Hesperian Press

PLEASE NOTE: Any book title starting with "The" - the second word of the title is used to list by.

All prices quoted are in Australian currency and include GST. * Short trade discount.

If you are unsure of a title use the search facility on the left hand side of this page.

Gift of $10,000 worth of Hesperian titles to the WA prison system.

We have given some 15 copies each of 24 titles that are still current books but of which we are overstocked. We need the space. Hopefully some of the prisoners will appreciate good books as a relief from the mind rotting TV. We even gave an extra set for the staff so they do not have to pinch the prisoner’s copies.

FREE BOOKS

When you visit the shop you can choose from the 'free book shelf'. Mail order - we will try to add in a free book if it does not increase the postage.

The perfect gift.

Eric Linklater wrote, in A Year of Space (1953):- Of all the minor gifts, books are the most agreeable, and in the fashion and restriction of our times only minor gifts can be made. There is no one left who will present a parting guest with a cheque for £1000, an elephant, an ocean-going yacht, or a pair of dancing girls; and in the habit and narrower circumstance of this age, such gifts (or most of them) would be embarrassing. But how welcome is a book, for given books read doubly well.
 

It is important that we get support for our books from our readers. Hesperian does not get taxpayer funding.

Many millions of dollars have been mis-spent on unreadable novels and plainly irrelevant and obnoxious propaganda.

There is no other publisher like us in Australia concentrating on REAL Australian history and people.

Hesperian books will stand the test of time.

But if we do not get buyer support we may not be around too long after our forthcoming 50 years anniversary.  

 COMING SOON 

A History of Dressage in Western Australia

by Marion Hercock with Zoe Harrison.

ISBN 978-0-85905-750-9, (New, 2019), 160x240mm, French flap soft cover, 398 pages, well illustrated, indexed, 940 grams, $55.00* + POST Country and Interstate $14.55 Perth metro $10.90 or free pickup at office.

The progress of horse and rider training underlies the story of the development of the specialist sport of dressage in Western Australia. This history covers the years from 1829 to 2000. It includes the mounted police and the first riding schools; the hunt club, the pony clubs and the original Dressage Club of Western Australia. It looks at the horses and the riders, from the hackies and eventers to the FEI masters of dressage. Historical detail is blended with personal memories to create an informative and lively ride into the past; and for some readers, a trip down memory lane.

A Short Walk in Paradise

by Peter W. Board

ISBN 978-0-85905-748-6, (R, 2019), A5, 165 pages, illustrated, soft cover, 225 grams, $30.00* + POST

Peter Board was a British sailor, born in Devonshire, who joined the Royal Navy at 16 and served on HMS Newcastle and HMS Consort. With his mate Ron Palmer they jumped ship after the Montebello nuclear tests. Peter headed for country WA and after some adventures ended up at Dwellingup. He describes bush town life and its people and working on the bush railways of the forest area. Eventually the RN found the pair and it was back to swabbing decks. He returned to Australia in 1972 and worked in the Pilbara. Here he took up diving, metal detecting, boating, and expeditions with the WA Museum archaeologists around the islands. Retiring from Hamersley Iron in 1987 he married again and retired to the hills, surrounded by his collections and library.

Around the Goldfields

A study of possibilities and dreams. An overview of the goldfields during the great depression.

Anon.

ISBN 978-0-85905-450-8, (2019, new), A4, indexed, 48 pages, 150 grams, $22.00* + POST

Ben O'Dowd - Hero of Kapyong 

by Rory Steele

ISBN 978-0-85905-752-3, [New, 2019], 160 x 240, French flaps, section sewn, illustrated, 197 pages, 500 grams, $50.00*

In their most important engagement in the Korean War, Australian troops were cut off from other battalions and surrounded by units of China's People's Liberation Army. Earlier, as members of a United Nations force responding to the invasion of South Korea by the North, they had fought their way up the peninsula. China then intervened and turned the tide with a series of massive offensives; in late April its forces were poised to break through the UN line and descend on the South Korean capital. Defending a hillside above the Kapyong Valley four hundred men of the Third Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, confronted a determined enemy ten times their number who came at them in wave after wave. Fighting went on for a night and the following day until the order came to the senior officer on the ground to withdraw. Major Ben O'Dowd led the four rifle companies under fire to safety without suffering a single loss. His heroism was never properly recognised. The Chinese onslaught was checked at Kapyong and the war went into stalemate.

O'Dowd, taken into state care at the age of four, left school at fourteen and fended for himself during the Depression. A miner at Kalgoorlie, he enlisted as a private in 1939 and was sent to the Middle East where he was wounded. Later in New Guinea he was decorated for bravery and commissioned in the field as an officer. From 1945 to 1950 he was stationed with occupation forces in Japan. After Korea he served with the British in the Malayan Emergency and became deputy commander at Australia's jungle training centre in Queensland. For ten years after retiring from the Army Ben O'Dowd played a major role in building up the nascent Victorian State Emergency Services into a major institution.

Chasing the Dragon's Tale - The Vergulde Draeck Story

by Bob Sheppard

ISBN 978-0-85905-723-3, (New, 2019), 160 x 240, heavily illustrated, indexed, 730 grams, $50.00*

The most comprehensive book ever written on the heritage, history and archaeology of the Vergulde Draeck (1656). Illustrated (with some never seen before photos) and containing around 700 references. The book is in two parts. Part One, The Vergulde Draeck Story, is a formal history of the wreck and its discovery. Part Two, Chasing The Dragon's Tale, covers the author's experiences in his 10 year search to unravel one of Australia's greatest maritime mysteries.

“Eastward Ho!”
A trip through the Murchison Goldfields in 1894

by A Special Reporter

ISBN 978-0-85905-759-2, (1894 R 2019), A4, Indexed, 30pp, 100 grams, $22.00*

Collated by Peter J. Bridge 

ISBN 978-0-85905-763-9, (2019), A4, indexed, 40pp, 125 grams, $22.00*

The real prospecting pioneer of the Murchison, defamed and pauperised by the powers that were and are.

Indexes. 

Gold in the Gascoyne, Winning the Gascoyne, Wheeltracks, Golden Days, My Fourth Tour.

Indexes to the above Hesperian Press books are $10 each. Eventually they will be incorporated into a vast master index of Hesperian books. If I survive that long.

JINGEMIA

by Peter J. Bridge

ISBN 978-0-85905-754-7, (New, 2019), A4, 16 pages, illustrated, 80 grams, $22.00*

Jingemia, place of the jinghis, at Watheroo, is a large collapse doline in the Noondine Chert. The cave was mined for guano over a century ago.

It is now a National Park. This booklet covers all the reports and history of the cave.

Madness in the Mulga

The murder of Bert Livingstone at Mt Seabrook. 

by Peter J. Bridge

ISBN 978-0-85905-755-4, (New, 2019), A5, 28pp, 45 grams, $15.00*

Nullarbor Aboriginal Vocabularies and Ethnographic Notes.

by Daisy Bates

ISBN 978-0-85905-766-0, (1918 R 2019), A5, 18pp, 35 grams, $15.00* + POST

Okinawans Reaching Australia

by John Lamb.

ISBN 978-0-85905-747-9, (New, 2019), A4, 142 pp, heavily illustrated, indexed, 400 grams, $40.00* + POST

This publication fills a large gap in research into aspects of the pearl-shell fishing industry and Japanese immigration to Australia in general. Through careful research, and with over 200 photographs, John provides a comprehensive record of all Okinawans known to have ever reached Australia up until the early 1960s. He fleshes out how and why Okinawans came to be chosen over mainland Japanese in the post-war period and challenges some of the misconceptions that have arisen around their role and performance. Through identifying the stories of many individuals, including some who spent most of their working lives in Australia, he brings to life this little-known history of northern Australia. In detailing the deaths of some forty men and a half dozen births, he creates a very detailed picture of their circumstances and creates a valuable record for their families and descendants, as well as for those interested to understand more about indentured Asian labour during the time of restricted immigration.

We have only published a small run of this book, so please be early if you are interested. 

The Crawford Legacy

by John Crawford

ISBN 978-0-85905-757-8, (New, 2019), A4, 101 pages, illustrated, 530 grams, $30.00*

The discovery of gold at Crawford's Patch, Laverton, in the 1890s was another expansion of the fortunes of the Crawford farming family in South and Western Australia. Their success and social commitment resulted in the foundation of the Crawford Lodge facilities for those suffering from cancer.

The Murchison Revisited

by FCB Vosper. Edited by Peter J. Bridge and Gail Dreezens

ISBN 978-0-85905-746-2, (R 2019), A4, 78 pages, indexed, 210 grams,

$35.00*

The mining journalist and politician wrote of the changes to the Murchison and its mines in 1895, several years after his first experiences there. Interesting comment on the people, mines and institutions of the wider Murchison goldfield.

The Outback Trip

by Anon

ISBN 978-0-85905-775-2, (1902 R 2019), A5, 7pp, 20grams, $5.00* + POST

“The Curse of Bewick Moring dark upon the mulga hangs…”

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN EXPLORERS’ DIARIES PROJECT INC.

To the Golden Land. Exploration to the Eastwards 1869-1896

by Peter J. Bridge and associates. With an Introduction by J.M.R Cameron.

ISBN 978-0-85905-704-2, (New, 2019), 160 x 240mm, 712 pp, colour and black and white illustrations, maps, indexed, hard cover, 2kg+, $140.00* + POST

An important contribution to the history of WA covering all that periods 65 expeditions, including many that were previously unknown. Includes for the first time all the colour plates of Forrest in the 1870s. Over 150 illustrations and maps.

Like our other Exploration Diaries this will become the basic reference in this field. Due to the poisoned arrows of our economy the edition is small, so please do not delay ordering. 

To Wallal … and Back. The story of a Mullewa Drover.

by Joan Ridley.

ISBN 978-0-85905-772-1, (1999, R 2019), A4, illustrated, indexed, 42 pages, 130 grams, $22.00*

Ned Ridley was well known WA drover. This trip during WWII was blighted by disaster for the sheep, but is a good record of a traditional droving trip.

William Benstead. Pioneer of Alice Springs and Coolgardie

by William Benstead with Peter J. Bridge and Ian Murray. 

ISBN 978-0-85905-764-6, (New, 2019), A4, illustrated, indexed, 69 pages, 200 grams, $25.00*

Bill Benstead, Cattleman, hotelier, explorer, butcher. Anna’s Reservoir & Coolgardie. His cattle interests were in Africa, Madagascar, Argentina, working for Vestys. His daughter Lulu was a very well known singer on the London stage.

Woodlines of Western Australia 

A comprehensive history of the Goldfields woodlines.

by Phil Bianchi.

ISBN 978-0-85905-725-7, (New, 2019), 170 x 240, french flaps, heavily illustrated, 449 pages, 1.2kg, $85.00* + POST

Without a source of cheap energy to fuel steam boilers and for ore treatment, only the Western Australian mines with rich ore would have been productive.

Firewood companies established privately owned train lines up to 120 miles out from major centres such as Kalgoorlie to bring in firewood. Although the Kurrawang and Lakewood woodlines are the main feature of this book; other woodlines included Lakeside south of Boulder, Kurramia/Kanowna, Cue, Laverton, Gwalia and Westonia.

Firewood cutters, carters and loaders from war torn Europe, came to Australia seeking a better life; they lived in hessian walled basic camps with earthen floors and a tin roof. The book features 22 first-hand accounts of the hardships faced by woodliners working, living and growing up on the woodlines. Many a wife and family joining the husband after a few years were shocked at the conditions; suffering flies, heat, cold, loneliness, maggots in meat and poor quality drinking water.

Between 1900 and 1964 a total of 21.6 million tons of firewood had been cut; during 1912-16 average production was 650,000 tons per year. By the time the firewood companies ceased operations they had clear-felled a staggering 3.04 million hectares of goldfields woodlands; almost half the area of Tasmania.

Other woodline topics discussed include: racism, riots, internment, exploitation and bribery, shanties, sports days, strikes and deaths and accidents.

The Pilbarra Society.

This organisation, based at Hesperian, has been set up to concentrate on Pilbara history, its places, people, and potential. The iron ore industry has dominated the area for many decades but the history of the area since the 1860s is little known.

The characters and incidents are as interesting as that of the better known Kimberley and goldfields. Station, mine and town histories are needed and the society hopes to bring together those who can contribute to the subject.