Prologue: The appearance of 17 covers at one Australian philatelic website sparked my interest in the Branson family. The amount of information concerning this family on the Internet was surprisingly minimal, considering what was eventually learnt from a local source. All 17 covers were addressed to family members at Binda N.S.W. over a period of 29 years, from 1883 until 1912, and unfortunately no letters were still enclosed. The stamps
The cover was addressed to Thos. Lyons Esq., 69 Collins Street, HOBART, Tasmania and the pink pair of the ‘ONE PENNY’ stamp of Victoria was cancelled with a duplex DAYLESFORD/ AP 30/ 04/ VICTORIA associated with the barred numeral ‘173′. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Thomas Lyons, businessman, banker, gold miner, lottery promoter, race horse breeder & owner, stock broker tin miner was born on 3 January 1861
The cover is addressed to Messrs. W. & L. Gordon Pty. Ltd., Napier Street, Essendon, W. 5., a suburb of Melbourne, and the company has not been identified to date. The red 1½d KGV Head stamp was cancelled with a roller cancel MELBOURNE/ 4 30 AM/ 23 AUG/ 1928/ VICTORIA with the slogan INCLUDE POSTAL DISTRICT/ NUMBER IN MELBOURNE/ SUBURBAN ADDRESS, with which the addressor has appropriately complied as shown
This very faint advertising cover shows either a piano or small organ labeled ‘BELL’ and it is addressed to Mr. David Allen Jr, c/o Bell Organs & Piano Co. Ltd., Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The blue ‘Two Penny’ and grey ‘Half Penny’ stamps of New South Wales are postmarked with a duplex SYDNEY/ AU 10/ 2-PM/ 96/ 37 with a barred N.S.W. oblterator. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Although
Philatelically inspired mail of this type is not uncommon, but this cover is somewhat unusual for the addressee is a good starting point for researching a family that was associated with a printing company that had a history of 100 years, from 1875 to 1975. The front is adorned with a total of four hand-struck stampings, one in black script, another in green made up of three parts, a purple
The advertising cover has ‘Ask for MONDS/ ROLLER FLOUR, ROLLED OATS, AND 0ATMEAL, All Grocers Sell Them’ at the top, and ‘Nothing For Breakfast So Good As ROLLED OATS, Nor ROLLED OATS So Good As MONDS’ at the bottom. It is addressed to Messrs Button, Bros. Oatlands. The red 1d pictorial stamp of Tasmania is postmarked LAUNCESTON/ MY 12/ 1906/ TASMANIA. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Thomas Wilkes
The cover has a ms. Per Clipper Ship Schomberg from Liverpool, Octr. 5.1855 and was addressed to Thomas M Sloman Esqr. Merchant, Bathurst, New South Wales Australia, Via Sydney N.S. Wales. The stamp had washed off but most of the EXETER/ OCT 2/ 1855 was legible, and at the left hand border, in another hand, were the words Paid by Stamp (Figure 1). The reverse has a transit SYDNEY/ B/
Two Thomas C. Lothian Pty Ltd covers were found recently and I was surprised that I had never heard of the company before, not only because of its longevity but also because of its importance to Australian publishing. The first was a WW II censored cover with the usual red label of ‘3 Opened by Censor’ as well as the purple hand stamp, and it was addressed to an important
The postcard had a 1d orange-brown ‘Reading Stamp Duty’ stamp cancelled with an ‘UP TRAIN/ MG 1/AU 23/ 90/ VICTORIA postmark and had a printed JAS. GRIGG, Esq.,456 Collins Street, Melbourne (Figure 1). The reverse was also printed and was headed SOUTHERN PROVINCE ELECTION/ August 4 th, 1890 Dear Sir, You may append my name to the requisition to Mr. Thos. Brunton. Yours truly, (unsigned by sender) but signed by the receiver Mr. Phillip,
The entire is addressed to Ths Barker Esq., Steam Mills. Sysdney and there is a boxed red PAID AT/, CAMDEN handstamp, a large red hand-written ‘2’, and a black ms. ppe at lower left on this stampless front. The vendor has identified it being sent in 1851 and the reverse has a Camden b/s as well as a Sydney arrival (Figure 1). Thomas Barker, engineer, manufacturer, grazier and philanthropist, was born