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[PHILLIP, Arthur]
The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay;
with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson & Norfolk Island; compiled from Authentic Papers, which have been obtained from the several Departments, to which are added, The Journals of Lieuts. Shortland, Watts, Ball, & Capt. Marshall; with an account of their New Discoveries.
First edition of this foundation work on Australia as a European colony, the official account of the voyage of the First Fleet to Botany Bay and the settlement of Australia, based on the governor's journals and despatches, this "the rare coloured issue of this classic, only a very few copies were produced in this form" (Hill). Arthur Phillip (1738-1814), not only commanded the voyage, but was holding a commission appointing him representative of the Crown for the eastern half of Australia and the adjoining Pacific islands. "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 Janeiro 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). As large parts of the coastline were still unexplored, Phillip soon embarked on a voyage of coastal discovery. With three boats he set out to investigate Port Jackson, which Cook had named but had not charted. When Phillip discovered the extent of the Harbour, he was overjoyed: "Here all regret arising from the former disappointments was at once obliterated; and Governor Phillip had the satisfaction to find one of the finest harbours in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line might ride in prefect security.". Phillip's discovery of Sydney Harbour was of paramount importance, providing as it did a secure place for settlement. Phillip's journal and that of Hunter, which both contain the first charts of the Harbour based on Hunter's surveys, therefore represent "the foundation stones of any collection of books devoted to coastal discovery" (Wantrup). The account of the voyage is based mainly on Phillip's earliest report to the Government on the Colony, and the reports of other members of the First Fleet. The actual compiler is not known, but he must have had access to the official documents, as it is a very accurate account. The present work is the basic source book, the first in order of importance for the history of Australia and no collection can be complete without a copy.
Quarto (280 × 215 mm). Contemporary tree calf, professionally rebacked to style and recornered, red morocco label, flat spine, compartments with foliate arabesque corner-pieces and urn centre tools, single fillet panel to the boards, gilt milled edge-roll. With portrait frontispiece, vignette title - in the earliest state with Webber's name as artist retained - and 53 copper engraved plates, 7 of which are folding or double-page maps or charts, and with the 31 natural history plates all with original hand colouring on laid paper. Subscribers list, errata leaf, and ad. leaf all present. Engraved armourial bookplate of George Petrie to the front pastedown (a William Petrie is found in the list of subscribers). A handsome contemporary binding with some skilful restoration, frontispiece and vignette title lightly foxed, dedication leaf slightly skinned in a couple of places, no loss of text, and with a short split, repaired, at the inner margin, Sketch of Sydney Cove split on the central fold, and with old repair verso, else a tall clean copy.
