Issue Details: First known date: 1842... 1842 A Descriptive Vocabulary of the Language in Common Use Amongst the Aborigines of Western Australia, with Copious Meanings, Embodying Much Interesting Information Regarding the Habits, Manners and Customs of the Natives and the Natural History of the Country
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Notes

  • Published in two parts. Part I. Australian and English; Part II. English and Australian.
  • Author's note: (For Part I) The terms Northern, Southern, or other dialects refer to Perth as a centre. V., Vasse; K.G.S., King Geroge's Sound; denote that the word is chiefly used in that locality.
  • Author's note: (For Part II) For more full and particular information respecting each Australian word, consult the first part of the Vocabulary; and for the Pronunciation see the Preface also.
  • In his Preface, Moore acknowledges the previously published vocabularies of R. M. Lyon and George Grey (qq.v.) and the work of Francis Armstrong, Messsrs Bussel, Mr. [Charles] Symmons and an unidentified person.
  • The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal (13 August 1842): 2 published an advertisement for the work: 'DESCRIPTIVE AUSTRALIAN VOCABULARY. A FEW numbers of this work are on sale at the office of the Perth Gazette - price, 3s. Published in London by G. F. Moore, Esq., Advocate-General of W. Australia.'

  • '[Western Australian Governor John] Hutt [(1795-1880)] and Moore assisted by Francis Armstrong, and later by Charles Symmons and John Gilbert worked on the vocabulary until Moore returned to Britain ... in March 1841. It was published in London in 1842 ... at Moore's and Hutt's expense ...' (J. M. R. Cameron, The Millendon Memoirs (2006): 461)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      William S. Orr and Co. ,
      1842 .
      Printed by Bradbury, Evans
      Extent: xiii, 171 p.p.
      Note/s:
      • National Library of Australia Ferguson copy has inscription 'LaTrobe esq with the compliments of George Fletcher Moore'
      • Includes Preface (pp.iii-xii) and errata.
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Diary of Ten Years Eventful Life of an Early Settler in Western Australia; and, Also a Descriptive Vocabulary of the Language of the Aborigines George Fletcher Moore , London : M Walbrook , 1884 Z844670 1884 selected work diary criticism poetry

    In his 'Preface: Introductory and Explanatory' to this 1884 version of his Diary, Moore describes 'the "Diary or Journal" herinafter contained ... It was commenced soon after my embarcation from Dublin ... for the space of ten years in the colony, until my first return home on leave of absence. It was not continued after that time. ' (vi) The 'original letters' were first 'carefully preserved by those to whom they were sent in [Ireland]' and later 'confided to the care of a near relative in the colony, who had expressed a great desire to see them.' (vii). They were shown to Thomas Cockburn-Campbell, half owner and editor of the West Australian newspaper who requested permission from Moore to 'publish extracts from them seriatim in his paper, according as space would admit of.' (vii). Cockburn-Campbell sent Moore 'a copy of each paper which contained an extract.' Moore 'cut out those extracts and gummed them into an album ... enabl[ing] me to publish them all here afresh.' (vii)

    With the Diary of Ten Years, Moore added 'a "Descriptive Vocabulary" of the language of the Aborigines...' (vii) originally published in 1842 and 'long out of print'. (ix)

    J. M. R. Cameron in his introduction to The Millendon Memoirs (2006) notes that the Diary 'brought together the 1834 Extracts as they appeared originally, edited by Doyle not Campbell, and Campbell's edited excerpts for the later period.... [However] Moore deleted entries for the period from 10 April to 11 June 1836 which had appeared in the [West Australian] newspaper on 4 April 1882. (viii-ix)

    London : M Walbrook , 1884
Last amended 24 Nov 2010 14:24:42
A Descriptive Vocabulary of the Language in Common Use Amongst the Aborigines of Western Australia, with Copious Meanings, Embodying Much Interesting Information Regarding the Habits, Manners and Customs of the Natives and the Natural History of the Countrysmall AustLit logo
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