Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales, undertaken by order of the British Government in the Years 1817-18

First edition of John Oxley's narrative of his two major expeditions, the first detailed description of the Australian interior and the earliest book devoted to Australian inland exploration. This is a very attractive uncut copy (and scarce thus) of the most handsome of all Australian exploration journals; a finely produced quarto volume whose appearance recalls the earlier quartos of the First Fleet chroniclers and was clearly designed to rank on the shelf with the books by his illustrious predecessors like Phillip, Hunter, Tench, Collins, White, Grant and Flinders. It 'is undoubtedly the chief book-making achievement of the Macquarie period...' (People, Print and Paper).

Oxley's first expedition was largely disappointing, but his second expedition saw some important discoveries including lush grazing pastures, the Liverpool Plains, the Peel River, and the New England tableland, before reaching the coast, discovering the Hastings River and the fine natural harbour of Port Macquarie. Subsequently, in 1819, Oxley also sailed to Port Macquarie on board the Lady Nelson; the voyage is covered in the appendices here, notably Oxley's letter to Governor Macquarie of 12 June 1819.

The finely-drawn maps and aquatints include views drawn by Major James Taylor from sketches by Evans, and the striking portrait "A Native Chief of Bathurst", prepared after a drawing by John Lewin, and one of very few known Aboriginal subjects by Australia's first professional artist.