Perruche a Taches Noires du Cap de Diemen.

Rare, early c.19th hand coloured engraving of the endangered Eastern ground parrot from, Jacques Julien Houton de Labillardiere (1755-1834), Relation du voyage a la recherche de La Perouse

“A rare account of a voyage with tremendous significance to the exploration of Australia and the Pacific”.

D’Entrecasteaux joined the French navy in 1754 and fought in 1756 at Minorca. He assumed command of the French fleet of the East Indies and in 1787, was appointed Governor of Mauritius and the Isle of Bourbon. During his voyage in search of La Perouse in 1791-92, he determined the position of Amsterdam Island, explored the coastlines of New Caledonia, Tasmania, and New Holland, and located several groups of islands.

Modern binomial name: Pezoporus wallicus
First described: Kerr, 1792
Distribution: Southeast QLD to southwest Australia, Tasmania and some off-shore islands.

References:
Wantrup, J. Australian Rare Books. Sydney, 1987 : : 64a-b.
Hill, J. The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages. San Diego 1974 : : 467.
Sabin, J. A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time. New York. (1936) 1967 : : 22671.
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 : : 308, 682.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 87072
State Library Victoria: RARELTF ; 910.41 L11
State Library New South Wales: Call Numbers:Q980/7A4, RB/DQ990A/46
State Library South Australia: 990 L119 b
State Library of Western Australia: F00209