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 1816 as the office did not open until July 1, 1856 and it closed February 2, 1858. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

For the past 1½ years this cover has been lying fallow, for research was unproductive, then the floodgates opened over a period of 1 hour. The cover was addressed to O.G. Douglas Esq^re, Messrs Douglas & Collins, Patterson Street, Launceston, Tasmania. There was a pair of the pink 1d ‘Postage’ Victoria stamps postmarked with the double ring MELBOURNE/ AM/ 4.30/ 28.7.O7 (Figure 1).

ALEXANDRA VICTORIA: SOLICITOR to R.S. APPELBE, MILTON BARRISTER, CANADA

The cover the blue 6d ‘Laureate’ and a lilac 2d stamps of Victoria canceled with the barred numeral ‘602' and there was an unframed ALEXANDRA/ FE 23/ 75/ VICTORIA alongside. There was an orange crayon ‘2' and a red hand-stamp LONDON/ PAID. The cover was addressed to R.S. Appelbe Esqr, Barrister &c, Milton, Ontario, Canada (Figure 1).

ALFRED HENSMAN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA JUDGE & ATTORNEY-GENERAL

The stampless cover has four handstamps the first being a duplex SHIP MAIL ROOM/ SP 17/ 98/ PERTH W.A with an eight barred PO which partially obscures a purple MR JUSTICE HENSMAN/FRANK STAMP/ WESTERN AUSTRALIA plus two copies a black PAID/ OFFICIALLY/ WEST AUSTRALIA.  The cover is addressed to Wm Shoosmith Esq, Solicitor, 19 Market Square, Northampton, England.  At the lower left hand side the writer has his manuscript initials, ‘APH’, those of Alfred Peach Hensman (Figure 1).

BRENT CLEMENTS RODD & JOHN DAWSON, SOLICITORS, DEBT COLLECTORS

The cover has a strip of 3 imperforate deep purple TWO PENCE ‘Queen on the Throne’ 1855-56 Campbell & Fergusson printing of stamps of Victoria (S.G. 36a) cancelled with an indistinct barred numeral of a Melbourne ‘1'. It is addressed to Mess^rs Rodd & Dawson, 21 Pitt S^t, Sydney, N.S.W. (Figure 1).

BURRILL’S WAREHOUSE, OATLANDS & NEW NORFOLK to THOMAS LYONS, TAS

The advertising cover is for Burrill’s Warehouse, Oatlands, Tasmania, J. Burrill, Importer of Draperu, ronmongery, and Fancy Goods. It is addressed to Thos. Lyons Esq., C/o Tattersall, Hobart. The two red 1d pictorial Tasmania stamps have the OATLANDS/ JY 1/03/ TASMANIA postmark and the reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

CYRIL ST JOHN CLARKE, VETERAN, BOER WAR & WW1, SOLICITOR, COLAC,VIC.

The cover is addressed to C. St. John Clarke Esqr., Solicitor, Murray Street, Colac and the manuscript above the address has not been identified. The 1½d brown KGV Head stamp has been cancelled SOUTH YARRA/ ------/ VIC, but the date was not seen. The cover was taxed with a T8^d in an oval and four 2d stamp duty stamps were applied, and cancelled by ink hand writing. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

E.A.V.ABRAHAM, SOLICITOR, GREYSTONE, DEMERARA, BRITISH GUIANA

The registered cover has the long green’ THREE PENCE POSTAGE’ and the blue 2½d stamps of South Australia with a ms. ‘8285', an oval AR as well as the name of the sender at the bottom left, better seen on the reverse. It had a REGISTERED ADELAIDE/ 12/11/05 postmark, and the recipient is addressed as E.A.V. Abraham Esq, Greystone, Demerara, British Guiana (Figure 1).

EDWIN DAINTREY, DOCTOR, SOLICITOR, BOTANIST, LAND DEVELOPER

This cover has a total of 8 cents US postage, a single red 2c plus a pair of brown 3c postmarked with 3 examples of a NEW YORK/ AUG 22/ 3 PM/ D/ 85 duplex with a large ‘D’ in an oval of six thick bars. It was sent ‘Via San Francisco’ to Edwin Daintrey Esq, 33 Castlereagh St, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. There was a vertical manuscript in a different hand ‘Rec Sept (?)/ 85. The reverse was not seen but had Sydney backstamps (Figure 1).

ERNEST GRANVILLE MILLER, LAWYER, BRINGS CHEER to WWI TROOPS

A French cover is addressed to Monsieur E. Granville Miller, Launceston, Tasmania. The large purple handstamp identifies that the sender is Charles Roussin/ N. 9 SOULS BARBES N. 9/ and it is dated 30 NOV 86. There are 4 strikes of the double circle PARIS/ 3/ NOV./ 86/ GARE DU NORD, ‘26' in a circle, a large ‘R’ in a box and a ms. ‘338'. There are five French stamps all with ‘ REPUB FRANC’, 3 with 10c at lower left, 1 with 30c at upper right, and an unidentified different design 20c at lower right (Figure 1).

FREDERICK CHARLES STANDISH & the NED KELLY GANG

This ON HER MAJESTY’S SERVICE envelope has the Minister of Justice/ Victoria Frank Stamping in blue which was introduced in the original 1864 frankstamps allocation. Only one die exists for the handstamped frank, and it is found both in blue and red. The printed frank exists only in black, and at least 9 different electros exist. The Frank is largely obscured by the barred numeral ‘11' with 3 curved arcs on each side, being the Type A1 of Williamstown .The cover is addressed to F.C. Standish Esq, Chief Commissioner of Police, Melbourne (Figure 1).

G. SHOVELBOTTOM, CURATOR of INTESTATE ESTATES, & F. J. BURY MELBOURNE

Two covers sent to this intriguingly named man have been difficult to research in the past two years, other than for information of the English origin of his surname and its variants. As my experience has grown in the use of the National Library of Australia’s Beta search of early colonial newspapers, I utilised this remarkable website to have yet another look at a previously difficult paper.

The first entire was addressed (in error) to G. Shovelbottom Esqr, Curator of Estates, Carisbrook, Victoria, Australia , and Carisbrook is lined through, and ‘Try Chancery Lane, Melbourne has been added.. There is a vertically place boxed handstamp ‘MISSENT TO/ CARISBROOK and the ‘SIX PENCE’ Great Britain stamp (S.G. 70) is cancelled with the duplex C/ BATH/ SP 15/ 58 with the barred numeral ‘53' (Figure 1).

GEORGE ROBERT NICHOLS, LAWYER & POLITICIAN (1809 - 1857)

Three stampless N.S.W. covers appeared at the same auction site dated 1833-1835 addressed to George Nichols. The first was sent from INVERMEIN/ NSW/ POST OFFICE (the rare double-circle undated handstruck postmark used from 1833-39, when P.O. was removed to Scone) with a reception [Crown]/ GENERAL POST OFFICE/ 23 AP 23/ 1833/ SYDNEY, rated ‘10d’ and it was addressed to G.R. Nichols Esq, George Street, Sydney (Figure 1).

HENRY BURTON BRADLEY, SOLICITOR, NOTARY & HEALTH REFORMER

The vendor of this cover states that it was mailed from East Maitland in 1850, but the N.S.W. duplex with the barred numeral is partly illegible as ‘(6)3'. It has a pair of S.G. 11, imperforate ‘ONE PENNY’ dull carmine issued in August 1850, and it was sent to H.B. Bradley Esq., Solicitor, No.1 Gilchrist Buildings, Sydney (Figure 1).

HENRY W. HUNTINGTON, HISTORIAN of NEWCASTLE & NORTHERN DISTRICT

The cover is addressed to H. W. Huntington Esq^re, District Court, Newcastle and the misperfed red 1d stamp of New South Wales has fine ‘Rays 355' cancel of Stockton, N.S.W. (Figure 1).

JOHN PORTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROVIDENT INSTITUTE, VICTORIA

This registered cover has a single blue ‘ONE SHILLING Laureate’ stamp of Victoria and a pair of the brown-vermillion ‘Emblem’ stamps of Victoria which are cancelled with the barred numeral ‘16' of Ballan, Victoria. It is addressed to John Porter Esq., Manager, Provident Institute Victoria, Queen St, Melbourne. There is a black manuscript ‘Registered 8^th January, 1861' as well as a small red unframed circular handstamp REGISTERED/ JA 8/ 61/ MELBOURNE. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

JUDGE HUGH MONTGOMERIE HAMILTON, GLACIER CLIMBER, PHILATELIST

Only the front of this registered cover was available, but the addressee was easily identifiable by his distinctive name and the name of his residence. It was sent from Melbourne with a MARKET STREET/ 19 MY 30/ MELBOURNE postmark on a reddish violet 4½d KGV head stamp and a R6 Registration label for Market St. Melb. Victoria. It was addressed to Judge H. Montgomerie Hamilton, "Tomabil", Strathfield, Sydney, N.S.W. (Figure 1).

MESSRS. MAX WULFSOHN & CO., FURRIERS NEW YORK, N.Y. U.S.A. 

This 3-coloured stamped cover was sent to Messrs. Max Wulfsohn & Co., 109/111 West 27 Street, New York, U.S.A. The 3 stamps are all KGV Head stamps, the 1d red, the green ½d and the 2d brown-orange. There is a roller SYDNEY/ 9-PM/ MY 18/ 1921/ N.S.W. cancel without any slogan and there is a printed boxed return address at Box 959, G.P.O. Sydney. The reverse had a manuscript sender’s name that was illegible, with the address of Bellevue Hill, a suburb of Sydney (Figure 1).

MORRIS & FLETCHER, SOLICITORS, BRISBANE 1903

This fine advertising cover from the Queensland, Brisbane branch, of the New Zealand Insurance Co. (Fire & Marine) bore the ‘Four Corners’ 1d orange Queensland imprinted stamp and was postmarked with a Brisbane duplex dated JA 23/ 03. Below the Maori male figure it stated “Freehold Assets and Other Investments secured to Queensland Policy Holders £60,000". The cover was addressed to Messrs Morris & Fletcher, Solicitors, Brisbane (Figure 1).

MOSES MOSS COMPANY, MERCHANTS SYDNEY from VAN DIEMEN’S LAND

The entire was franked with a blue 4d imperforate ‘Chalon’ Van Diemen’s Land stamp and there was a framed red GENERAL POST OFFICE/ HOBART TOWN/ [Crown]/ 10 FE 10/ VDL/ 1857 postmark. There was a ms. per ‘Tasmania’ and it was addressed to Moses Moss Esq., Sydney. The reverse was not seen, but the vendor stated that there was a ‘SHIP LETTER SYDNEY FE 19 1857' arrival backstamp. The contents of the letter related to the price of tea (Figure 1).

PHILLIP HOLT, BARRISTER & JUDGE, GODERICH ONTARIO (1852-1917) [CANADA]

A cover from Sydney N.S.W., Australia to a small town Goderich, Ontario Canada revealed an interesting story about the history of the addressee, and the possible routing of the cover. The envelope had 4 single copies of the blue Two Pence "Queen Victoria" stamp of New South Wales, all copies of which were individually postmarked with an illegible barred numeral as well as a possible 2 ring postmark, also illegible. No date was visible on the front, but stamps of that design were issued as early as 1862 and as late as 1897. The cover was taxed 2d in blue crayon, as the only sign of the deficient postage.

REES RUTLAND & CHARLES SYDNEY JONES, LAWYERS, ROCKHAMPTON, QLD

The cover had a strip of 3 blue ‘TWO PENCE’ stamps of New South Wales that were cancelled by 2 copies of the duplex 64/ OC 15/ D/ SYDNEY with the obliterator ‘N.S.W’ in the 3-ring oval reading downwards. This cancel was fashioned after the English duplex and was in use from 20.7.58 until 24. 9. 67, corresponding to Tobin & Orchard’s duplex #109. It was addressed to Rees. R. Jones Esq. Rockhampton, Queensland (Figure 1).

REV. J. FLIERL, SENIOR MISSIONARY, NEW GUINEA & J. FERGUSON, JUDGE

The cover has a manuscript ‘From Senior Missionary Joh. Flierl, Finschafen New Guinea, via Rabaul and was addressed to Mr. J.A. Ferguson, University Chambers, 167 Phillip Str., Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. It has 3 violet handstamps, with 2 straight line ‘PASSED BY CENSOR’ as well as an oval ‘CENSORED BY/ DISTRICT OFFICER/ WM OGILVY’ cachet. There are 5 green ½d ‘Roo on Map of Australia’ stamps, a single and block of four, all perfined with the official O S. The stamps have several cancellations, described by the vendor as ‘the defaced court seal of Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen’ in 1915. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

RICHARD PACKMAN, LONG-TIME EMPLOYEE of TATERSALL’S: LEGAL CASE

The cover is addressed to Mr. R. Packman, 69 Collins St., Hobart, Tasmania and there was a pair of 2 pink 1d stamps of Victoria postmarked with a roller cancel MELBOURNE/ OCT 15/ 9 PM/ 1907 withVICTORIA enclosed in wavy lines. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

SAMUEL BARROW, SUPERINTENDENT & VISITING JUSTICE, PENTRIDGE GAOL

Although this cover is addressed to James Barrow Esq, Sup^d Penal Department, Pentridge, there is considerable research information that the man named was Samuel Barrow. There was a ms. ‘2 To pay’ and the ‘Half Length’ Third State 1d dull orange vermillion S.G. 8 was cancelled with two Melbourne barred ovals of ‘1 over V’. The vendor stated that it was posted in March 1853, and there was a poor but discernible ‘Pentridge’ backstamp (Figure 1).

SAMUEL JAMES WAY, CHIEF JUSTICE, LT. GOVERNOR S.A., & GRAND MASTER 

This is the first time I have seen a ‘CIRCULAR & CARTNOTE ONLY’ and it looks like a Newspaper Wrapper. It was sent from R.J. COOMBS & Co., Woolbrokers, Adelaide to The Right Hon. S.J. Way PC, Montefiore, Port Adelaide. The printed green 1d South Australian stamp was postmarked G.P.O. ADELAIDE/ AU 2 ( )/ S.A., but the year date was not seen. However he was made a Privy Cuncillor in 1897, and he was knighted in 1899 so that the item does not predate these times (Figure 1).

SIR G. J. MURRAY, SUPREME COURT, ADELAIDE & SIR R.V. WILSON, SENATOR

It is not often that an Australian Postcard uncovers two talented Australian men, both of whom were knighted. This printed to private order postcard with the green 1d KGV head stamp is postmarked with a roller cancel ADELAIDE/ 14 JU 12 11.15 A.M./ STH. AUST with the slogan BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION/ ALWAYS ASK FOR/ AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS. It was addressed to Sir G.J.R. Murray, Supreme Court, Adelaide (Figure 1).

SIR JAMES COCKLE, CHIEF JUSTICE & MATHEMATICIAN 1819-1895

This battered long blue envelope is addressed to Sir James Cockle, chief Justice of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland and it had the blue 2 d N.S.W. stamp postmarked with an unframed duplex SYDNEY/ E/ JU 1/ 74/ P postmark. There were no markings on the reverse (Figure 1).

SIR WILLIAM CHARLES WINDEYER, POLITICIAN & JUDGE (1834-97)

This incoming newspaper wrapper from Great Britain (H&G #E9) was issued in 1889 with the brown Half Penny QV indicium. It was postmarked ‘57' with an 8-barred elliptical obliterator from Beaconsfield, Buck., and it had a handstamp ‘DEFICIENT POSTAGE ½/ FINE _______4^d, as well as a large handstamp ‘4½^d. It was addressed to Hon W.C. Windeyer M.A., Tomago, Hunter River, N.S .Wales (Figure 1).

SIR WILLIAM H. BUNDEY, BARRISTER, JUDGE, POLITICIAN & YATCHSMAN

The cover has an orange ‘TWO PENCE’ QV stamp of South Australia cancelled with the squared circle postmark of P^T ADELAIDE/ 2/ DE 16/ 93/ S.A and is addressed to his Honour Judge Bundy (sic), Supreme Court, Adelaide, and the reverse was not seen (Figure 1).

SIR WILLIAM MANNING, BARRISTER & POLITICIAN, LETTER to FUTURE WIFE

The stampless cover has a red handstamp with a Crown over a circular FREE/ MY 16/ 1849 and it is addressed to Miss Sowerby, The Parsonage, Goulburn and the signature of the sender is seen as W.M. Manning. The reverse had only red sealing wax (Figure 1).

THOMAS HAMLET TAYLOR (1818-84) & STEPHEN VINE BUCKLAND (1831-86), GEELONG LAWYERS

The cover is addressed to Compton F. Ferrers Esq, The Stafford Club, 2 Seville (sic) Row, Burlington Gardens, London, England and it has a manuscript ‘Via Brindisi’ and an additional manuscript ‘Supplementary Inst(ructions?). The fine blue on blue ‘One Shilling’ Victorian stamp is canceled by the 2nd duplex (state 2, with part of the upper frame missing) GEELONG/ 3H/ FE 2/ 72 with the Barred Numeral ‘2’. In addition there is a reception mark in lilac ‘LONDON ( )/ PAID/ MY 12/ 72 (Figure 1).

THOMAS UNDERWOOD ESQ, UNDERWOOD STREET, PADDINGTON

The Underwood name can be traced back to Cockneys from the London dockyard area in the early 1700's. There were at least 3 generations of Thomas Underwood's prior to the one addressed on this cover. The best documented of the early Thomas Underwood's (his father was probably also named Thomas) was born in 1743 in England. Four (possibly 5) of his sons were known to have lived in Australia, the one classed as possible was also named Thomas, but he is of no importance to this story, except for the fact two of his brothers, James and Joseph, were successful figures in the early colonial days of Australia.

W. H. MOULE,  MELBOURNE  SOLICITOR,  JUDGE,  POLITICIAN  &  CRICKETER

The red printed ‘TWO PENCE’ Victorian stamp is postmarked with the GEELONG/ 17/ DE 24/ 94 and the barred numeral ‘2', and the cover is addressed to Messrs Moule & Seddon, Solrs, 55 Market St, Melbourne (Figure 1).

WILLIAM DAWSON GRUBB & MORTON ALLPORT, EARLY TASMANIAN LEGAL PRACTITIONERS

This Tasmanian cover has an outer made from stiff paper which is inscribed with a manuscript 'Law papers only from/ Allport Roberts & Allport/ Hob Town 3 Sept 1862', was addressed to 'W.D. Grubb Esq/ Solicitor/ Launceston'. It has the 2d green and 4d blue Chalons tied by two impressions of the Hobart barred obliterator plus another impression of PRE-PAID/ 3 SEP 3/ 1862 cancel in red. The total of 6d postage was the rate for Book Packet Post article not exceeding 4 ounces. The reverse (not seen) was said to have a rectangular reception postmark of Launceston PRE-PAID/ 4 SP 4/ 1862 (Figure 1).