State Library acquires rare fragment of Governor Phillip’s long-lost journal
The State Library has acquired a rare fragment of Governor Arthur Phillip’s long-lost journal and is placing it on public display for the first time, from today.
The newly discovered 20-page journal fragment from the late 18th century is the first Phillip material to appear on the market in nearly 20 years and contains significant information about Phillip and his time in Australia, including unknown details about convict life.
Most significantly, the journal includes an account by Phillip in January 1792 of a previously unknown visit to Sydney by Gomebeere, an Aboriginal man he had met in the Hawkesbury region only nine months prior.
For Damien Webb, Head of the Library’s Indigenous Engagement Branch, “Uncovering fragments like these provides us with more depth, grit and nuance in our understanding of Australia’s complex history.”
Visitors can see the new acquisition on display in the Library’s Amaze Gallery, until 1 December 2024.