The Australian Encyclopaedia is an encyclopedia focused on Australia. In addition to biographies of notable Australians the coverage includes the geology, flora, fauna as well as the history of the continent. It was first published by Angus and Robertson in two volumes, one each in 1925 and 1926. The most recent edition, the sixth, is of eight volumes published in 1996.
Origin and First Publication
The Australian Encyclopedia is a national representation of the defining aspects of Australia. This includes information related to the nation's history, the geography of Australia and information regarding the Aboriginal people. When the encyclopedia was first established (1925-1926), it consisted of 2 volumes and was originally published by Angus & Robertson in New South Wales. The second edition, published in 1958, was then extended to 10 volumes. Four years later, the encyclopedia was under the responsibility of the Grolier Society of Australia. Following this change, the second edition of the encyclopedia had undergone many reprintings due to minor adjustments up until 1972. Subsequently, the third edition was then published in 1977 and consisted of 6 volumes; the fourth edition, featuring 12 volumes, was published in 1983; the fifth edition with 9 volumes was published in 1988 and the sixth edition consisted of 8 volumes and was published in 1996. The encyclopedia was sold to the Australian Geographic Society in 1987 prior to the publication of the fifth and sixth edition.
Arthur Jose
Arthur Wilberforce Jose was born in Clifton, England. He was the son of William Wilberforce Jose who was a governor at a university located at the city of Jose's birth, Bristol. Jose's father was also the chairman of the technical education committee for the school board of Bristol. Following Jose's studies at Balliol College, Oxford, Jose's health had begun to worsen. A year later, 1882, Jose was recovering in Australia. While in Australia, Jose's father was in dire straits financially and had eventually lost his fortune. Following the delivery of this news, Jose turned down a clerical career in Bristol and remained in Australia. Jose tackled many jobs during the beginning of his family's financial loss. This included cutting wood, making bricks, picking apples and tutoring. In 1885, Jose had commenced his career as an assistant master at a Bathurst college in New South Wales, All Saints’ College. After multiple edits and writings of songs and articles, Jose had soon become an extension lecturer at a university and a writer for several verses in 1888. Prior to the allocation of his editor in chief role and the publication of the Australian Encyclopedia, Jose spent many years as a reader for the Angus & Robertson corporation. Despite Jose never practising law, in 1891 he was granted admission to the Bar.
Following the publication of his writing, The Growth of the Empire, in 1897, Jose went on to writing many more published articles, books and chapters, he acquired the role of professor in modern history and English in Aligarh at the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College and a lecturer in England. In 1904, Jose had arrived back in Sydney as a Times correspondent. The first edition of the Australian Encyclopedia was disrupted due to the war in 1914, therefore delaying its publication. Jose was employed by George Robertson for the encyclopedia full-time and was named editor-in-chief of the Australian Encyclopedia a year later when the first volume was titled The Illustrated Australian Encyclopedia. Jose was collaborating with entomologist, Herbert James Carter, with the editing of Australian Encyclopedia. Carter's responsibilities were centred around the scientific aspects of the encyclopedia leaving the remaining work to be edited by Jose. The second volume of the Australian Encyclopedia had not been edited yet when Jose left the publishing company, Angus & Robertson, in 1925.
Angus & Robertson
One of the founders of Angus & Robertson, David Mackenzie Angus (1855-1901), had originally ventured into Australian literature when he had opened his Sydney bookstore in 1884. Two years later, Angus partnered with George Robertson and another two years later, their establishment had commenced publishing. The incorporation of publishing had resulted in profitable success and a larger variety of literary products in several areas.