Places

ADELAIDE to KINSHASA via LONDON, LISBON, BANANA & BOMA, CONGO

This is one of the most extravagant advertising covers I have written about, and it is also the third cover to the CongoI have recorded. I seem to have a fascination for this chaotic region which has had so much strife in its pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. The Australian Stamp Company, Adelaide, South Australia has resisted my many research attempts, but there is enough advertising matter to obtain an idea

Read More »

A LETTER to BOMBARDIER H. WELLS, NOWSHERA, N.W.F. PROVINCE 1909

This fairly unique destination cover to a long-time troublesome area, now in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, is related to a series of conflicts starting with the Anglo-Afghan wars during the imperialist Great Game between the United Kingdom and Russia which led to the dismemberment of Afghanistan. The front which was not seen is a real photo, b/w postcard of ‘The Blow Hole, near Flinders’. The reverse shows it is an Australian

Read More »

CHARLES DIBBIN, BOY, ROYAL MILITARY ASYLUM, CHELSEA, nr. LONDON

The cover was sent to, Charles Dibbin, Boy, No 1 Company, Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, Nr. London, Per Simla and had a dull orange-brown imperforate ‘SIX PENCE’ wood block stamp, cancelled by a BN ‘1′ of Melbourne.   An additional marking was a red PAID/ DD/ 3 AU 3/ 1857, presumably applied in London.  Not seen, was an originating postmark of Melbourne May 28, 1857, on the reverse (Figure 1). The

Read More »

EVERETT A. COLSON, ADVISOR to EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE, ETHIOPIA

The cover had a blue registration label for SYDNEY—C/ N.S.W. and the stamps consisted of an orange ½d, a green 1d and a red-brown KGV Head stamps, as well as the green 3d airmail stamp. They were postmarked by a REGISTERED/ B 14 MR 33/ SYDNEY N.S.W. The cover was addressed to E.A. Colson Esq, Box 215, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Abyssinia) (Figure 1). The reverse had 4 postmarks, the second

Read More »

PETTY’S HOTEL: A SYDNEY SITE with a LONG PROVENANCE

This registered cover shows the full set of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester stamps which were issued on 19 Feb 1945. It was postmarked G.P.O. SYDNEY/ R.C.S./ 5-P 20 FE 45/ 1/ N.S.W. AUST. There is no registration label, but the blue crossed lines front and reverse clearly show it was registered.. The cover is addressed to Lt: T.B. Harrop./ R.N.V.R./ R.N.O.Q. (Petty’s Hotel)/ York Street. Sydney./ N.S.W. Australia

Read More »

S.E.E. NAVAL YARD, H. K.: W.H. ORGAN, P.OW. JAPAN: LETTER from HIS WIFE

This PRISONER OF WAR POST, SERVICE DES PRISONNIERS DE GUERRE cover was addressed to W.H. Organ, S.E.E. Naval Yard, Civilian Internee, Hong Kong. It had the AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS insignia on it as well as C/O JAPANESE RED CROSS SOCIETY, TOKYO, JAPAN and a purple diamond ‘3/ PASSED/ BY / CENSOR/ 329′ handstamp and a red hand stamp of an oblong with Japanese print. The date of 30/ 3/ 43

Read More »

HERMITAGE HOTEL, MOUNT COOK, TIMARU, NEW ZEALAND, REDIRECT

The red 1d ‘Shield’ stamp of New South Wales is canceled with a roller postmark of MELBOURNE/ 11.JAN.13 and it was addressed to J. Colin Ronald Esqre, Melbourne and is redirected in red ink to G.P.O. AUCKLAND (Figure 1). The reverse shows that it was readdressed to J. Colin Ronald, The Hermitage, Mt Cook Timaru, New Zealand, without any postal marks (Figure 2). The first Hermitage was built in 1884,

Read More »

ROBERT BROUGH & DION BOUCICAULT, COMEDY COMPANY, SHANGHAI

This 1d red New South Wales postcard has an additional red 1d ‘Shield’ stamp added and it is cancelled with a duplex SYDNEY/ MY 3/ (–) PM/ 01/ 41 with the N.S.W obliterator. It is addressed to Allan Hamilton Esqr, The Brough Comedy Coy, Shanghai. It has a double circle SHANGHAI’ 1/ JU 1/ 01/LOCAL POST with an adjacent small single circle ‘34′. There is a manuscript Chinese script along

Read More »

PFAHLERT’S HOTEL, WYNYARD SQUARE, SYDNEY to BEVERWIJK, HOLLAND

The cover is addressed to C. Th. Moens, Beverwijk, Holland and the receiver has incorrectly added that it was received on 13 Jan. 13. Postage was paid by the green ‘HALF PENCE’ QV stamp and a pair of the red 1d. ‘Shield’ stamps of New South Wales. The stamps are postmarked with two EPPING/ 13 DE 11/ N.S.W (a suburb of Sydney) (Figure 1). The reverse has a printed red

Read More »

THE EARLY SETTLERS & HISTORY of CHARCOAL CREEK, UNANDERRA N.S.W.

I have been intrigued in the past 10 years by Australian postmarks, particularly those of my native State of New South Wales. In part this is due to the fact that I dropped Australian history and geography from my early studies in Sydney and I am now playing ‘Catch-Up’ by looking out for places that interest me. This common red 1d ‘Shield’ stamp of N.S.W. had the earliest postmark known

Read More »