The Prado Controversy: papers concerning the alleged discovery of Australia by the Spanish navigators, Torres and Prado; collected and edited by Sir William Dixson, from various sources, with his own notes and cuttings from periodicals and newspapers, 1925-February 1951

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fonds

1925-February 1951

Textual Records, Cartographic Materials, Clippings

950217

4 folders of textual material - manuscript, typescript, carbon typescript, duplicated typescript, printed items, newspaper clippings

In 1605, an expedition commanded by Pedro Fernandes de Queiros, and consisting of three ships, left Peru, to discover the Great South Land. In May 1606, Queiros reached the New Hebrides and in June, following a near mutiny, Queiros returned to America. The two remaining ships, under the command of Luís Vaz de Torres continued the expedition and followed the south coast of New Guinea before completing the voyage to Manila. According to Diego de Pardo, one of the officers, the Spaniards could have been in sight of Australia, thus being the first Europeans to discover it

Series 01: Captain Francis J. Bayldon's papers regarding Torres, 1925-28 September 1930
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Folder 1
A. Papers published in the R.A.H.S. Journal, Vol XI, Part 3, 1925. Typescript
Item 1
i. Section no. 1. Technical analysis of the voyage of Torres, from the New Hebrides to the Marquesas, June to November 1606. 1925

Item 2
ii. Section no. 2. Track of Torres - Latitudes of Torres and de Prado, and distances of Torres and de Prado, 1925

Item 3
iii. 'Section no. 3. The Passage of Luís Vaz de Torres through Torres Straits, September 12th to 25th (approx) 1606, showing that Torres never saw Australia', 1925

Item 4
iv. 'Section no. 4. Summary of the voyage and accomplishments of Luís Vaz de Torres, from the New Hebrides to the Marquesas, 1606', 1925

B. 'Voyage of Torres', May-September 1930. Manuscript, duplicated typescript, printed
Items 5-13
i. 'Torres Strait showing possible track of Torres, September 1606', May 1930. Printed map

Items 14-18
ii. Duplicated copies of the article published in the Navy League Journal, September 1930, with map listed in items 5-13

Items 19-20
iii. The Navy League Journal, Vol III no. 5, September 1930

C. Miscellaneous notes, 24 June-28 Septemebr 1930. Manuscript, typescript, carbon typescript
Item 21
i. Miscellaneous notes, 24 June-11 August 1930
Captain Bayldon's notes on the eclipse of the moon, 20 September 1606, islands in Torres Strait, and the transit of Venus, 3 June 1769

Item 22
ii. Notebook regarding identification of islands in Torres Strait, 28 September 1930

Series 02: 'Relacion de Don Diego de Prado y Tovar'. (Prado's Relacion), and theories regarding the discovery of Australia resulting from it, 1930-19 January 1934
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Folder 2
A. Relacion de Don Diego de Prado y Tovar', 1934. Manuscript, typescript
Items 1-4
i. Notes on Prado's Relacion by a Sacristan, 1934

Items 5-6
ii. A Sacristan's notes on Barwick's translation of Prado's 'Relacion', 19 March 1934

B. Henry Newton Stevens', 'New Light on the Discovery of Australia', and arguments against Steven's theory, 1930-1931. Manuscript, carbon typescript, printed
Item 7
i. Book review, publication announcement and obituary, 1930

ii. Sir William Dixson's arguments against Steven's theory that Torres was the first European to sight Australia, 1930-1931
Items 8-12
a. Notes on 'New Light on the Discovery of Australia', Sir William Dixson's preliminary notes in 4 notebooks marked A-D, and 1 unmarked. 1930-1931

Items 13-14
b. Notes and comments on 'New Light on the discovery of Australia - these notes are the results of numerous conferences with Captain Bayldon, and one really a continuation of the articles written by him, 1930-1931. Manuscript, carbon typescript

Items 15-16
c. Printed amendments and inserts for Sir William Dixson's notes and comments, as published in the Royal Australian historical Society Journal, 1931

Item 17
iii. Note on Prado's 'Relacion', by Sir William Clarkson, 1930

Series 03: Translations by Sir William Dixson of Ernest-Theodore Harry's works regarding Torres, 1896-1907. 193-
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Folder 3
Items 1-3
A. Translation of text and footnotes of chapter ix of, 'Etudes Historiques et Geographiques', 193-. Manuscript, carbon typescript

Items 4-6
B. Translations of 'Luís Vaz de Torres et Diego de Prado y Tovar, Exploration de la Nouvelle-Guinee (1606-1607), 193-. Manuscript, typescript

Items 7-8
C. Translations of both texts, 193-. Manuscript, typescript, printed

Series 04: Translation of Vicente Vera's, 'Priority of Spanish Navigators in exploring the Pacific Ocean: The discovery of Australia. Interesting documents dealing with the voyages of Pedro Fernandes de Queiros and Luís Vaz de Torres', with comments by Sir William Dixson. 193-. Manuscript, duplicated typescript
Items 9-10

Series 05: Miscellaneous notes, correspondence and newspaper cuttings, 28 January 1927-26 February 1951
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Folder 4
Items 1-3
A. Sir William Dixson's notes regarding Queiros, Torres, Ribera and Coronal, ca 1931-ca. 1934. Manuscript, typescript, carbon typescript

Item 4
B. Sir William Dixson's miscellaneous notes and comments, ca. 1931-ca. 1934. Manuscript, typescript

Item 5
C. Correspondence, 2 May 1929-19 September 1932. Manuscript, typescript, carbon typescript
Some of the letters are addressed to Captain Bayldon

Item 6
D. Newspaper clippings, 28 January 1927-26 February 1951
Mainly review and commentaries on Stevens', 'New Light on the Discovery of Australia'

Information transferred from Dixson Manuscript Card Catalogue as part of the eRecords Project, 2011-2012.

Transferred from DLSPENCER 390, DLSPENCER 391, DLSPENCER 460, DLSPENCER 536