This somewhat battered and stained ‘cover’ adds to the information on the multifaceted Alfred Howitt. It was sent by him to Cyrus E. Doyle Esq, Werrinia, Kunopia, Moree, N.S.W. and it has the green 1d Bell designed Victorian stamp postmarked with BAIRNSDALE/ AU 31/ 77/ VICTORIA duplex with barred numeral ‘174′ (the first duplex, which is not rated by Freeman & White, 1997). Along the top of the cover there
This cover continues to grab me, even after at least 3 previous attempts over a period of a year of unsuccessful research on William Shawcross. The reasons for my obsession include my failure to ‘crack the code of silence’, the boldness of the addressees penmanship, the multiple use of two different stamps of Victoria and the multiple postmarking on the front. It was addressed to Wm Shawcross Esq., Fern Acre, Brooklands
The town of Wild Horse Plains, South Australia was unknown to me, but I had previously known of Wild Horse Plains, Montana and then I found several examples of the township in South Australia on the same day. There were 2 examples found on the red KGV head stamp, one on the red 1½ penny, and another on the KGV 1 penny, which was a superb ‘socked on the nose’ example
My interest in Molonglo Settlement was piqued 5 years ago, when I won an auction lot of 300 NSW postmarks on KGV head stamps, which contained 3 copies of this postmark, all dated 1924, and all on the red 1½d (ASC 66).I considered this a rather unusual frequency for a relatively uncommon postmark, but the lack of significant information on the internet re the Settlement, made me put the stamps away.
Two N.S.W. covers, both sent per the same ship, appeared on eBay addressed to Messrs Newell, Melbourne, Victoria dated 1860 and 1861 respectively, but only the latter one caught my fancy, for I did not recall seeing the duplex cancel previously. I was not surprised that the specific cancel was not found in my modest collection of early Sydney cancels, but I was at a loss to find it was
This cover is an example of the use of a pair of green 2d ‘Side Face’ Tasmanian postage stamps used on inwards mail from Victoria to Tasmania in 1897 in lieu of Postage Dues. The orange pair of ONE PENNY ‘Reading’ stamps of Victoria are cancelled with an incomplete UP TRAIN/ M.G. ( )/ OC 12/ 97/ VICTORIA postmark and DEFICIENT POSTAGE 2d/ FINE 2d/4d handstamp was applied. The Tasmanian
The cover has a mauve-brown QE 1d stamp cancelled with AUST F.P.O./ 3 AP 45/168, and there was an accompanying paper with the following notation: WWII – AUST F.P.O./ 168. II AUST CORPS, WONGABEL, QLD, 9 JUN 44-10APR 45. It was addressed to Prof. H.R. Dew, Department of Surgery, University of Sydney, N.S,W. There was a purple rectangular boxed AUSTRALIAN/ MILITARY FORCES/ PASSED BY CENSOR/ 641, and it was signed
Four of these covers appeared on Ebay in March of 2005 and all demonstrated a plethora of postmarks both on the front and reverse. Although the majority of markings were legible, in each example there were postmarks that left much to the imagination only. The covers ranged from 1903 to 1908, and will be described from the earliest to the latest. The earliest cover was sent from MURPHY’S CREEK/ SE
A front of a very simple cover was sent to Professor Liversidge, Sydney University and readdressed in manuscript to the Union Club, in Sydney. It had a duplex cancellation different from the first duplexes in that the date stamp part was upright instead of sideways and had a double circle instead of one, and the obliterator oval had 4 rings instead of 3. It was probably of local manufacture and
This censored air mail cover sent to New York from a German P.O.W. at Hay has a total postage of 3 shillings and eleven pence (2 shillings Roo, 1 shilling Lyre Bird, 9 pence Platypus and 2 pence Armed Services & Nurse). The stamps are cancelled with a dateless SYDNEY/ 3/ N.S.W. AUST. roller cancel with the slogan USE THE/ POSTAL EXPRESS/ MESSENGER SERVICE. It has a purple PASSED BY