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Following the much publicised, landmark discovery of Australia's east coast by Captain James Cook in 1770, mapmakers around the world were quick to incorporate those discoveries onto their maps. Ironically, only a small handful of rare maps from that lot, concentrate on the whole Australian continent itself. Cassini's highly decorative map of Australia, is only the third such map (following the very rare 1779 pocket atlas map by de Baillou - see cat.77, and Eden’s rare 1787 map - M357). It charts the discoveries made by Cook on the east coast of Australia, and labels many of them in Italian.

The map features at the top left, a decorative vignette with natives and a ship. Australia is named Nuova Olanda and New Guinea is named 'Nuova Guinea, O Terra de Pappagalli' - land of parrots. The Indian Ocean ('Mare delle Indie') is shown to be on both sides of Australia.

This information is adapted from the Printed World catalogue series, one of the most enjoyable and informative Australian Antique map catalogues available, created and compiled by Simon Dewez.

View map online on http://www.antiquemapart.com/map/170