Handbook for Emigrants Proceeding to Adelaide, South Australia.
London: G. Street, [1873]. Seventh edition. Handbook with folding map of the Overland Telegraph. The Australia Overland Telegraph Line (1872) was completed in under two years by South Australians; it was a tremendous engineering feat that opened rapid communication between Australia and the rest of the world. As the author notes, "now all the Australian Colonies are, through our enterprise, in receipt of daily telegrams from every part of the European Continent and from America" (p52). The first folding plate shows the telegraph line extending all the way from London, across the Mediterranean, right down to Port Darwin and heading diagonally south for Adelaide. The Internet equivalent of 1872 comes to Australia!
"Published under the authority of the South Australian Government, and for gratis distribution." Contents include general information on Australia, natural resources, land laws, mines & mining, agriculture, immigration, material progress; wages, price of food and clothing; the Northern Territory; and advantages to emigrants. The Appendix includes Notes on the capabilities of South Australia and the Northern Territory for Fresh Industries; and Report on Gold Mining in South Australia by W. J. Peterswald, Warden of Goldfields. Advertisements include 3pp for South Australia wines.
12mo, vi, 90pp, Appendix, advertisements [6], folding plates [5], maps. Printed yellow wrappers, title in black at front wrapper. Disbound, all pages loose. Ex-Library, with lib stamp verso first folding map. Maps fragile, some split at folds.
Trove 22892277. OCLC: 223020846 records only the State Library of New South Wales copy. Good + overall. Item #21993
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