BOOKS ABOUT THE SEA
The Golden Plover
This old time sailing ship engaged in charter work out of Cairns was a delight to spend time on. An account of my adventures on her and the history she is making now as well as giving a colourful account of her sailing route. 20 pages, 22 drawings. Now out of date, but a few copies left.
Sailing Ships of Cairns
The only attempt to trace the history of sailing ships in northern waters (despite Cairns' long and proud history as a sea port) with information on over 200 vessels. 44 pages. The Seafaring Tradition In Hobart Traditional crafts in Hobart Maritme Museum. Includes historica lDerwent ships. 24 pages. Now out of date, but a few copies left.
The Floria and Other Historic Luggers
Profits from the sale of this book go to the Fund for the Restoration of the pearling lugger Floria. The Floria is one of the few surviving pearling luggers of the far north, a reminder of a long gone, but very important, part of life in tropical Queensland. Built in 1914 it was recovered from the bottom of Cairns Harbour and is being restored by the local Maritime Museum. 28 pages.
MIXED TITLES
Animistic Yoga
By Kimm Woodward with sketches by Ron Edwards. A delightfully written and illustrated manual on yoga of the body and spirit. It takes as its theme the poses that are related to the natural world, beginning with the Prayer to the Sun, and working through the various poses that relate to the trees, the birds, the animals and so on. Each pose is described in detail, including the various benefits to be gained by practising a particular pose. The author has taught yoga in Sydney, and writes in a clear and interesting style. 112 pages, 116 delightful figure drawings.
Cats
A great book for cat-lovers, this contains monochrome watercolours of cats, each with its own 2 line poem. Many people buy two or more copies of this as gifts. 64 pages. Jasmine's Morning Treat Short verses and anecdotes written and illustrated by Ron Edwards. 26 pages.
A Morning Purr
A follow up to the previous book CATS, and on the same subject. Besides watercolour sketches of cats with poems, the technique of sumi-e is featured. A must for cat-lovers. 64 pages. A Little Zen Zoo Verses on Australian animals with etagami drawings. 60 pages.
Mike's Horse Book
Mike Coghlan is a professional artist who travels around Queensland and has a gallery near Ingham. He draws bush buildings but wanted to add horses to his scenes so I put this together as thanks for the favours he has done for me. 210 x 295mm, spiral bound, 54 pages.
Perspective For both the practising artist and student.
Sets out a number of practical methods of creating perspective without the use of large drawing boards and complex rules. The whole aim is to make the system as simple as possible but with professional results. Riverbank and Township Short verses by Bill Scott with illustrations by Ron Edwards. 38 pages.
Sunday at Port Douglas Insights into life around Port Douglas on a Sunday with etegami drawings. 60 pages.
Fruit As Medicine
Translated from the Chinese by Ron Edwards and Gong Zhi-mei. Compiled in Nanning, China, this book gives methods for treating a very large number of complaints with simple fruit treatments. The curative properties of over 80 different fruits are discussed. Did you know that banana skin is good for hangovers, that plums can help treat boils and pineapples assist in reducing blood pressure? 136 pages.
Vegetables As Medicine
Vegetables are a safe cheap form of medication many common ailments. This book is the result of several years work by three well known Chinese experts in traditional medicine. Most of the common vegetables of the west are listed in this book as well as many plants which we do not think of as vegetables such as purslane, regarded as a common weed in our gardens but enjoyed as a vegetable in many parts of the world. This is the companion volume to Fruit as Medicine and is 128 pages.
COOKING
Traditional Torres Strait Island Cooking See Indigenous books.
How to Cook When the Wife is Crook
When Ron Edward's wife became ill he had to do the cooking, instead of drinking beer and watching TV while she did it. As he also had to run a business during the day he did not feel inclined to go in for elaborate and time-consuming dishes. So he prepared this recipe of dishes that are quick and easy tocook and require the least washing up afterwards. 80 pages with recipes and drawings of naked ladies.
INDIGENOUS BOOKS
The Biggest Fish
Rhyming story set in the Torres Strait. Part of a program to produce local stories for Indigenous children. This one is for younger children and has large type. 12 pages.
Dictionary of Torres Strait Languages
By Sydney H. Ray. Edited and illustrated by Ron Edwards. The only available dictionary of Eastern and Western Island languages. Drawn from Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits. 171 pages.
Eded Mer (My Life)
Autobiography of Islander Thomas Lowah (1914-1989); one of the first autobiographies of a Torres Strait Islander and a unique document of a way of life that is parallel to, but quite different from, life in the white community. Illustrated by Ray Crooke. 148 pages.
Erubai in the Islands
A children's story with additional art work by Torres Strait children. Part of a program to produce local stories for Indigenous children. Copies may be obtained from the Mabuiag school. We have some copies & will pay royalties to the school on all sales made. 24 pages
EXPLORERS GUIDES: These books contain stories from various Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal communities with some artwork by local children. Copies may be obtained from the relevant school. We have some copies and will pay royalties to the relevant school on all sales made.
An Explorer's Guide to Kubin, Moa Island. 20 pages.
An Explorer's Guide to Lockhart River. 36 pages.
An Explorer's Guide to Mabuiag Island. 20 pages.
An Explorer's Guide to St Pauls, Moa Island. 20 pages.
An Explorer's Guide to Weipa and Napranum.
The result of a Writer's Week at Napranum organised by the local Indigenous community under the direction of Ron Edwards (who also illustrated it). This was the first attempt at writing by most of the participants and the essays are mainly short and biographical. Contains writing about the area by eight people, including Fiona Doyle (Oochooyung).
The Journey of the Message Stick
Tells of traditional Cape York life in verse and drawing. Published originally as a limited edition, this edited paperback version is for school use. 36 pages.
Looking for Yams (with Oochuyung
By Oochuyung, a Wik girl, with illustrations by Ron Edwards. Her second book (after Sand Beach Girl) tells a simple childhood story with supernatural overtones 32 pages.
Malaman and the Crocodile
A children's story written for the children of Pormpuraaw school, Cape York. Part of a program producing local stories for Indigenous children. 20 pages.
Mister Ron's Island Holiday
The Stephen Island children enjoyed this story about an incident involving people from another island. (Unsuitable for other schools as drunks and violence mentioned?) 20 pages.
Palm Frond Pastimes of the Islands
This book gives step by step instructions on how the Torres Strait people make all sorts of fun things from coconut fronds. These include birds, stars, fish, balls, wands and hats. 17 projects and 277 drawings. 64 pages.
Sand Beach Girl (with Oochuyung)
Written by Oochuyung, a Wik girl, with illustrations by Ron Edwards. A children's story based on her childhood experiences in the Napranum area of Cape York 20 pages.
Some Songs from the Torres Strait
Edited and illustrated by Ron Edwards. 177 traditional songs with notes and music. Some of these can also be found in the relevant island songbook (listed below 240 pages.
Songs from Coconut Island. 18 songs, 24 pages
Songs from Darnley Island. 22 songs, 32 pages.
Songs from Dauan Island. 13 songs, 24 pages.
Songs from Murray Island. 28 songs, 40 pages.
Songs from Saibai Island. 7 songs, 12 pages.
Songs from Stephen Island. 24 songs, 40 pages.
Songs from Warraber Island. 22 songs, 28 pages.
Songs from Yorke Island. 32 songs, 40 pages.
Stories from Stephen
Contains stories about Stephen Island (Torres Strait) written and illustrated by local children, with drawings by the Edwards. Copies obtainable from the Stephen Island school. We also have a few copies and will pay royalties to the school on all sales made. 36 pages.
Traditional Torres Strait Island Cooking
Few Australians know anything about the Torres Strait and its people where a distinctive type of traditional tropical cooking has evolved, drawing on the Pacific Islands and Asia. Condiments used are generally available but other ingredients are rather exotic! 84 pages.
Tri Pikinini (Three Pikininis)
A children's book by Islander Anna Larry with illustrations by Ron Edwards. Written in Torres Strait Creole. An English text is also provided. 24 pages.
Wis wei y meke assis dampa boi (How to make an ashes damper boy)
. A children's book by Islander Anna Larry with illustrations by Ron Edwards. Written in Torres Strait Creole. An English text is also provided. 24 pages.