. Well
illustrated and comprehensive in its approach to the subject, this book
provides an essential foundation for everybody interested in underwater
cultural heritage. Covers global positioning systems. Reviews cultural
resource management. Summarizes remote sensing. Describes the applications
of software.
Hardcover,
lamiated boards, 470 pages, manay mono photographs, charts, graphs, index,
references. |
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MARITIME
ARCHAEOLOGY.
Papers
from the First Southern Hemisphere Conference. Excellent coverage of legislation,
Australian wrecks, amateur involvement, conservation. Contributions by
Green, Henderson, Marx, Stenuit, Kelly Tarlton, Colin Pearson.
Softcover,
160p.
$16.00 |
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BALLAST
SITES OPERATIONS AND CRAFT OF PORT PHILLIP
Bob Leek. $24.00
The author, a retired merchant
and naval seaman, continues hius unselfish work in providing further historic
information on the vessels tht plied the Victoria waters more than a century
ago. Not for him are the glossy hardcover books - Bob presents his information
factually and without gloss - a simple square-back book of facts on, in
this instance, vessels that only a mother could love, so to speak. Yet
the ballast craft of Port Phillip were so vital to our development, to
the increasing import commerce of Melbourne. These purpose-buiolt craft
were usually flat-bottomed, fitted with lee-boards and propelled by sweeps
when sail could nopt be used; generally sailed by their owners. Their role
was not in any way glamorous. Indeed, it would have been hard, tedious
work. When ships arrived at Melbourne laden with passengers and/or cargo,
they would normally depart with less in weight that what they arrived.
This would lead to instability of the vessel if they should continue their
outward voyages, so they were loaded with ‘ballast', small bluestone pieces
called ‘spalls'. With limited dock and wharf space available, a vessel
could not simply lie at wharf till the ballast was loaded hence the ballast
craft weere required to ferry the stones to the ships at anchor. It would
be stretching the imagination to suggest that they had a romance of their
own, but there was a cultur, a bond, sometimes tenuous, between the ballast
men. Bob Leek does not write so much of this but moreso presents dated
details of operations based on various shipping records. Softcover, 116
pages, mono throughout, index. |
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BARQUE POLLY WOODSIDE
(RONA)
Vin Darroch. Published
by Lowden Publishing Co., Victoria, 1978.
Launched in Belfast in 1885,
she has retained her life by being restored, and is in permanent dock on
the Yarra River at Melbourne. Book is as new. Softcover, 141 pages, index,
glossary, listing of volunteers who worked on the restoration, list of
donors, fine mono prints.
Just
the one copy available. $35.00 |
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MARITIME
AUSTRALIA
Jack
Loney.
Fascinating
tales of Australia's wrecks and maritime history.
Softcover,118
pages.
$16.00 |
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FEVER
BEACH.
Mary
Kruithof.
The
Story of the migrant Clipper ‘Ticonderoga', its ill-fated voyage and its
historic impact.
The
Ticonderoga dropped anchor in Port Phillip on 3 November 1852 after ninety
days out from Liverpool, riddled with disease. Including her period in
quarantin, 168 hopeful immigrants and crew were dead. Although the Ticonderoga
sailed again, the inclusion of her story in this catalog is most relevant,
as Fever Beach gives a superb account of the problems of the immigrants
that settled Australia in the 19th century, irrespective of the ship. It
is also relevant to the many divers who dive Point Nepean and are familiar
with the Quarantine Station. This is an excellent book.
Softcover,
148 pages, mono prints. $26.00
***
Sorry, no longer available.*** |
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LIGHTHOUSES
OF AUSTRALIA
Images
from the End of an Era.
John
Ibbotson.
This
is a truly superb publication, for its quality of photographs, which are
stunning to say the least, the appropriate text, and the production of
the overall book itself. Of large square format, 282 pages, hardcover with
dust jacket of course, full colour throughout, it shows all the lighthouses
of Australia, dutifully recorded by a superb professional photographer
with a passion for this aspect of our lost maritime heritage, and an appreciation
of lighting in his images. It is wonderful to be able to see excellent
images of the many lighthouses I have visited, especially the burnt Deal
Island light (which was repainted). For anyone interested in lighthouses,
and indeed, in our maritime history, this book is a must, and is the definitive
work on Australian lighthouses. (Image on left is only part of cover)
.$95.00.
Highly Recommended. See also immediately below. |
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LIGHTHOUSES
OF AUSTRALIA
A Visitors Guide
John Ibbotson.
This superb guide cover
ssome one hundred and fifty light-houses around Australia, and is designed
as a brief introduction to each light, and how to access it. It complements
the larger definitive book produced by Ibbotson, yet is a compact book
on its own with 180 superb photographs, eight maps, and details such as
visiting hours and costs, accommodation and musuems, as well as a brief
history of each light.
Hardcover, laminated board,
258 pages, full colour throughout.
$39.95 |
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NORTH
COAST RUN. SORRY - No Longer
Available.
Mike
Richards.
This
popular title is now in its ThirdEdition, and covers the men, ships and
shipping along the north coast of New South wales, Australia. It is accompanied
by a number of superb photographs of ships, wrecks and harbours, and includes
a list of the ships owned by North Coast Steam Navigation Co. Wonderful
reading. Softcover, 174 pages, mono plates, oblong format.
$27.45 |
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PORT ROYAL - THE SUNKEN
CITY
Robert F. Marx.
In the seventeenth century,
Port Royal was a legendary city, a city of vast wealth and pleasure-seeking,
the home port of the buccaneers. Today, Port Royal is a city of legends,
legends of the 1692 earthquake and tidal wave that caused the city to sink
beneath the sea, and legends of the fortunes that may be buried there.
Bob Marx was caught up in those legends. Hos excellent book, whiuch has
undergone many editions, describes the fulfillment of his childhood dream:
a two-and-a-half year exploration of the historic Jamaican port. The first
investigation of the site by a trained marine archaeologist, his expedition
discovered thousands of perfectly preserved artifacts of life in the 17th
century city: silver and pewter ware; brass, iron and wooden tools; and
much more, including two hoards of classic buried treasure: Spanish pieces
of eight. But Port Royal did not easily give up its treasures: working
on a painfully slim budget, Marx and his rag-tag crew had to cope with
murky, polluted waters; inhospitable sharks, eels and crabs; razorsharp
coral and ancient walls on the verge of collapse; and the intractable opposition
of some financial and political interests. Blending real-life adventure,
colourful history and the thrill of discovery, Marx has written a fascinating
account of one of the most important marine archaeological expeditions
ever undertaken. Hardback, 304 pages. $48.00. |
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THE BUCCANEER'S BELL
Hugh Edwards.
Hugh Edwards is well known
to Australian divers for his many excellent books on maritime history and
diving. His latest offering is a rediscovery of two major explorers of
the modern world. In 1699, William Dampier set sail through the English
Channel aboard the Roebuck, a rotten and ruinous fire ship which was never
to meet its destination of Australia. Similarly in France, 1817, Louis
de Freycinet was aboard his own scientific vessel Uranie, bound on a voyage
around the world. Despite being shipwrecked on rocks off the Falkland Islands,
Freycinet's time was spent shared with that of his new young wife Rose,
who was disguised as a man and smuggled on board before the ship set sail
from France.
The third and final voyage
in the book began at Perth International airport in 2001, where seven men
mulled over their intention of searching for the shipwrecks of Dampier
and Freycinet in their South Atlantic graves. What they were to discover
in their final days of the mission was beyond even their wildest imagination….
A tale of hope, success and immeasurable adventure.
Softcover, A4 size, 212
pages, colour plates, recommended reading, index. $39.95 |
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WILLIAM
WOOD'S DIARY
A
story of nineteenth century emigration on board the sailing ship ‘Constance'
in 1852.
Peter
Pennington.
This
is a true account of life aboard an emigranmt vessel from Liverpool to
Melbourne in the lowest steerage class, with 350 adults and children crammed
aboard. The struggles of life and death, just to exist, and the dishonesty
that prevails. The gold rush was on, encouraging many ‘Poms' to seek their
fortune, or if not, at least a life of freedom and opportunity distiunct
from the poverty in Britain. It is on the courage, hopes and fears of these
imigrants that modern Australia was built. Softcover, 330 pages, mono prints
and charts. $42.00 |
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