Royal Reels: Gambling

Advertising Covers

SCHOOL of ARTS HOTEL, ROMA QUEENSLAND to PAPUA NEW GUINEA

This advertising cover for the School of Arts Hotel, Roma, Queensland, Proprietor: E.J. Galton was addressed to C/o The Postmaster, Port Moresby, Papua and in addition to the blue AIR MAIL vignette, there was a purple handstamp with Australia/Papua/New Guinea/ July 1934/ first Official Air Mail as well as a straight 2-line handstamp (or manuscript) stating essentially the same message. The two air mail stamps, 6d OS overprint dull brown

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ROBERT CALDWELL, MERCHANT, POLITICIAN, & FOUNDER/PRESIDENT of AUSTRALIAN WINE ASSOCIATION

Two identical open window advertising covers, both with the identical slogan cancel, and ‘POSTED PILLARS’ BRISBANE Q’LAND, the one with the 1d green KGV Head stamp clearly postmarked 2 APR 1935, whereas the one with the 2d red KGV Head stamp had an obscured date. The slogan read ‘USE THE / POSTAL EXPRESS/ MESSENGER SERVICE’. The covers both advertised ‘CALDWELL’S / THE WINE OF LIFE’ and the reverse of both

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RICHARD EDWARD JARMAN, BRISBANE & ROCKHAMPTON, SADDLE MAKER

This registered cover is postmarked REGISTERED/ FE 22/ 01/ ROCKHAMPTON and there is plenty information that the cover is registered, other than the above, as shown by the ms. ‘931′, the crossed red crayon and the large ‘R’ in the oval on the cover and on both the brown 3d and blue 2d ‘FOUR CORNERS’ Queensland stamps. It is addressed to “Tattersall”, c/o G. Adams, Hobart, Tasmania (Figure 1). The

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PRESCOTT CO., PRODUCE & LIVESTOCK SALESMEN & COMMISSION AGENTS

Three advertising covers for H. Prescott & Co., 336 & 338 Sussex Street, Sydney appeared on Ebay, all with different designs. I have seen others previously, but because of the difficulty in researching the Sydney Company, I had given up on producing a paper about the company. A chance finding however has provided background on the company in the rural areas of N.S.W. The earliest cover was sent in January

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POST OFFICES RELATING to THE VICTORIAN MILK INDUSTRY

For more than 5 years I have wanted to write about a particular rare Victorian postmark, but could not find a suitable way to introduce a discussion on this subject. The present postcard gave me a means how to broach this subject. The card has a Victoria green ½d ‘Bantam’ stamp cancelled with the double circle thick double-barred arc at both sides MELBOURNE/ AM/ 4 30/ 8 11 02/ 2

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The DUALITY of the LIFE of “PROFESSOR” HOLLOWAY

A fairly ordinary looking newspaper wrapper introduced me to an extraordinary man with many facets to his life:  apothecary, bankrupt convict, advertising genius, quack, patent medicine merchant and philanthropist. My interest was sparked by 2 newspaper wrappers that appeared on eBay auctions, and little did I suspect where my research would take me. The first wrapper was an example of the 1885-99 ½d Fergusson & Mitchell Victorian wrapper that was

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TREWHELLA BROS. PTY. LTD. ADVERTISING COVER

The cover is illustrated on the front and reverse and was sent from Trewhella Bros. Pty. Ltd., Trentham Victoria; it bears the 1d green Queen Elizabeth stamp perf. 15×14 issued on 1.8.38 and it is postmarked TRENTHAM/ 20 AU41/ VIC. It was addressed to Messrs E. Payne & Sons, Archie’s Creek (Victoria) which is 7 km NW of Wonthaggi. The regular rate at that time for letters within Australia was

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THOMAS GAUNT, MELBOURNE WATCHMAKER, JEWELLER & OPTICIAN

The cover is simply addressed to Mr. G.A. Knobel, Maindample (Victoria) and the lilac ‘TWO PENCE’ QE stamp of Victoria is cancelled with a duplex MELBOURNE/ 2K/ FE 25/ 70 with a VICTORIA obliterator and it is a lead-in to two interesting men, both of whom were unusually difficult to research, particularly Gustav Adolph Knobel, inventor of Maindample, near Malvern, Victoria (Figure 1). The advertisement on the reverse was much

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THE SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD Co. and MORAN & CATO, GROCERS

This advertising cover brings back early memories in Sydney for I went into their Hunter Street store many years ago to buy freshly ground peanut butter. The cover was posted from Sydney on 12 July 1917 with a roller cancel and there is also a roller cancel of a Melbourne reception postmark on the red N.S.W. 1d ‘Shield’ stamp. The green advertisement describes the company as manufacturers, importers, exporters of

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THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION of AUSTRALIA

The cover has an advertisement for the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union of Victoria with a Colonial emblem of an assortment of mimosa, fern and two other plants, and the headquarter’s address of 138 & 140 Flinders Street, Melbourne. It has the pink Victorian ½d and lilac 2d stamps, and is postmarked MELBOURNE/ 17 ( )/ MY 6/ 98. It is addressed to Worcester, Mass U.S.A. (Figure 1). The Woman’s Christian

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