Explorers

CAPTAIN EDWARD CHARLES FROME, ROYAL ENGINEERS (1802-1890)

The cover is stampless with a manuscript ‘8′ crossed-out with a manuscript PM’s endorsement of ‘P.O/Clare’ and a manuscript ‘O.P. Service’ with a postmark of G.P.O ADELAIDE/[crown]/ MA 6/ 1849/ SOUTH AUST. and it is addressed to Captain Frome R.E., Victoria Square (Figure 1). Edward Charles Frome, soldier and surveyor, was born on 7 January 1802 at Gibraltar, the son of Rev. J. T. Frome of Woodlands, Dorset, England. He

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HUBERT WILKINS, OFFICER, AVIATOR, EXPLORER, & WAR PHOTOGRAPHER

Yet another philatelically-contrived Antarctic cover but with more than the usual historical interest. The purple 4d ‘Child Praying’ 1957 Christmas issue is postmarked HALLETT/ 13 FE 58/ SOUTH-AUST and is autographed by the sender Hubert Wilkins, and addressed in his hand ‘H. Wilkins, Gen Delivery, Hallett’. It has multiple hand-stamps, a small black circle denoting the Antarctic ‘Deep Freeze’ expedition; one large purple and one large octagonal International Geophysical Year

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AUGUSTUS MORRIS, BUSINESSMAN, EXPLORER, PASTORALIST & POLITICIAN

The cover is addressed to Augustus Morris Esqr, Wilton, Manly (New South Wales) and it has a single purple ‘ONE PENNY View of Sydney’ stamp which is cancelled with a duplex SYDNEY JU 25/ 11-AM/ 95/ 36 with the 3-rig oval ‘N.S.W.’ obliterating the stamp. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Augustus Morris (1820?-1895), pastoralist and politician, was born in Van Diemen’s Land, son of Augustus Morris and his

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JOHN ARTHUR MACARTNEY, PASTORALIST, HORSEMAN & QUEENSLAND PIONEER

This mourning cover had a 2d lilac ‘Stamp Duty’of Victoria canceled by the barred numeral ‘156′ corresponding to the unframed MANSFIELD/ AP 27/ 85/ VICTORIA as well as a boxed black DEFICIENT POSTAGE/ FINE (ms. ‘2d‘) and it was addressed to John Arthur Macartney Esq, Waverly, Marlborough, via Rockhampton, Queensland (the latter placed at top left of the cover), and there were three other manuscripts ‘or Mrs Macartney’ , ‘recd 5th May/ 85

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GREGORY BROTHERS, EXPLORERS & FRANK PEDLEY, CANADIAN POLITICO

The Aristophot Co., London postcard was sent by a person, not researched, by name N. Stoneham to Mrs Frank Pedley, 283 McLaren St, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and the rosine 1d South Australian stamp was canceled by a EUDUNDA/1/ AP 28/ 08/S.A ‘squared circle’ postmark. There was a routing VANCOUVER, B.C./ JUN 4/ 7.30 AM/ 1908 postmark as well as a reception OTTAWA -ONT/ JUN 9/ 08/ CANADA postmark (Figure 1).

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CAPTAIN CHARLES STURT, EXPLORER, SURVEYOR, 1795-1869

This cover is a commemoration of one of Australia’s greatest explorers and it celebrates the centenary of Sturt’s third expedition in 1844 when he left Adelaide for the centre of Australia, to find the Inland Sea, hence the dates 1844-1944. It is not a first day cover for the stamps were issued 2 June1930 and were a commemoration of the centenary of Sturt’s exploration along the course of the Murray

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BENJAMIN LEIGH SMITH, ENGLISH YACHTSMAN & ARCTIC EXPLORER

The cover has four ‘Laureate’ stamps of Victoria, a single and a pair of the green ‘ONE PENNY’ and a single blue ‘SIX PENCE’ which are canceled with a duplex MELBOURNE/ 3H/ NO 7/ 71 VICTORIA.   It is addressed to Benjn Leigh Smith Esq, Oxford & Cambridge Club, Pall Mall, London (Figure 1). The reverse has a reception postmark of LONDON/-SW/ H ( )/ DE 20/ 71 (Figure 2) Benjamin

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A.A.A.C. PRESIDENT GREGORY’s LETTER to PROFESSOR WILLIAM HARKNESS

It is not frequent to find on the front of a cover, the proof of documentation of two men, one from Australia and the other from the USA, both of whom made highly significant contributions to their own country, in so many ways. This cover was sent from the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science (A.A.A.C.) by its President, A.C. Gregory to Professor Harkness, The Observatory, Washington D.C., U.S.

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THOMAS MITCHELL REGISTERED LETTER, BLACKALL QLD to STETTLER AB, CANADA

This is one of the many Royal Geographical Society of Australasia covers but there is added interest in that it was sent Air Mail and Registered to Canada as a First Day cover, and the reverse backstamping was quite a surprise. The postage adds up to 2 shillings and 9 pence, made up of the complete Thomas Mitchell set (plus and additional 1 shilling copy) and a single of the

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RICHARD HELMS, ZOOLOGIST & BOTANIST, DEPT. of AGRICULTURE, SYDNEY

The postcard was sent from the Linnean Society of New South Wales, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney as Printed Matter Only, to Richard Helms Esqr., Department of Agriculture, 140 Lower George Street, Sydney. The green ½ penny N.S.W. stamp was canceled WILLIAM STREET/ MY 2 ( )/ 3-5-P.M./03/ N.S.W (Figure 1). Richard Helms, zoologist and botanist, was born on 12 December 1842 at Altona, Hanover, Germany, son of Frederick Helms, Lutheran minister,

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