Postmarks

NORMAN COLIN HOPSON, AUSTRALIAN POSTAL HISTORIAN 1929-1998

Norman Hopson and Alexander Robert ‘Bob’ Tobin will always be linked together because of their four seminal volumes published on the N.S.W. and A.C.T. Post, Receiving, Telegraph & Telephone Offices, over the years from 1991 to 1998 and posthumously in 1999. Regretfully I never met them, but their publications largely hijacked me away from stamp collecting to an interest in Australian postmarks, particularly those of N.S.W. This cover was a slight

J. F. SEYBOLD, PHILATELIST: AUGUSTUS GORE, COAL EXCHANGE, LONDON

This cover was sent per Emeu, steamer, with an imperforate 4-margin, deep steel grey ‘Diadem’ SIX PENCE New South Wales stamp, cancelled with a barred obliterator & a diamond of dots. It had a red LONDON/ EV/ AP 12/ 58/ PAID reception postmark, and was addressed to Augustus Gore Esq, 4 (–) Coal Exchange, London (Figures 1 & 2). The reverse had a black unframed SYDNEY/ D/ MY 10/ 1858/ NEW

EVERETT C. ERLE, AMERICAN PHILATELIST, A.P.S. HALL of FAME

This registered cover was sent from 634 MILE T.A.R./ -3 AP 37/ W.A. with three postmarks canceling 5 stamps with a total postage of 6d, made up of pairs of the 1d green and ½d orange KGV heads as well as the 3d blue Centenary of South Australia stamp. The cover has a R6 ‘no name’ registration label and it is addressed to Mr. Everett Erle, 3546-22nd St., San Francisco,

ERNEST OESCH, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: PAPERS TO & FROM AUSTRALIA

Multiple covers from Australia have been seen on Ebay addressed to Mr. E.H. Oesch, Mindanao (also spelt Mindinao) Estate(s) Co., Padada, Santa Cruz, Davao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands, the first being a registered letter with a Caulfield South, Victoria with a blue registration label. The total postage of 6½d was made up by the 1½d dull scarlet and black swan plus the FIVE PENCE overprint on the violet 4½d KGV head,

VERNON EDWARD WHITE, QUEENSLAND SURVEYOR (1894-1967)

This registered cover looks as if it might be philatelically inspired (on account of its neatness and by the use of 6 Australian stamps of 4 different colours), but a total cost of 1/ 8½d would seem to be an unnecessary price to pay for a non-First Day Cover of the three 150th Anniversary of Newcastle stamps, which were issued on 8 Sep 1947. The cover is postmarked RABAUL/ 13

MODERN TIMES VILLAGE, THOMPSON’S STATION RAILROAD, LONG ISLAND

This cover was mailed from Melbourne on July 15, 1858 franked with two copies of the orange 6d imperforate ‘Woodblock’ stamps as well as a single lilac 2d ‘Emblems’ stamp of Victoria cancelled with the barred numeral ‘1′ of Melbourne. There was a red manuscript rating of ‘8′ and an obliquely placed manuscript ‘via Great Britain/ per Emeu/ Mail Steamer’ as well as a red handstamp LONDON/ 88/ SP 10/

JAMES DENHAM PINNOCK, PUBLIC SERVANT & BANKER (1810? – 1875)

Three entires were found addressed to James Denham Pinnock over a period of 1847-1851, in his capacity as a public servant serving in two different roles in Melbourne. The first dated was addressed to him as the Deputy Registrar General, Supreme Court, Melbourne, Port Philip (sic) in July 1847. The front had a black rectangular boxed ‘JERRRYS PLAINS/ FREE’ and the ‘FREE’ was black-inked out with a wavy line and

HUGO MUECKE, GERMAN IMPERIAL CONSULATE, ADELAIDE, S.A.

This Western Australian Post Card has the Postage One Penny blue ‘Swan’ stamp posmarked with the duplex TOWN HALL FREMANTLE/ 6/ SP 23/ 98/ W.A. with the obliterator P.O cancelling the stamp. It is addressed to H. Mucke (sic) Esq., “German” Imperial Consulate, Adelaide, S.A. (Figure 1). The reverse has two transit postmarks, FREMANTLE 3/ SP 23/ 98/ W.A. and SHIP MAIL ROOM/ 3/ SP 23/ PERTH/ W.A and a

MOURNING COVER from SYDNEY N.S.W. to LUSHINGTON GARDENS, SYDAPETT, MADRAS

This fine mourning cover has been made of very thin almost translucent paper, and it is addressed to J. Price Esq., Lushingtons (sic) Gardens, Sydapett, Madras, India. It has a pair of the pale lilac 6d (perf 13) N.S.W. stamps, postmarked with 2 duplex B/ OC 5/ 78/ SYDNEY postmarks associated with the N.S.W vertically placed obliterator, within an oval of 4 rings (Figure 1). The reverse has a printed

EDWARD WILLIAM TERRICK HAMILTON, COLLAROY, MERRIMA

This modest cover can introduce one into the fascinating world of hand-struck postmarks of early New South Wales. I was introduced to the exploration of this subject in my frequent visits to Sydney a decade ago when I became enamored of the subject and bought the four volumes of Hopson & Tobin’s N.S.W. and A.C.T. POST, RECEIVING, TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE OFFICES, which is the ‘bible’ (and cannot be matched by