A first edition of Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia: Being Observations Principally on the Animal and Vegetable Productions of New South Wales, New Zealand, and Some of the Austral Islands by George Bennett, published in London by John Van Voorst, Paternoster Row, in 1860. Bound in the original publisher’s decorated cloth boards, the book remains in very good condition overall consistent with age, with a firm binding and generally clean pages. The cloth shows noticeable fading and wear to the spine and some minor wear to the rear board. The volume remains structurally sound and presents well for a work of this period.
George Bennett (1804–1893) was a prominent Australian naturalist and physician whose work contributed significantly to early scientific understanding of the natural history of Australasia. In Gatherings of a Naturalist, Bennett records his observations of the flora and fauna of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands, combining travel narrative with scientific commentary. The work includes discussions of native species, ecological observations, and reflections on the natural environments encountered during Bennett’s explorations.
The volume retains an attractive hand-coloured plate of “The Australian Jabiru (Mycteria australis)”, a striking illustration of the large wading bird now commonly referred to as the black-necked stork. Plates such as these were an important component of nineteenth-century natural history publishing, helping to visually document species for European audiences.
This copy carries notable provenance, with a contemporary presentation inscription on the front endpaper reading:
“Madame Lucy Ecotte, from Master Geo. Holmes, Christchurch, October 28th 1860.”
The book is also accompanied by a later bookseller’s receipt, showing its purchase to Clause Cox. This book was a part of the collection of the Australiana Collection of the late Joan Cox.
