Science

This ON PUBLIC SERVICE ONLY stampless cover was addressed to W.F.Petterd, Brisbane St., City and it had a duplex cancel of LAUNCESTON/ A/ NO 21/ 91, TASMANIA which partially obscured a blue CORPORATION OF LAUNCESTON/ FRANK STAMP. There was a printed TASMANIAN EXHIBITION, 1891-92 in the lower left corner (Figure 1). The reverse had a blue printed Tasmanian Exhibition 1891-2, Launceston with the Lion, Unicorn and crest in its centre

The cover is addressed to Saml. W. McGowan Esq, Supt. of Telegraphs, Central Office, Melbourne. The imperforate dull rose 4d ‘Emblems’ stamp of Victoria is canceled with the barred numeral‘8′ of Portland (Type A1) (Figure 1). The cover’s reverse has an oval unframed PORTLAND/ [crown]/ MA 17/1858/ VICTORIA (Figure 2). Samuel Walker McGowan, scientist and administrator, was born on 4 January 1829 in Londonderry, Ireland, eldest son of Samuel McGowan

This Commonwealth of Australia postcard documents one of Australia’s multifaceted heroes, who is described in a 4 page entry in The Australian Dictionary of Biography (A.D.B.) as an Academic, Army officer, Explorer, Geologist, Palaeoentologist and Public servant. The red-brown 1½d KGV Head stamp is cancelled with a roller cancel in which SOUTH AUSTRALIA is legible and neither Adelaide nor the date are visible. The card is addressed to T.E. Powell,

This cover front only was sent from the University of Sydney to J.T. Anderson Esq, B.A., B.E., A.M. (—- ), Messrs Monash & Anderson, Civil and Mechanical Engineers, Australian Buildings, 49 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne and the pair of the lilac ‘ONE PENNY’ ‘Sydney Views’ stamps of New South Wales were obliterated with an illegible postmark, but there was a fine HOMEBUSH/ SP 27/ 1894/ N.S.W postmark alongside (Figure 1). Joshua

This dull rose-red 1d Victorian embossed envelope has an additional 1d stamp added and both are postmarked with the barred numeral ‘461′ of Hochkirch and there is also an unframed HOCHKIRCH/ JU 8/ 03/ VICTORIA postmark, with the year slug inverted and reversed. It is addressed to Mr. Teppper, Entomologist, Public Museum, Adelaide, S. Australia. The sender is identified by the purple hand-stamp as Louis Kurtze, Hochkirch, Victoria. The ‘4′

Three covers appeared on eBay in August 2003, two almost identical and addressed to Jeofry in 1931 to his home, and one addressed in 1930 to A.W. Courtney-Pratt (later proven to be his father) at his place of work in Hobart. Extensive research into these covers was prompted not only by the somewhat unusual surname but also by the purple exhibition vignette. The only difference in the 2 covers sent

Four censored covers from Victoria were sent in 1943 to the United States, all with the red censor label and with the Passed By Censor purple handstamp. The first was sent from PORTSEA/ VIC cancel on the brown-purple 1d QE II and a pair of the small green ‘Lyre Bird’ stamps to Dr. Jean White-Haney at Lovelock Nevada, and readdressed to Arizona (Figure 1). The second was sent from ST.

A series of covers on Ebay addressed to two of the three above- named persons, all of whom were interrelated, opened up an interesting story about all three persons as well as two long-standing important Sydney institutions. The first cover to Mr. Barff, 48 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney with the blue N.S.W. 2d QV stamp postmarked with the Type D4 duplex (in use1894-1901) COWRA/ JU 20/ 6 15 PM/ 00/

Although these covers produced by the Geographical Society are philatelically contrived, they do contribute to our knowledge of Australian history and geography in addition to honouring Australian men; and, now that I come to think of this statement, I am not aware of any women who have also been honoured. This cover was produced to record the Diamond Jubilee of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland) from 10th July

The cover has a green 1d ‘Sideface’ stamp of Tasmania and it is postmarked with a duplex HOBART/ S/ OC 24/ (—) with the obliterator TASMANIA over the stamp. It is addressed to Wm. Sharland Esq, New Norfolk (Figure 1). The reverse has an arrival cancel of NEW NORFOLK/ OC 25/ 85/ TASMANIA and there is a double oval printed DOBSON MITCHELL & ALLPORT/ SOLICITORS/ HOBART on the flap (Figure