An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales | 1798 - 1804, first edition of the earliest historical account of Australian settlement.

An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales: with Remarks on the Dispositions, Customs, Manners, &c. of the Native Inhabitants of that Country. To which are added, some Particulars of New Zealand; compiled, by permission, from the MSS. of Lieutenant-Governor King.

First Edition, 1798-1802, Second Edition of Volume Two, 1804.

Description:
This is a highly significant work in the history of Australian settlement, being the last of the First Fleet journals to be published and the earliest comprehensive historical account of the English colony in New South Wales. Written by David Collins, who arrived with the First Fleet as Judge-Advocate and served as Secretary to Governor Phillip, this two-volume set is both a meticulous historical document and a key foundation work for any collection of early Australian literature.

The first volume, published in 1798, is the first edition and includes one engraved map and 23 full-page engraved plates by Edward Dayes, based on sketches by convict artist Thomas Watling. These plates are among the first published views of the Colony and its Aboriginal inhabitants, making this an invaluable visual and historical record. The plates offer insight into both the landscape and the interactions between the British settlers and the Indigenous peoples.

The second volume, published in 1804, is the second and preferred edition, featuring five plates (three with original hand-colouring), one chart, and four textual vignettes (two with hand-colouring). This volume is notable for its accounts of key explorations, including the journals of Bass and Flinders, whose explorations were instrumental in the charting of Australia’s coastline. Additionally, this volume contains some of the earliest written reports on the koala, wombat, and lyrebird, with the lyrebird illustrated in colour for the first time.

The work is not only a historical account of the establishment of the British colony but also serves as an early ethnographic study of the Indigenous Australian population. Collins’s observations on the customs and manners of the Aboriginal peoples, though presented through the lens of an 18th-century colonial officer, provide one of the earliest recorded European descriptions of Indigenous Australians.

References: Wantrup, 13.
Condition:
Bound in exquisite full tree-calf with gilt decoration, double spine labels, and speckled edges. The first volume is a first edition, while the second volume is the second edition with colour plates. Minor foxing and light offsetting in places, but overall, a handsome and highly attractive set. This rare pairing, with the complete two volumes in their respective editions, is seldom found in such exceptional condition.

Significance:
Collins's An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales is regarded as a cornerstone work in the history of Australian settlement. As a firsthand account by an educated and observant resident of ten years, Collins’s work provides the most detailed descriptions of the First Fleet’s voyage and the early days of the British colony. It was the last of the Australian foundation books to be published, making it a critical resource for historians and collectors alike. The first volume is already rare, but the second volume, published six years later, is even more scarce, having survived in significantly smaller numbers.

Beyond its historical importance, the second volume’s accounts of inland expeditions, as well as the scientific reports on Australia’s native fauna, have enduring significance for natural history. This set, with its blend of history, exploration, and natural science, remains fundamental to understanding early European engagement with Australia.