Hesperian Press

You are invited to the launch of 'Captain Robert Laurie and the Maritime Development of Fremantle' by Robert Nicholson AO.

https://histwest.org.au/events/book-launch-captain-robert-laurie-and-the-maritime-development-of-fremantle/

The Alluvialists. The Kalgoorlie Riot of 1898
by Rod Moncrieff

The fight of the alluvial prospectors and miners against the Forrest government’s mining laws. Laws against alluvial mining on reef and lode leases.
‘Ten Foot Ned’ Wittenoom and the government’s intransigence against the alluvialists created riots that led to the gaoling of prospectors.
Their slogan of “Fair Play, Fair Laws and Justice to All” rings true forever.
This is now a little known but important part of WA mining history.
The rights of alluvialists were cut away again in the 1970s. Further attacks will take place as they have in other states. In the coming Greater Depression these rights will become essential for the survival of many.

ISBN 978-1-875778-13-3, 124 pages, A4, illustrated, 370 grams, $40.00*

Before Gold
by Jim Cameron

Before Gold is the mining history of Northampton. The first mining field in WA, it was a flourishing copper and lead producer. Changes in markets led to an erratic life but rich veins remain. Jim Cameron is a retired lecturer on WA economic history, and Northampton born.

Winner of the 2023 Williams/Lee Steere Publication prize.

Several of the entries were strong contenders for the prize, however one book stood out – Jim Cameron's Before Gold: the Northampton Mineral District 1846-1880. Published by Hesperian Press.

This well-researched, excellently referenced book demonstrates a high standard of scholarship and the use of a wide range of sources. It is the first work to explore the birth of the WA mining industry and the first major work to cover the period between convicts and gold – so it fills a large gap in Western Australian historical writing. Employing the skills of both geographer and historian Cameron's story is never one-dimensional as it ranges far and wide, including market prices for ore in London and Wales, transport and shipping difficulties, colonial government policies and many other aspects as well. Jim Cameron's engaging and informative narrative is supported by maps, tables and graphs and he is so familiar with his material that it feels as though he knows the people he writes about! The book is also fully indexed – a feature greatly valued by busy researchers. Before Gold is a landmark publication and a worthy winner.

ISBN 978-0-85905-982-4, (New, 2023), well illustrated, indexed, French flap soft cover, 321 pages, with a 1908 colour map, $60.00

What the hell was that? A conservation biologist’s journey in Australia & Asia
by Darrell Kitchener.

Raised in a wild Tasmanian timber town, this book traces the authors experiences as a biologist in Tasmania, Western Australia, and Asia. It provides examples of the constant wrestle between conservationists and resource developers in these regions. He spent his last 30 years working on a variety of projects, including conservation of Sumatran Orangutan, Javanese Rhinoceros, national parks, forests and watersheds in a many Indonesian landscapes. He built a heritage hotel beneath a smoking volcano in Java and published on Javanese painters and ancient trade ceramics found beneath the Musi River in Sumatra.

The first part, highlights stories of modern exploration on those islands visited by Alfred Wallace in southern Indonesia at the interface of the Australian and Indomalayan Biogeographic realms, and in the Western Australian Wheatbelt and Kimberley Regions. The second part provides readers insights on the effectiveness of work done by international NGOs in Indonesia and the nature of the enabling environment for expatriate conservationists.