xiv 267 pages, illustrated with black and white photos. new edition, second impression. The jacket is chipped at the edges, with minor loss to the front's head and tail, as well as to the head of the spine; theres is creasing, again to the head, front and back, plus a couple of closed tears. The body of the book is clean, unmarked and solid. Inscribed by Ion Idriess. "The true story of Harold Bell Lasseters discovery of a massive gold reef in Central Australia, his venture into the interior to find it again using camel, trucks and aeroplane; and his disappearance, lost among Aboriginal tribes in the Central Desert.Ion Idriess (1889-1979) is one of Australias best-loved writers, with fifty-six books to his credit and millions of copies sold. When he returned from the First World War he wrote The Desert Column, about his experiences with the 5th Light Horse. Prospecting for Gold was his first major successful work; it immediately sold out and was reprinted constantly in the following years, as were many of his books. Idriess spent much of his life travelling throughout Australia, collecting material for his true-life stories, including Flynn of the Inland, The Red Chief and Nemarluk. He was awarded the O.B.E. in 1968 for his contribution to Australian literature." (publisher later edition)