William Wedge Darke - surveyor fieldbooks, 1830-1858

B 170 - B 181
MLMSS 305
DSM/ B 175-6

fonds

1830-1858

Textual Records, Drawings

433039

29 volumes - 0.43 Meters

William Wedge-Darke, son of John Darke and his wife Elizabeth (nee Wedge), was a land agent and surveyor. In 1837 he became assistant to the Robert Hoddle, the chief surveyor of the Port Phillip District. -- Reference: Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol.1, 1788-1850. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1966

Notebooks include notes, and pencil, ink, and watercolour maps and sketches, annotated with bearings and chain measurements, of geographical features, water courses, and street grids mainly in the Port Phillip, Clarence River, and Sydney areas. Many drawings are within gridlines. Also includes seperate index to field books highlighting name of features and page numbers.
Index (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.2 Clarence Rr. 6th March 1848 to 17 June (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.3 Melbourne. Includes copy of Mr Hoddle's memoranda dated 4 March 1837. (Call No.: B 170-1)
No.4 Port Phillip 1838 (Call No.: B 170-2)
No.5 Sydney 1847 (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.6 Port Phillip. Diary at Sydney. 1835. Includes daily log of duties performed at the surveyor's office (being predominantly the tracing and making of maps) and correspondence received from 17 April to 1 December 1835, as well as a watercolour drawing of a house. (Call No.: B 171)
No.7 Port Phillip. McLeay River. (Call No.: B 172)
No.8 Sydney and Suburbs. Paddington Water Reserve &c. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.9 Port Phillip Victoria and Appin N.S. Wales (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.11 (Call No.: B 174-1)
No.12 Sur: Serderberg Werribee Port Phillip Bacchus hut. 1839 (Call No.: B 174-2)
No.13 Port Phillip Werribee (Call No.: DSM/ B 175)
No.14 Port Phillip (Call No.: DMS/ B 176)
No.15 Clarence River (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.18 New England (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.20 Tabulam to Tenterfield. Clarence 2 (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.21 Sydney & Clarence River Kempsey (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.22 Port Phillip 1837. Includes statement of equipment. (Call No.: B 177)
No.23 Port Phillip (Call No.: B 178)
No.24 Boat Survey - Grafton - Clarence R. Richmond R. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.25 Sydney Diary Sydney to Bathurst & Boree Feby. 1836. Includes preparations for journey over the Blue Mountains authorised by Major Mitchell, progress of the trip and places of encampment, weather conditions, and activities performed and correspondence received. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.26 Port Phillip 1842. Illawarra road. Port Hacking 1843. Includes list of clothing for February, May, August, and November. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.27 Clarence River. Also contains lists of 'Original Maps'; wages for Richard Bustaad, John Stradwick, John Merest, James Austin for 1858-1859; and daily journal for March-July 1858 and April-May 1859. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.28 Clarence River (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.29 Clarence River (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.30 Clarence Rr. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.31 Clarence Rr. (Call No.: MLMSS 305)
No.32 Port Phillip. Includes list of clothing. (Call No.: B 179)
No.33 Port Phillip (Call No.: B 180)
No.34 Port Phillip (Call No.: B 181)

Ascending order of volume number.

These field books were originally owned by Edward J.H. Knapp, who sold 13 volumes (Nos. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12-14, 22, 23, 32-34) to D.S. Mitchell in 1895. In 1921 the Mitchell Library purchased 17 volumes from Knapp, being Nos. 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 20, 21, 24-31.
In a letter of offer of thirteen volumes to D.S. Mitchell from Edward Knapp of the Australasian Land Bureau, written in 1895, Knapp states that he purchased the field books directly from W.W. Darke in 1862 (see A 1461, page 87).
Inserted into the front of the Index volume is an envelope with the following handwritten text, "William Wedge Darke's / field books / 17 of them / 16 field books + 1 index = 17 vols. / E.J.H.K."
On the front of each volume are paper labels with volume number and handwritten titles. Volumes are also numbered on the reverse.
No.3 was rebound at an unknown date.
Nos. 5, 7, 8, 21 and 27 have a brass clasps for closing mechanisms although No.21 is broken.
Nos. 11-14, 20, 29-31 are not in hardback format.
Nos. 18 and 28 have loose pages.
Incomplete series as Nos. 1, 10, 16, 17, and 19 were not acquired.
No. 13 and 14 housed in grey box with DSM/B 174-1 & B 174-2.

Handwritten in black ink on the reverse of the front endpaper of Index volume, "Edward J.H. Knapp C.E. / St. James's Court / 169 Phillip Street, Sydney".