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Sydney Rare Book Auctions: First Editions, Illustrated Books, Voyages & Exploration

Auction Reports


Auction Name	First Editions, Illustrated Books, Voyages & Exploration	Total Sales (AUD)	60,039.25
Auction Date	March 29, 2025 - March 29, 2025	Low Estimate of Lots Sold (AUD)	60,980.00
Sale Number	#A145	High Estimate of Lots Sold (AUD)	86,180.00
Total Lots	509
Sold Lots	232.0	Low Estimate of All Lots (AUD)	161,920.00
% of Lots Sold	45.58%	High Estimate of All Lots (AUD)	225,120.00
Unsold Lots	277	Total Sales as a % of High Est.	26.67%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Lot Number	Author Name	Book Title	Year Published	Estimate	Actual Price
77	HAWKESWORTH, John.	Captain James Cook, and others. An Account of the Voyages Undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere,	1773	AUD 4,000.00 - 5,000.00	AUD 3,810.00
519		Historical Records of Australia.	1914-1925.	AUD 600.00 - 800.00	AUD 2,794.00
26		Collection of I'illustration L'Illustration is the first French illustrated newspaper.	1843-1944	AUD 1,000.00 - 1,200.00	AUD 2,032.00
67		Delle Antiche Siracuse. Volume primo che contiene I due Libri della Siracusa illustrate da D. Giacomo Bonanni, e Colonna...	1717	AUD 400.00 - 500.00	AUD 2,032.00
72	HARRIS, John.	Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca: Or, a Compleat Collection of Voyages and Travels: Consisting of Above Four Hundred of the Most Authentick Writers...	1705	AUD 1,500.00 - 2,000.00	AUD 1,905.00
225	F. Scott Fitzgerald.	The Great Gatsby	1925	AUD 2,000.00 - 3,000.00	AUD 1,905.00
30		Practical Gardens with Beautiful Botanical Illustrations A Complete Dictionary of Practical Gardening:	1807	AUD 1,800.00 - 2,200.00	AUD 1,778.00
275		A great cache of books on French voyages to Australia:		AUD 300.00 - 400.00	AUD 1,270.00
414	H C and Luther V.	Kings Cross Calling	no date	AUD 100.00 - 200.00	AUD 1,143.00
5	Anthony Abbot ( Fulton Charles Oursler).	Murder at Buzzards Bay	1940	AUD 1,500.00 - 2,000.00	AUD 952.50
80	COLLINS, Lieutenant-Colonel David.	An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, from its First Settlement in January 1788, to August 1801: With remarks on the dispositions, customs, manners, &c. of the native inhabitants of that Country.	1804	AUD 1,000.00 - 1,500.00	AUD 952.50
288	Celia Rosser.	The Banksias. Watercolours	1993	AUD 150.00 - 200.00	AUD 952.50
3	George McDonald Fraser.	Six books from the Flashman Series by George McDonald Fraser. 1) Flashman.	1969	AUD 600.00 - 700.00	AUD 762.00
40	With text by the Rt. Hon. the Earl Beauchamp, K.G., K.C.M.G., Howard Ashton, E.C. Temple Smith and W. Bede Dalley.	Sculpture of Rayner Hoff.	1934	AUD 1,000.00 - 1,200.00	AUD 762.00
39	HOUGHTON, Reverend William.	British Fresh-Water Fishes	1884	AUD 1,000.00 - 1,200.00	AUD 698.50
386		Attested Copies Dated 26th August 1795. Grant to Mr Alexander Donaldson of 25 acres of Land on the Surry Hills	1795	AUD 1,000.00 - 1,500.00	AUD 635.00
477		Twenty Nine Official programmes for the Adelaide Racing Club between the period June 2nd, 1900 and 15 August 1959.		AUD 1,000.00 - 1,500.00	AUD 635.00
86	S.H. Marsh. Printed circa 1846.	The Traveller's Return. Song with an accompaniment for the harp or piano-forte, composed on the occasion of Dr. Leichhardt's return to Sydney...	1840-1850.	AUD 300.00 - 400.00	AUD 539.75
172		11 books on books.		AUD 100.00 - 200.00	AUD 539.75
35		WENTWORTH, W. C. A Statistical, Historical, and Political Description of the Colony of New South Wales, and its dependent Settlements in Van Diemen's Land...	1819	AUD 400.00 - 500.00	AUD 508.00
78		Dutch language edition of the voyages of James Cook, titled "Reizen Rondom de Waereld, door James Cook , vertald door J.D. Pasteur..."	1803	AUD 800.00 - 1,000.00	AUD 508.00
228	Agatha Christie	Ten Little N......	1939	AUD 800.00 - 1,000.00	AUD 508.00
32		A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of the Art of Fencing illustrated ...	1823	AUD 400.00 - 500.00	AUD 476.25
241		Attested Copies dated 10th October 1814 Wm Gore Esqre P M (Stands for Provost Marshall) to Mr Joseph Underwood.		AUD 750.00 - 1,000.00	AUD 476.25
299	CUNNINGHAM, P.	Two Years in New South Wales...	1827	AUD 300.00 - 400.00	AUD 476.25

Sotheby’s
Year in Review

Sotheby’s Year in Review: A Rare Hebrew Bible with Micrographic Masorah. Sold: 1,514,000 USD

Sotheby’s Year in Review: "The Freedman's Primer.” Sold: 241,300 USD

Sotheby’s Year in Review: Smith, William. "The Map that Changed the World." Sold: 139,700 USD

Sotheby’s Year in Review: Psalter, C13th. Illuminated Psalter. Sold: 330,200 GBP

Sotheby’s Year in Review: Lincoln, Abraham. The abolition of slavery. Sold: 13,697,500 USD

Sotheby’s Year in Review: Vergilius. Opera, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, 1501. Sold: 1,041,400 USD
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