Find Lots

• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  The Denis Joachim Collection
• Sale Date:
  19 Jun 2016 ~ 2pm - Session 1: Lots 1 - 321
  20 Jun 2016 ~ 10am - Session 2: Lots 322 - 480
  20 Jun 2016 ~ 2pm - Session 3: Lot 481 - 688
  20 Jun 2016 ~ 6pm - Session 4: Lots 689 - 818
• Lot #:
  43
• Lot Description:
  First Fleet: The London Chronicle. The first printed account of the Settlement at Sydney Cove
  in three issues of the London Chronicle newspaper: March 24–26, 1789; March 26–8, 1789; and April 4–7, 1789. Three issues, folio, each of eight pages, disbound. London, 1789.
• Notes:
  Rare and of the greatest importance. On 23 March 1789 the convict transport Prince of Wales sailed into Plymouth after an absence of almost two years in New South Wales. Before the arrival of the Prince of Wales the English public had heard nothing from this new settlement on the other side of the world. A few weeks before several brief reports based on accounts from vessels returning from the Far East announced that the Fleet had arrived safely but the earliest full account of the settlement was published immediately after the Prince of Wales had docked. For a time this was the only report of Australia’s foundation, preceding even the arrival of Governor Phillip’s brief official despatches on board the Borrowdale transport which docked on 24 March. Lieutenant Maxwell delivered these brief despatches to London on 26 March. It was not until 27 March that the Government received Phillip’s full despatches which he had sent aboard the Alexander transport. The long first account published in the London Chronicle was written up from reported conversations with the crew of the Prince of Wales, while the second article added information that had returned on the Borrowdale and from other sources such as private letters. Much news in those days came from private letters which the recipient made available to the newspaper men. In fact newspapers came about initially as multiple copies of private letters between the branches of business houses, notably the Fuggers. Wantrup revealed the biblio–historical importance of the London Chronicle account in 1985 and, in the process, identified the first printed book on the settlement (First News from Botany Bay. Privately printed, Melbourne, 1985; published edition, Sydney, Hordern House, 1987). The earliest book on the settlement at Sydney Cove was the renowned and now very rare ‘Officer’ account, published by Forster and Stockdale in the first few days of April 1789. This was based almost entirely on the first two London Chronicle articles, reprinting them verbatim. The third issue of the London Chronicle here includes a third long article, published after the ‘Officer’ account. It repeats new material from the book – the new material was almost certainly shared between the two publishers. Added to the three key issues in this lot are two earlier issues of the newspaper (for 21–4 and 26–8 February, 1789) which include very brief reports that the ships of the First Fleet had arrived at their destination. The three important March–April issues of the newspaper, then, comprise the earliest printed reports emanating from the new settlement at Sydney Cove. They have been, for some reason, unexpectedly rare on the market in recent decades.
• Estimate:
  A$1,500 - 3,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

  Can't see the realised price? Upgrade your subscription now!

• Category:
  Books & Manuscripts

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.