In our next auction we have six Ion Idriess
Staff favourite is Lot 2. An unpublished story by Idriess describing a horrific plague of rats that emerged in outback New South Wales in the early 1880’s. The rats numbered millions, and stripped everything in sight in their pursuit of any possible food.
Idriess writes:
‘Drovers and bushmen experienced nerve-wracking nights while travelling along the path of the hurrying plague, for the rats swarmed like ants upon their saddlery and sent the horses stampeding mad with fright... Rats gnawing the leathern hobbles, rats gnawing their hooves, leaping up their legs, no wonder the horses went mad. Every drover caught in the path of the plague had to hang all saddlery and gear and everything eatable up in the branches of trees.’
Pictured Lot 3 Story titled “In Prehistoric Australia”, written by Ion Idriess, circa 1935.
Timed Auction. 12 noon, Sunday 5th May 2024.
Catalogue link https://www.invaluable.com/auction-house/sydney-rare-book-auctions-0i5go4cimb
Contact: info@sydneyrarebookauctions.com.au
Phone: +61 476 765 906