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Issue Details: First known date: 1852... 1852 Our Antipodes, or, Residence and Rambles in Australasian Colonies : with a Glimpse of the Gold Fields
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Affiliation Notes

  • Nineteenth-Century Travel Writing

    Lieutenant Colonel Godfrey Charles Mundy (1804-1860) was a British army officer, Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, and author. Mundy wrote the travel narrative Our Antipodes: Or, Residence and Rambles in The Australasian Colonies with a Glimpse of the Gold Fields (1852) in three editions. It was revised and republished the same year, and again in 1855, with these later editions collapsed into one volume. Mundy's narrative was taken from diaries that were written over a period of five years, during his residence in Sydney and his various rambles (on duty and during leisure) through New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land, and Victoria. Written in a conversational manner, Mundy detailed his voyage to Australia, his life in the colonies, the Aboriginal populations, convicts, his excursions to neighbouring colonies, emigration, and his journey to New Zealand. Our Antipodes was illustrated with landscapes and lively scenes engraved from his own sketches. Mundy previously authored Pen and Pencil Sketches in India (1832).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Alternative title: Wanderungen in Australien und Vadiemensland
Language: German
    • Leipzig,
      c
      Germany,
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Lorck ,
      1856 .

Works about this Work

Shifting Terrain: Vision and Visual Representation in Our Antipodes (1852) and Australia Terra Cognita (1855–6) Kerry Heckenberg , 2011 single work criticism
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Studies , September vol. 35 no. 3 2011; (p. 373-388)
'Two significant works about Australia from the mid-nineteenth century, Godfrey Mundy's Our Antipodes (1852) and Australia Terra Cognita (1855–6) by William Blandowski, reveal interesting contrasting modes of vision and strategies of visual representation. As signalled by the “Our” of his title, Mundy sees the southern continent largely as a British possession, a suitable destination for Britain's excess population. His entertaining and informative travel narrative, illustrated with fifteen lithographs based on twelve of the author's own sketches plus three by his wife, was well-reviewed with one critic arguing that text and images combined to effectively convey the results of the exercise of Mundy's “observant eye in a strange land”. Blandowski's title suggests that knowledge has replaced the ignorance of earlier centuries and that the provision of information is the principal aim of his illustrations. However, along with scientific details, the landscape plates are richly embellished with “effects” by engraver James Redaway. Tiny figures, both Aboriginal and European, add a narrative dimension. This article will analyse narrative and visual effects as well as point of view in both sets of images, suggesting some perhaps unexpected similarities, but also important differences at this pivotal stage in the history of the southern continent.' Source: Kerry Heckenberg.
Richard Bentley : Publishing Godfrey Mundy's 'Our Antipodes' Helen Hewson , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: Script and Print , vol. 34 no. 3 2010; (p. 175-186)
The decision of Richard Bentley, a renowned publisher to publish the work 'Our Antipodes' by Godfrey Mundy is discussed. Some of the outstanding features of the book are highlighted.
Richard Bentley : Publishing Godfrey Mundy's 'Our Antipodes' Helen Hewson , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: Script and Print , vol. 34 no. 3 2010; (p. 175-186)
The decision of Richard Bentley, a renowned publisher to publish the work 'Our Antipodes' by Godfrey Mundy is discussed. Some of the outstanding features of the book are highlighted.
Shifting Terrain: Vision and Visual Representation in Our Antipodes (1852) and Australia Terra Cognita (1855–6) Kerry Heckenberg , 2011 single work criticism
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Studies , September vol. 35 no. 3 2011; (p. 373-388)
'Two significant works about Australia from the mid-nineteenth century, Godfrey Mundy's Our Antipodes (1852) and Australia Terra Cognita (1855–6) by William Blandowski, reveal interesting contrasting modes of vision and strategies of visual representation. As signalled by the “Our” of his title, Mundy sees the southern continent largely as a British possession, a suitable destination for Britain's excess population. His entertaining and informative travel narrative, illustrated with fifteen lithographs based on twelve of the author's own sketches plus three by his wife, was well-reviewed with one critic arguing that text and images combined to effectively convey the results of the exercise of Mundy's “observant eye in a strange land”. Blandowski's title suggests that knowledge has replaced the ignorance of earlier centuries and that the provision of information is the principal aim of his illustrations. However, along with scientific details, the landscape plates are richly embellished with “effects” by engraver James Redaway. Tiny figures, both Aboriginal and European, add a narrative dimension. This article will analyse narrative and visual effects as well as point of view in both sets of images, suggesting some perhaps unexpected similarities, but also important differences at this pivotal stage in the history of the southern continent.' Source: Kerry Heckenberg.
Last amended 15 Mar 2022 13:55:43
Subjects:
  • New South Wales,
  • Van Diemen's Land (1803-1856), Tasmania,
  • Victoria,
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