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Walk to the West is a travel narrative by James Backhouse Walker, written in 1887 and first published in 1993. [1]
In 1887, James Backhouse Walker walked from Hobart to the West Coast of Tasmania, accompanied by Arthur Leslie Giblin, Charles Percy Sprent, William Piguenit, Robert Mackenzie Johnston, William Vincent Legge, George Samuel Perrin, and Henry Vincent Bayly. [2]
The trip began on 17 February 1887 (Hobart to New Norfolk by train, then to Ouse by coach), and concluded 5 March 1887 (Formby (Devonport) by coach to Launceston, then by train to Hobart). [2]
In 1993, the Royal Society of Tasmania published a high-quality edition to celebrate the Society's sesquicentenary (150 years). [1] D. M. Stoddard transcribed Walker's manuscript diary and edited the book. [3] The publication was partly funded through donations from academic societies and government grants. [3] It was released on December 24, 1993. [3]
The book was produced entirely in Tasmania, and won two awards from the Printing Industry of the Carolinas. [3]
The book is interspersed with plates from Piguenit's paintings made during the journey. [4] Locations with paintings include: Lake Pedder, Frenchman's Cap, Mount King William, Lake St Clair, Mount Rufus, Mount Gell, King William Range, Mount Ida, Mount Heemskirk, and Mount Olympus. [2] It also contains a foldout map that was current of the West Coast at the time of the group's travel. [2]
The included Lexicon of relevant place names identifies characters involved in the exploration and place naming in the West Coast of Tasmania. It also mentions the name of the significant track cutters and explorers of the era. [2]
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) see also Piguenit, W. C. (William Charles) (1871), Diary , retrieved 31 December 2014