Bidspirit auction | Philip, Australia - 3 Engravings

Philip, Australia - 3 Engravings of Coastal Views & Map - Included in this lot: View of Macaulay's Island View of Curtis's Islands A Chart of the Track of the Alexander on Her Homeward Passage from Port Jackson on the East Coast of New South Wales to Batavia Description of the work: This first edition engraving is from Arthur Phillip's The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay; with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson & Norfolk Island . The work was published in London in 1789. This work was a classic account of the first western settlement in Australia. Rodney Davidson considered the work ”the authentic record of the first settlement the work's importance cannot be over-emphasised, and no collection can be complete without a copy.” The text describes early expeditions into the interior around Botany Bay and Port Jackson, and the earliest coastal exploration. The natural history plates are mostly after drawings and possibly specimens sent back to London by John White. ”Phillip was given the task of founding a convict settlement in Australia, and became the first governor of New South Wales. Reaching Botany Bay in 1788, Via Tenerife, Rio de Janiero and the Cape of Good Hope, Phillip decided that the site was unsatisfactory and sailed to Port Jackson, where he founded the city named Sydney, after Thomas Townshend, Viscount Sydney, secretary of state.” (Hill) Paper Size: ~ 8 1/2” by 11 1/4”; Map ~ 16 1/4” by 11 1/4” (Fold Out) Paper Type or Special Features: Engraving