St James Bible, Book of Common Prayer and Cruden’s Concordance, three volumes originally owned by Richard Johnson, first Chaplain of the colony of New South Wales, and brought by him to Australia on the First Fleet, constitute this inscription.

Apart from their significance as provenanced antiquarian volumes, the Bible has been an ever-present aspect of life in Australia for more than 200 years. This inscription recognises the books’ historical significance, as well as their theological role in the evangelical propagation of the Gospel as part of the broader imperial movement of people, institutions and power associated with transportation, formation of settler societies and appropriation of Aboriginal lands.

Photos attest to the volumes’ authenticity and original plain form; their heavy use and worn state. Missing title pages for the Bible and Concordance demonstrate their high use and significance.

That St Philip’s, the first church to be established in colonial Australia, continues to hold two of the volumes and regards them as Parish treasures, is a key indication of their social and spiritual significance. The ink blots on the pages for the Marriage service are poignant.  Royal signatures in the Bible and Book of Common Prayer, including that of Queen Elizabeth, Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, are also noteworthy.

The Bible and Book of Common Prayer may be most significant to lay people, but the Concordance is also important. In pre-digital days, a concordance provided an alphabetical list of words and phrases in the Bible, making it easier to understand the meaning of terms and the context in which those words are used. Ownership of the Concordance by Moore College attests to its long history (since 1856) as the Anglican evangelical theological educational institution which prepares students for ministry.

A monument on the corner of Bligh and Hunter Streets, Sydney commemorates the first service and includes one of the texts cited by Johnson: from Psalm 116 verse 12.

The volumes are undoubtedly exceptionally rare in their role as part of the history of the book in Australia. People Print and Paper: a catalogue of a travelling exhibition celebrating the books of Australia 1788-1988 (National Library of Australia, 1988) notes: “The evidence about the books shipped on the First Fleet is scattered through the host of documents associated with its voyage and the full count is a long and difficult one. There are very few surviving First Fleet objects.”