Family History

ROBERT ANDREW MATHER & CO., LIVERPOOL ST., HOBART, DRAPERS

The Commonwealth of Australia Letter Card had a black 1d KGV printed stamp and the postmark date and place from where it had been sent could not be read. It was addresses to Andrew Mather & Co., Liverpool St.,Hobart Tasmania (Figure 1). The illustrated side of the card showed a picture within an oval and it was labeled as Railway Sleepers, Queensland. The reverse message side of the card was

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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

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MICHAEL DONAGHY & SONS, ROPE MAKER, GEELONG, ADELAIDE & SYDNEY

The brown-orange advertising cover for M. Donaghy & Sons Pty Ltd, Geelong, manufacturers of Kangaroo Brand Harvest Twine, Rope and Mats. The illustration showed a man, probably a farmer, who was standing on a ‘deck ‘ of 6 mats, and there was a small kangaroo in the background who waved a baton and appeared to be directing a team of four kangaroos in the foreground. At lower right was printed

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KWONG, SING & CO. LTD, GLEN INNES N.S.W. A FAMILY DYNASTY

This cover has been described as very rare by the vendor on account of use of regular postage as postage due. It is addressed to Messrs. Kwong, Sing & Co. Ltd, Grey Street, Glen Innes and the red 2d Kingsford Smith stamp is cancelled with T.P.O 2 NORTH/ UP 21MY31/N.S.W. It has a fine double ring LATE FEE/ 1D/ TO PAY, as well as a green 1d KGV Head stamp cancelled with

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JOSEPH BENSON MATHER, DRAPER, QUAKER, HOBART TOWN, V.D.L.

This indistinct cover front only, introduces an early immigrant to Tasmania. It has a blue VDL imperforate ‘FOUR PENCE’ stamp cancelled by a manuscript three curved strokes and there is also a manuscript applied at the left border by the postmaster ‘Swansea/ 24/11/59′. It is addressed to Joseph Benson Mather, 98 Liverpool Street, Hobart Town (Figure 1). His obituary was published in The Mercury, 19th May 1890, his death having

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JESSE FRENCH PIANOS, U.S.A. – A CONNECTION to AUSTRALIA

Two covers sent from Sydney to a piano manufacturer in New Castle, Indiana, USA prompted this paper. The first had embossed octagonal KGV heads of the 1d red and the ½d green as well as an affixed 1½d brown KGV head stamp, making a total of 3d postage. The stamps had a roller cancellation of SYDNEY/ JE 9/ 1919/ 1015AM/ N.S.W. The sender’s name is rubber stamped in purple, at

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JAMES & ROBERT BURNS CUMING, ADELAIDE CHEMICAL WORKS COMPANY

The South Australia purple ONE PENNY postcard is addressed in print to Mr. R. B. Cuming, The Adelaide Chemical Works Company, New Thebarton, (South Australia) and it is cancelled with a duplex G.P.O. ADELAIDE/ AU 25/ 94/ S.A postmark (Figure 1). The reverse has a short message: Aug 25 1894, Dear Sir, Will be there Monday morning 8 a m sharp, truly yours (initials uncertain), (Figure 2). James Cuming, businessman,

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J.J.A. BOASE, BANKER PENZANCE, CORNWALL: LETTER from MELBOURNE

The following scans were sent to me by Les Molnar who has added this cover to his ‘Emblems’ of Victoria stamp exhibit. It is unique in that a total of nine green 1d emblems stamps were used on the cover, and more importantly it had the previously unknown use of an interpanneau block of 4 stamps on the cover. The cover was sent per ‘Emeu’ via Marseilles and the 9

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J. MARTIN, DRAPER, JOHN MARTIN & Co. Ltd. S.A., & BRUNETTE DOWNS N.T.

This registered Business Reply Envelope had a purple handstamped ‘AIR MAIL’ as well as a ms. Brunette Downs N. T. registration label and it was sent to John Martin & Co. Limited, 92-106 Rundle St., Adelaide. It had 2 single small green One Shilling Lyre Bird stamps with a single purple 1d QEII stamp. The stamps were cancelled with 3 BRUNETTE DOWNS/ ( )/ N.T. postmarks, the date being illegible.

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HIGGINS FAMILY, BURNT OAK, CURRENCY CREEK, S. A.

The E-bay seller had more than 40 covers posted to several family members over a period of 50 years. The present cover was addressed to Mrs. H.M. Higgins, Burnt Oak, Currency Creek, South A/lia with a Melbourne/ -2 AP-6-P/ 1925 postmark, with a complete roller cancel: BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION/ ALWAYS ASK FOR/ AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS, on a KGV 1½d red stamp (Figure 1). There was no postmarking on the reverse. The

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