24069 Eucalyptus gunnii, and nine others, etc., etc.... E. Spiller, Government Printer, Adelaide, 1882-1890. Collection of ten botanical colour chromo-lithographs, each approx. 52 x 41 cm. (sheet) and 43 x 33 cm (image)., depicting the native flora of South Australian forests. Set comprises: Eucalyptus gunnii, Acacia spilleriana, Casuarina quadrivalvis, Dodonaea microzyga, Eremophila altifolia, Eremophila longifolia, Eremophila oppositifolia, Exocarpus aphylla, Melaleuca squarrosa, Pittosporum phillyraeodes. Most include the accompanying descriptive texts. Condition generally good with no foxing or marks, suitable for framing. John Ednie Brown was a talented botanist who arrived in Adelaide from Scotland in 1878 to take up a position as Conservator of Forests. One of his first acts was to commission the gifted botanical artist Rosa Fiveash (1854-1938) to make drawings of some of South Australia's unique flora. Her drawings were then lithographed to the highest quality by the Government printer, H. Barrett. "The Forest Flora of South Australia" was published as a set of 45 handsome chromolithographs over eight years from 1882 in nine separate parts (each of five prints in grey paper wraps), with accompanying text. The State Library calls the plates ' both attractive and accurate'. The plates show details of the leaves, seeds and flowers of 45 of SA's indigenous trees as well as attractive renditions of their appearance in nature. Originally issued unbound in parts, these very decorative colour lithographs are now rarely seen as a complete set. The South Australian Government published a cloth bound set of 31 of the plates without the texts in the late 1880s. Ferguson 7516. $1250.00AUD
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