Australian Legendary Tales by K. Langloh Parker

Australian Legendary Tales

Collected by K. Langloh Parker

Selected and edited by H. Drake-Brockman

Illustrated by Elizabeth Durack

Angus and Robertson, 1963, black and white and two-tone illustrations, illustrated endpapers and title page, hardcover, dustjacket

Very Good Condition, a little edge and shelf wear, a little rubbing and bumping to edges and corners, previous owners details marked out on front endpaper, dustjacket shows some edge and shelf wear, some rubbing, bumping, creasing, chipping and tears to jacket (see photographs)

“Two generations of Australians have grown up deprived of these charming and authentic stories.  Mrs Langloh Parker’s first collection of aboriginal legends was published in London in 1896 and was acclaimed everywhere as a classic.  The foreword was by Andrew Lang.  Who was not only a celebrated author but also one of the greatest authorities of the time on folklore.
This new Australian edition, a selection made by H. Drake-Brockman from Mrs Langloh Parker’s five published volumes, is a book to appeal to all who are interested in aboriginal ways of life and thought.  H. Drake-Brockman’s choice has been made with care and artistry, with that instinctive feeling for the dramatic that characterizes her own written work.  Elizabeth Durack, whose delightful decorations so perfectly catch the spirit of the legends, grew up with the aborigines for her constant companions, and her knowledge of them, no less than her artistic gifts, fits her to be the ideal illustrator for the book.”