The history of the island of Van Diemen’s Land, from the year 1824 to 1835 inclusive

To which is added, a few words on prison discipline. London : Smith and Elder, 1835 (printed by H. Melville in Hobart-Town, Van Diemen’s Land). Octavo, contemporary straight-grained green morocco, spine ruled in gilt, expertly rebacked, later endpapers; pp. [iv]; 276; occasional spotting, a very good example.

The very rare separate issue of the first edition of Melville’s significant history, highly critical of the administration of Governor Sir George Arthur. 

‘Attention has already been drawn to the histories of Van Diemen’s Land that appeared in the early almanacs. All were mere sketches, apart from Melville’s substantial ‘History of the Island of Van Diemen’s Land’, which had appeared in his 1836 almanac but was also separately published in London by Smith and Elder, using sheets printed in the colony. It is well researched and well written, with extensive footnotes quoting contemporary newspapers and government sources. Melville began with the Sorrell administration but concentrated on Arthur’s government from 1824 until the end of 1835. The great issues of the period – freedom of the press, trial by civil jury and representative government – are central themes, and Melville creates the Aborigies with a sensitivity and balance unusual for the times. The London issue is very rare, with only three copies changing hands in the past thirty years. A good copy should reach at least $5000′. – Ian Wilson, Collecting Old Tasmanian Books, Melbourne, Boobook Press, 2010, p. 109

As Jonathan Wantrup notes in his catalogue entry for the last example recorded at auction, ‘Ferguson repeats an old bookman’s story that thesheets of the book were “smuggled” out of the colony to be published in London – charming but untrue’ (Australian Book Auctions, Books and Documents featuring the Hawker Library, 5th May 2008, lot 153, $6408).

Very rare. 

Ferguson 1986

Wilson 305