The Australian city of Darwin has hosted a bird exhibition and has received an unexpected bonus from a private collector.

A man has lent his stockpile of books, prints and paintings that represent some of the earliest European depictions of Australia's feathered friends.

Among the collection is a book written by Australia's first governor in 1789. It contains an account of some of the first sightings of the country’s unique bird life. There are also prints by British artists from the 1840s.