Last Chance For

Pacificana

OLD Pacific hand Dr John Cump ston, now of Canberra (PO Box 17, Aranda, ACT 2614), has copies left of Volume 9 of The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Adver tiser, for the year 1811. Its publica tion was a labour of love for Dr Cumpston’s Roebuck Society, and the interesting point is that the volume is almost certainly the last in a pub lishing venture which was launched some years ago initially by the Library Board of NSW in association with Angus & Robertson Ltd of Sydney. The Gazette (a reproduc tion of a front page is at right) was Australia’s first newspaper, having started in 1803. The board planned to produce in facsimile every volume up to 1842 but costs got too high and A&R abandoned it.

Dr Cumpston took over publica tion and distribution of the 1811 volume because it had already been fully indexed, like the others, by the Dixson Library of NSW, but Dr Cumpston says it is uneconomic for him to produce any more volumes, so it looks as if the venture now ceases. With the latest one there has been a total of six books (some

volumes have been combined in one book).

This final volume is packed with Islands news. The sandlewood trade to Fiji had tapered off, so most of the shipping from Sydney was to New Zealand or Polynesia. The sealing trade was still booming at ever more remote islands. For those who want to complete their set this volume is available from Dr Cumpston at SA 14.75 plus $1.50 posted.