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Omai, a native of Tahiti, was brought to England on the return of Cook’s second voyage in 1774 and was the first South Sea Islander to visit England. There are 2 known engravings of Omai being presented to the English aristocracy but the one pictured above is of special significance (acknowledgements to Douglas Stewart Fine Books from where the book was purchased for use of this image).

This engraving is captioned Mr. Banks presenting Omiah the native of Otaheite to her Majesty and depicts Joseph Banks presenting Omai to Queen Charlotte. It is the frontispiece of the little known Ladies most elegant and convenient pocket book, for the year 1775. Although engravings of Omai are known elsewhere until now the origins of this engraving had remained a mystery.

The small, non-descript pocket book itself is an ephemeral publication, probably from 1775, with the only other recorded example from the 1770s being the 1777 edition held in the British Library.

Finding the engraving as the frontispiece of this little publication elevates the status of the pocket book to the level of primary source material for understanding the interaction between Europeans and indigenous peoples of the Pacific during the eighteenth century.

This book forms part of Mitchell Library Rare Books at call number MRB/181

Alexander Sussman

Coodrinator, Collection Development & Acquisitions

The State Library has a substantial strength in Cervantes consisting of over 1,300 editions of Don Quixote donated by Ben Handeman, and over 300 editions in the general collections. To this strength can now be added a first edition beautiful copy of this celebrated classic with nearly 400 woodcuts designed by Gustav Doré. 

Paul Gustav Doré was a highly successful French artist, engraver and illustrator. His illustration of the French edition of Don Quixote remains among his best work for in it he matched himself against the Spanish artists of the great Ibarra edition (Madrid, 1780).  The results are simply superb.          

The influence of his quasi-archetypal depictions of the knight and his squire has had a lasting impression on subsequent readers, artists, and stage and film directors in that their portrayal of the physical "look" of the two characters is almost always based upon the Doré images.

The 2 volumes include a provocative combination of large full-page plates and oversized vignettes and are enclosed in a fantastic full red-morocco-grain leather binding. This near-mint condition acquisition is currently being processed and will soon find its way to the Rare Books collection.

Alexander Sussman - Coordinator, Collection Development & Acquisitions

A recently acquired album of amateur photographs shows the scuttling of HMAS Australia (1)* off Sydney heads in 1925.

The battle cruiser HMAS Australia (I) was the Royal Australian Navy’s first flagship. On the morning of 4 October 1913, she led the new Australian fleet (the cruisers Melbourne (1), Sydney (1)  and Encounter, and the destroyers Warrego (1), Parramatta (1), and Yarra (1)  into Sydney for the first time.

Equipped with eight 12 inch guns (capable of hurling a projectile over 25kms) and fourteen 4 inch guns, HMAS Australia (1) was the most powerful vessel of any European navy in the Pacific and announced the RAN's arrival as a force.

At the outbreak of World War I Australia (I) operated with the Australian fleet to deter Admiral Graf von Spee’s German East Asiatic Cruiser Squadron. As Prime Minister W.M. 'Billy' Hughes later declared, 'but for the " Australia (I)" … the great cities of Australia would have been reduced to ruins, oversea trade paralysed, coastwise shipping sunk, and communications with the outside world cut off".

HMAS Australia (1) was then assigned to North Sea operations until the end of World War 1 and led the port column of the Grand Fleet at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet in the Firth of Forth, Scotland.
As a result of the Washington Arms Treaty, which aimed at reducing global tonnage of warships after the Great War, HMAS Australia (1) was towed to sea by tugs and sunk 50 km from Inner South Head, Sydney, on 12 April 1924.

The album will be catalogued at PXA 1380/v. 1

*There have been two warships called HMAS Australia. Australia (1) indicates the first ship with that name.

Alan Davies