Political

JAMES MIRAMS, MELBOURNE FINANCIER, POLITICIAN & ROGUE (1839-1916)

The item which prompted this paper is not a cover, but a Promissary Note written by James Mirams on 21 January 1889 for the amount of 7 pounds 10 shillings (sterling) and it bears a fiscally cancelled 6d Victorian Stamp Duty with a manuscript ‘JMS’ and date 21/1/89. Payment was due on 24 Feby 1889, made out to the Northern Printing Co. There were 2 different purple stampings, a clear

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JAMES COX, TASMANIAN PASTORALIST, MAGISTRATE & BREEDER

This faint entire has several postmarks and manuscripts that are difficult to decipher. The most legible is at top left, a straight two-line ‘WINDSOR/ N.S.W’ and immediately below this is a manuscript ‘Island postage paid’. Just below the ’James’ in the address is a strike in red of an octagonal ‘WINDSOR/ POST PAID’ and below that an oval ‘GENERAL POST OFFICE/ OC 7/ 1840/ SYDNEY’ (the last 2 inverted). There

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HON. WILLIAM BENJAMIN ROUNSEVELL & THE CURRENCY QUESTION?

This Victoria 1d “Reading” stamp postcard was introduced in 1890 in red-brown but changed to orange-brown in keeping with the change in colour of the 1d stamp. This stamp is much more a pure yellow than previously seen and may be a colour changeling due to light exposure. The postcard is addressed to J.G. Patterson Esq, Flinders Lane, City and thepostmark is a duplex MELBOURNE / 20A/ OC 24/ 93

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HANS W.H. IRVINE, GREAT WESTERN VINEYARDS & VICTORIAN POLITICIAN

The long cover has a corner advert ‘BY ROYAL WARRANT’ over the Royal Crest, with IRVINE’S/ AUSTRALIAN/ WINES and BRANDY/ HANS W.H. IRVINE/ GREAT WESTERN/ VICTORIA,/ AUSTRALIA. It is addressed to E. Ormerod, Esq., Finsbury Distillery, Moreland Street, Finsbury, London E.C. , England. The grey-blue 2d ‘Kangaroo on Map of Australia’ stamp is postmarked T.O. GREAT WESTERN/ -3 JL 13/ VIC, a Telegraph Office cancellation. The reverse has no postmarks,

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FELTON, GRIMWADE & CO., WHOLESALE DRUGGISTS, MELBOURNE, W.A. & N.Z.

The plain stampless postcard was sent on 10 July 10, 1901 and the postmark was obliterated by a black printed DEPARTMENT OF TRADE & CUSTOMS/ VICTORIA/ FRANK STAMP. It is addressed to Messrs.Felton Grimwade & Co., Importers, City [Melbourne] (Figure 1). The printed card was sent from H.M. CUSTOMS with the heading NOTICE and the printed message read: Unless perfect entry is made in accordance with above Sections of the

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EDWARD KEANE, RAILWAYS & HERITAGE BUILDINGS, MAYOR & POLITICIAN

This One Halfpenny Western Australia Post Card is addressed to a tailor at Perth and the printed stamp is cancelled by a duplex PERTH/ 7/ NO 14/ 1891/ WESTERN AUSTRALIA with a G.P.O obliterator (Figure 1). The printed message on the reverse is for a Municipal Election, and reads as follows: Ladies and Gentlemen, – I would take the liberty of reminding you, that on MONDAY next, the 16th instant,

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DALTON BROTHERS, HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, from & to DUNTRYLEAGUE

Two relatively unpretentious covers dated 27 years apart reveal, on their reverse, how the fortunes of the Dalton Brothers changed from humble beginnings in Ireland to riches in New South Wales. The first cover, a printed to private order envelope with the embossed blue 1d ‘Emu’ stamp of N.S.W. was postmarked with the duplex SYDNEY/ FE 11/ 11-A M/ 95/ 36 and was addressed to a firm in Melbourne (Figure

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CHARLES HARPER, W. A. AGRICULTURIST, LEGISLATOR & NEWSPAPER MAN

The One Penny Western Australian postcard has no visible postmark and it was sent to C. Harper Esq. M.L.A., Guildford (W.A.) (Figure 1). The reverse was printed “The West Australian Trustee, Executor and Agency Co., Ltd, St George Terrace, Perth” and it was dated 23rd May 1895.  The message was:  Dear Sir, A Meeting of the Directors of this Company will be held on Monday 27th at 11 o’clock a.m.,

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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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