Category Archives: Uncategorized

In Search of the Mythical Terra Australis

Posted on September 27, 2026 by ianburnet

This video recording is from the ANZ Map Group, Southern Frontiers 2025 Conference held at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania and named – Mapping Myths and Realities in Southern Hemisphere Cartography.

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The Writers Place

Posted on September 21, 2026 by ianburnet

I spent a month in Portugal last May doing research for the next book which is called ‘Spices, Silks and Sandalwood – The Portuguese Maritime Empire in Asia’, which will be out in November. After a few weeks in Lisbon … Continue reading →

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The Federated Malay States Railway System

Posted on September 2, 2026 by ianburnet

The Federated Malay States were a group of four States on the Malay Peninsula, including Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Pahang that were united by the British Government in 1895. The Federation ended in 1946 to become part of the … Continue reading →

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Birds of Paradise, Musee du Quai Branly, Paris

Posted on August 10, 2026 by ianburnet

This is a fascinating exhibition that I was able to visit at the Museum Branly in Paris. From the forests of New Guinea to the paintings of the great masters of the Northern School, it is a fascinating journey in … Continue reading →

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Alfred Russel Wallace in Singapore

Posted on July 13, 2026 by ianburnet

In March 1854, Alfred Russel Wallace sailed to Singapore to begin his Asian collecting expeditions. Singapore was the regional entrepot for all the trade coming from China and across the archipelago, and in its streets and around its harbour, he … Continue reading →

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Vale, David Rosenberg OAM

Posted on March 28, 2026 by ianburnet

David Rosenberg has recently passed away after a lifetime spent in publishing. He founded Kangaroo Press in 1981, which he and his wife Scilla managed for 20 years until it was sold to Simon and Schuster. He then founded Rosenberg … Continue reading →

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Joseph Conrad – The Voyages of the Otago

Posted on February 9, 2026 by ianburnet

The Otago was a three-masted iron barque of 348 tons built in Glasgow in 1869 for Captain Angus Cameron, who sailed her to Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand in 1871. This was her maiden voyage, and she reached Port Chalmers … Continue reading →

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The Lombok Treasure

Posted on January 29, 2026 by ianburnet

On 20 February 1894, the Dutch colonial government in Batavia saw the indigenous Sasak rebellion on the island of Lombok against their Balinese masters as an opportunity to extend their control in the East Indies. The Sasak had requested their … Continue reading →

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The Wallace Line

Posted on December 16, 2025 by ianburnet

In 1856, Alfred Russel Wallace sailed from Singapore to Bali and then to Lombok. He wrote in his book ‘The Malay Archipelago’: During the few days which I stayed on the north coast of Bali, on my way to Lombok, … Continue reading →

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The Tasman Map – The Biography of a Map

Posted on November 17, 2025 by ianburnet

Please follow the link below to see a recording of a talk given to the Royal Australian Historical Society on the Tasman Map. https://www.ianburnetbooks.com/ Buy The Tasman Map

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