The Antarctic Voyage of the HMAS Wyatt Earp
Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1995. Tall octavo, teal hardcover, spine embossed with gilt lettering, xi, 152 pp., frontispiece, illustrated black-and-white photographs throughout, some maps and documents included, three appendices included. Top spine end and back-right corner of cover a little bumped, otherwise a near-fine copy with a fine dust-jacket. First edition, signed and inscribed by the author.
A stirring personal account of the 1947-48 expedition of HMAS Wyatt Earp, a small wooden ship reconditioned for the purpose by the Royal Australian Navy that managed to explore the little-known Balleny Islands of Antarctica, stopping by Macquarie Island on the way home to Australia.
This expedition was the first into the region since the epic voyages Mawson carried out between 1929 and 1931. It was a direct result of the establishment of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE), a move by the Australian Government to consolidate its claim on the Antarctic territory.
Phillip Law draws from his personal experiences as the Senior Scientific Officer of the expedition to write an engaging account of the many difficulties the crew faced, and of the many wonders they discovered.
This volume is inscribed by Phillip Law to Charles Warren Bonython, a well-known conservationist, explorer, author and chemical engineer, and Warren's wife, Cynthia (Bunty) Eyres Bonython. Item #4627
Signed by the author and inscribed to the previous owner with: "To Warren & Bunty - with fond regards Phil Law May 1995". Warren is Charles Warren Bonython and Bunty is his wife, Cynthia Eyres Bonython.
Price (AUD): $115.00