Stanford's Compendium Of Geography & Travel - Australasia
Edited by Alfred R. Wallace
With Ethnological Appendix by A.H. Keane
Published by Edward Stanford: London 1884 4th
Edition
"Stanford's Compendium Of Geography & Travel - Australasia is one of the great nineteenth-century geographical surveys of the South Pacific region, bringing together contemporary knowledge of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Melanesia and Polynesia into a single authoritative volume. Edited and extensively revised by the celebrated naturalist and explorer Alfred Russel Wallace, co-discoverer of the theory of natural selection, the work examines the physical geography, climate, natural history, resources and colonial development of the Australasian colonies at a time when European settlement and scientific exploration were rapidly transforming the region. Richly illustrated with engravings, it was intended both as an educational reference and a comprehensive guide for scholars, travellers and the general reader.
The volume is particularly notable for Wallace's contributions, which draw upon his vast experience as a geographer and natural historian. He places considerable emphasis on the distinctive flora and fauna of Australasia and discusses the region's remarkable biodiversity, themes that had already made him one of the foremost authorities on biogeography through works such as The Malay Archipelago and The Geographical Distribution of Animals. Alongside descriptions of the colonies' economic potential and growing settlements, the book provides valuable insights into nineteenth-century scientific thinking and European perceptions of the South Pacific world.
An important feature of this edition is the ethnological appendix by A. H. Keane, which attempts to classify and describe the Indigenous peoples of Australasia and the Pacific according to the anthropological theories of the late Victorian era. While some of these interpretations are now outdated, the appendix remains of considerable historical interest as a reflection of nineteenth-century ethnography and imperial scholarship. The 1884 Fourth Edition stands as a handsome and substantial reference work, prized today not only for its scholarly content and attractive decorative binding, but also as an enduring record of how Australasia was understood and presented to the Victorian world."
Outer spine hinges split as shown. Covers secure. Index calls for 20 maps, none of which are present (no signs of removal so likely published without). Includes all 56 plates + illustrations as called for. Ex libris bookplate present. Pages clean and very well presented. An acceptable copy in decent condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
Size 21cm x 16cm x 6cm - 672 Pages
