Event

AN INVITATION from BERT HAWKE to MISS CLANCY to MEET BILL SLIM

I recognize that this mundane cover is just an excuse for me to meet two men whose backgrounds were not dissimilar, whose careers were considerably divergent, yet both had a significant impact on Australia, during the same decade. I have no clue as to whom Miss Slim was, but I am sure that she was honoured by the invitation. In fact this cover was one of two separate invitations that

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ADOLARIOUS HUMPHREY BOYD, CONTROVERSIAL CIVIL SERVANT, TASMANIA

The earlier cover is addressed to A.H. Boyd Esqr., Deputy Registrar of Births Etc., Port Arthur, (Tasmania) and the brick-red no watermark ‘ONE PENNY POSTAGE’ QV VAN DIEMENS LAND stamp is cancelled by the first numeral ‘48′ of Ouse, Tasmania. In addition there is a fine cancel of an unframed reception postmark of POST OFFICE/ IMPRESSION BAY with a poorly written ms. of ‘30/10/56′ in the centre. It cannot be

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WOMEN’S WORK EXHIBITION, MELBOURNE 1907

The ‘Empire’ Post Card has the pink 1d ‘POSTAGE’ stamp of Victoria which is cancelled with the duplex EXHIBITION/ OC 28/ 07/ MELBOURNE postmark with the barred numeral ‘1197’.  It is addressed to Launceston, Tasmania and the message starts off “I am writing this from the Exhibition…… (Figure 1). The reverse of the postcard shows a picture of the Exhibition Buiding and it is inscribed with ‘Souvenir of the Women’s Work Exhibition, Melbourne

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THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION of 1880 – 1881

The cover was addressed to Syracuse, New York, United States and the blue 6d Laureate stamp of Victoria was canceled with the barred numeral MC/97 (Type 11A which was in use from 20.8.1880 until 30.6.1881) and the cover was also postmarked with an unframed EXHIBITION/ MY 17/ 81/ VICTORIA (Figure 1). The reverse was not seen but was backstamped with Melbourne, a red transit mark of San Francisco and a

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PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY of N.S.W. & 1ST A’SIAN PHILATELIC EXHIBITION

This Pharmaceutical Society of New South Wales, 7 Richmond Terrace, Domain (Sydney) cover had a red 1d ‘N.S.W. Shield’ stamp and a red ‘Cinderella’ of the Australasian Philatelic Exhibition, Sydney 1911, both postmarked with a roller cancel ‘SYDNEY N.S.W. OC 14 1911′. It was addressed to R J Clarke Esq, Harwoods Pharmacy, Raymond Terrace, (NSW). The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). The First Australasian Philatelic Exhibition, Sydney 1911 was

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OPENING of the SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE 19 MARCH 1932

The stamps commemorating this event were issued on the 14 March 1932, with the two red 2d stamps (single line perf. 11, for the unwatermarked recess print and comb perf. 10.5 for the letterpress stamp) with the blue 3d and the green 5/- stamps. The design featured the bridge from the south-east, with a large liner, R.M.S. Orford passing beneath to provide a perspective of size (Figure 1). A large

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JACK’S DAY, NAVAL FORCES CHARITY, & 3 KNIGHTED BANKER -TREASURERS

This unusual cover reveals a World War One charitable fund for naval personnel and their families which was started on November 1, 1918 and which ran for several weeks in Australia. The cover has a green ½d and a red 1d KGV Head stamps postmarked with a patriotic roller cancel, HELP TO WIN THE WAR. The stamps partially obscure a printed blue “JACK’S DAY”/ By Authority of the Department of

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EMMA ZEGELS: AIRMAIL FLIGHT LONDON to MELBOURNE: AIR RACE

This dramatic Air Mail Flight cover was described by the eBay vendor as follows: “Unusual special airpost registered envelope with Emma Zegels stamps mailed from Batavia to Melbourne, Australia on the Douglas flight and then back to Batavia.via ship. Vignettes and postage/registration on both sides.” Both the vendor and I don’t understand the Dutch language, particularly the word ‘Zegels’. Most of the aircraft carried mail unofficially, whereas the (Dutch) KLM

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