This illustrated cover specifically prepared for the Jamboree was postmarked with a faint AUST. JAMBOREE FRANKSTON/ 2.30 P 3 JA 35/ VIC. and it was addressed to Tom Fielding, Penguin, Tasmania. The front had a small printed AUSTRALIAN JAMBOREE FRANKSTON/ VICTORIA 1935, with a kangaroo and a boomerang in the centre, as well as a scout badge. It had a total postage of 1½d made up of the green 1d and orange ½d KGV head stamps (Figure 1).
A hand drawn illustration on the reverse shows an enthusiastic scout with scenes of the camp on either side of him, plus ‘A SHORT NOTE’ (Figure 2).
There were 3 slightly different examples of this postmark provided, and a better postmark on a registered cover (with a blue registration label, No. 28, for specific use at the Jamboree) is dated 24 DE 34, which actually pre-dated the opening date of the Jamboree, which must have taken considerable time to set up (Figure 3).
This, the first Australian Pan-Pacific Jamboree was held in Frankston, Victoria (40 km SSE of Melbourne GPO) between 27th December 1934 and 13th January 1935. It was the first international gathering of Scouts outside of Europe and the only Australian Jamboree attended by the founder of the Scouts, Lord Baden-Powell. The population of Frankston was then only 3,000 and the Jamboree was home to 12,000 Scouts (in addition to 12,000 Cubs, Guides and Brownies) on 280 acres of land, with ready access to the beach in the hot Australian summer.
It was attended by Scouts from all Australian States and Territories together with Scouts from Belgium, Canada, Ceylon, England, Fiji, France, Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Java, Japan, Malaya, Nauru, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, United States and Wales. A large amount of memorabilia was associated with the Jamboree, including these four ‘Cinderellas’ (Figure 4).
A truly memorable occasion for Scouts, particularly Australian.