Historical information

One of a set of 8 volumes sold at Auction through Gemmell, Tuckett & Co of Melbourne for John Pascoe Fawkner in 1868. Fawkner has included detail of when and whom he obtained this book.

Significance

Fawkner was one of the founders of the City of Melbourne, an avid book collector who conducted a circulating library in the town. He was one of those who was in the first settlement at Sullivans Bay, Sorrento in 1803. Fawkner was also a member of parliament in Victoria and sat on the Commission of Enquiry into the Goldfields following the events of the Eureka Stockade. This is Volume 1 of the 8 volume set of Niebuhr's Lectures sold at auction in 1868, a year before Fawkner's death. It is listed as Lot No 54 in the Gemmell and Tuckett catalogue as reproduced in 'John Pascoe Fawkner's Library' by W. Kirsop 1985. As with all of Fawkner's books it is signed multiple times throughout.