Van Diemens Land

Book Description

London: John Arrowsmith, February 15, 1842 [issued 1850]. Copper-engraved map, with original outline colour. Mild soiling at centerfold, otherwise excellent. 25 1/4 x 21 1/2 inches. A very fine map of Tasmania, depicting the island during an especially fascinating period in its settlement, by one of the great London mapmakers From the London Atlas, Jan. 1, 1850. Van Diemans Land became Tasmania in 1853, at the same time its last shipment of convicts arrived from England. Abel Tasman (1609? - 1659), a Dutch navigator, discovered the island in 1642 and named it Van Diemans Land. The British had taken possession of the island in 1803. It was used initially as a penal colony but about the time this map was made, rich geological resources had been discovered, including gold, zinc, copper, silver, tin and lead. Arrowsmith's map is characteristically handsome and intriguing, being copied from manuscript surveys. Vast portions of the island remained to be surveyed and continued to be for a very long time thereafter. Tooley,The Printed Maps of Tasmania, 78; Printed Maps of Australia, 119.

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