Discoveries in Western Australia from documents furnished to the Colonial Office by J. S. Roe, Esqre. Surv. Genl. / by permission dedicated to R. W. Hay Esqre, one of H.M. Under Secretaries of State for the Colonies, by his obliged servant J. Arrowsmith.

Early issue (3rd) of the first state of Arrowsmith’s famous map of Western Australia, before the title change and with the inclusion of the plate number (36) and the change of address.

Shows the south-western tip of Western Australia from 31°S to 35°S and from the west coast inland to 120°E. Coastal explorations shown include Lt. W. Preston in the Colonistnorth from Fremantle in Nov. 1830, and with Dr. A. Collie south to the Bay du Geographe in 1829.

East and north of Perth are explorations by Ens. R. Dale in Oct. 1830 and 1831 of the Swan, Helena and Avon valleys. Lt. A. Erskine’s route in 1830 is parallel and north of Ensign Dale’s 1830 track from the Swan to the Avon valleys.

Capt. M. J. Currie’s [1829] track going south from Cockburn Sound to Peel Inlet and returning appears.

Govr. James Stirling and J. S. Roe’s [1830] tracks examining the Preston and Collie rivers flowing into Leschenault Inlet are marked.

A supposed track of convicts from King Georges Sound going north-west to the Vasse Inlet in 1830 appears.

In the south-west region the tracks of J.G. Bussell, from Vasse Inlet south to Augusta and back, in 1831 are shown.

An overland route established by Capt. T. Bannister’s explorations from Fremantle to the south coast at Albany in Feb. 1831 appears.

Also in the vicinity of Albany the tracks of Dr. T. B. Wilson a naval surgeon, from Albany west as far as Wilson Inlet and north to the vicinity of present day Kendenup and back to Albany in 1829, are shown. In the same area Dr. A. Collie’s track in April 1831 is sown as a circular route north and west of Wyndham.

Govr. James Stirling and J. S. Roe’s route northwest of Albany in 1831 is marked and their track in the H.M.S. Sulphur travelling east from Albany along the south coast to C. Knob (119°15’E).

Ensign Dale’s route from Albany north to the ranges and back in 1832 is also marked.

Lt. W. Preston’s route is shown travelling west in 1831 along the south coast to Green Pt. by boat after disembarking from H.M.S. Sulphur just east of Rame Pt (Irwin Inlet) where his boat was wrecked. From this point the journey was overland via Augusta, Vasse Inlet and up the west coast to the Murray River (32°25’S) and the north to Cockburn Sound.

INSETS:

Guildford

North-east of Perth shows landholders W. Tanner and J. Stirling north of the Swan River and to the west of the Swan, W. Tanner, S. Dodds, F. H. Byrne, Capt. Picking and N. S. Talbot. The Helena River flows into the Swan from the east. Public buildings and streets named.

Augusta

Plan of the town at the mouth of the Blackwood River, land allotments shown fronting Flinders Bay.

Kelmscott

Plan of the settlement shown on the right bank of the Canning River with allotments laid out along the river bank.

Perth

Town plan shows allotments fronting the Swan River. St Georges Terrace named. Large areas of swamps behind the front streets overlie allotments. To the east along the right bank of the Swan are land holdings in the names of P. Brown, W. T. Graham, A. H. Stone, W. B. Andrews and P. Wicks. A burial ground is marked east of the town.

Fremantle

Town plan with streets and land allotments laid out and public areas designated.

NOTES:

Lower left:

Remarks by His Excellency Sir James Stirling relate to landscape description and the names of the districts none of which have been regularly surveyed or defined.

COUNTIES:

TWISS, PERTH, YORK, MURRAY, GRANTHAM, WELLINGTON, WICKLOW, SUSSEX, NELSON, GODERICH, HAY, LANARK, STIRLING, PLANTAGENET AND KENT

EXPLORERS’ ROUTES:

Shows the routes of Lt. William Preston, Dr. Alexander Collie, Ens. Robert Dale, Lt. A. Erskine, Capt. Mark John Currie, James Stirling, John Septimus Roe, John Garrett Bussell, Capt. Thomas Bannister, Dr. Thomas Braidwood Wilson and convicts