Very scarce ‘second state’ map of the south-west of Western Australia showing the Settlements at Perth on the Swan River, and Albany at King George’s Sound. Topographical features and annotations on the nature of the country throughout. The map also shows soundings along the coast. Rottnest is not well defined.
J & C Walker’s first map of Western Australia was published just two years after the State became a separate Colony in 1829. This was a time of rapid change for Western Australia. John Septimus Roe had been appointed as first Surveyor-General in 1829 (a post he held until 1871) and had commenced his survey work of the Swan River Settlement. Other exploration had begun in earnest, especially in the south-western corner, hence the soundings at Cockburn Sound and Port Leschenault. In 1832 Fremantle Harbour was selected as the settlement’s port. The title of this the ‘second state’ of the map was changed, the coastline is shown completely surveyed and the annotations in regard to interior exploration also thoroughly documented.
Tracks of the exploration by John Septimus Roe, Surveyor General, Ensign Robert Dale 63rd Reg, Captain Bannister, Lieut. Preston RN, Capt A Collie RN and Currie RN are all annotated.
The Royal Geographical Society, formed in 1830, published its first journal in 1831. Then in 1832, the format of the journal was altered somewhat and the first volume of the new series was produced. This map is from this very scarce first volume of this important journal, one of the key records on world exploration that took place over the nineteenth century. This map claims the honour of being the second to show the new colony’s two major settlements.
Sir John Barrow read the State of the Colony of Swan River, 1st January, 1830. Chiefly extracted from Captain Stirling’s Report before the Royal Geographical Society 22nd Nov. 1830 and the report was published in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London. Volume the First. London, John Murray 1832.
This ‘second state’ map accompanied new information sent by Lieutenant Governor Stirling dated Swan River 2nd April 1832 and communicated to the RGS by direction of Viscount Goderich, President and presented in the Second Volume published later the same year.
