Royal Reels: Gambling

Business

GEORGE BRUCE, SHEEP BREEDER, LOOMBAH STATION, YULLUNDRY

I have seen 10 covers addressed to George Bruce over the past 2 years, and it has taken me all this time to come up with a coherent story about him. In the meantime, I had destroyed most of the scans. Recent covers have kindled my interest again, and my search led me to a researcher for Molong Historical Society and thence to Joan Marriott’s book The Crossroads. The History of

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G. & W. SHIERLAW, MERCER, TAILOR/OUTFITTER: S.A. “FRONTS ONLY”

Is there a stamp collector of South Australian and Northern Territory covers, that has not seen “fronts only” applied to covers addressed to Shierlaw & Co., sometimes with ‘Tailor’ in the address, at Hindley Street, Adelaide? The use of South Australia colonial stamps spread into the time period of the use of the red 1d KGV stamp, and this ‘Squared Circle’ postmark of CHARRA/ SE 8/ 15/ S.A is such

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FREDRICK WILLIAM SMALE of SMALE BROS. TAILORS, HOBART, TASMANIA

The cover is addressed to Mr. F. Smail (sic) Tailors, Murray St., Hobart, Tasmania and the lilac ‘TWO PENCE’ stamp of Victoria is canceled RYE / AU 7/ 07/ VICTORIA. It has the telltale spike puncture of Tattersalls, but not the lilac label. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). A registered cover destined for the same person was correctly addressed to Mr. Fred Smale, Taylor, 97 Murray Street, Hobart,

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FREDERICK HUTH & CO., LONDON BANKERS

The entire has a red PAID SHIP LETTER/ [Crown]/ JY 25/ 1840/ SYDNEY with three legible manuscripts, ‘p Union’ and is rated in black ‘2s/8d’ and in red 2s/2d. The reverse (not seen) has a Ship Letter cachet and a London arrival of November 25, 1840, both in red (Figure 1). The firm obviously had more than one site of operation for another cover per ‘Steamer’ was addressed to the same

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FREDERICK WILLIAM HADDON, THE ARGUS JOURNALIST & EDITOR

This cover was sent from England with a bistre nine pence and a one penny red QV stamps with 2 examples of the YARMOUTH/ D/ MY 22/ 67/ NORFOLK duplex with numeral ‘927′ to F.W. Haddon Esq, The Argus Office, Melbourne, with a manuscript ‘via Marseilles’. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). In the late 19th century newspapers and journals flourished in Australia. Dozens of papers and journals boomed as

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HERBERT J. RUMSEY, SEEDSMAN, EDITOR, AUTHOR & GENEALOGIST

This O.H.M.S. stampless cover had a frank stamp of the POSTMASTER-GENERAL, VICTORIA, and was postmarked MELBOURNE/ AM/ 11/ 26/7/01/ 3.  It had a printed admonition about punishment for the private use of the cover at top left, a purple handstamp with a large crown over an oval Postmaster-General/ Dominion of Australia, and a printed General Post Office, Melbourne, manuscript 25/7/1901, at lower left.  It was addressed to Mr. Herbert J.

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HENRY LEWIS JONES, QUEENSLAND’S QUEEN BEE KING

This printed to private order Queensland postcard with the 1d printed stamp has a faint Type 2b 10 bar numeral ‘488′ of Goodna, Queensland (14 km east of Ipswich) as well as a routing postmark, T.P.O. S & W RY NO 4/ A 7 OC 95/ QUEENSLAND, and it is addressed to Mr. R.S. Kinnear, The Overflow, Nyngan, N.S.W. (Figure 1). The reverse shows an advert for Bee-Keepers’ Supplies, Largest

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HENRY GINN, COLONIAL ARCHITECT, COMPANY SECRETARY & PASTORALIST (1818-1892)

This poor entire front with the 2d “Half Length” Queen Victoria stamp has an indeterminate numeral “Butterfly” cancellation, and it is addressed to Henry Ginn Esq, Colonial Architect, Melbourne (Figure 1). The reverse is in an even worse condition, but at least it identifies the likely site of origin (or possible transit ) with a WILLIAMSTOWN/ [crown]/ JU * 2/ 1852/ VICTORIA postmark. There is a manuscript written vertically at

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HARRY ST. MAUR, COMEDY ACTOR & PRODUCER, AUTHOR & LITERATEUR

This cover is difficult to interpret on several counts, from the name of the ship in which it sailed ‘via Brindisi’ to London, the crossing out of the New York City address, the readdressing, as well as the unusual postmarking of the Victorian stamps. All four were cancelled by a possible large figure ‘1′ as a barred numeral of Melbourne, but this is largely eliminated as they do not resemble any

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J. KENNON & SONS, TANNERS, MELBOURNE to ROHM & HAAS, PHILADELPHIA

The illustrated cover from J. Kennon & Sons Pty Ltd, Chrome Tanners and Leather Manufacturers, Wool, Hide and Skin Merchants was sent to Messrs. Rohn (sic) & Haas company, Washington Square, Philadelphia, Pa, U.S.A. The blue 3d KGVI stamp was postmarked with a roller cancel from MELBOURNE/ 5 30 PM/ 1941/ VIC AUST with a slogan BUY —-/ WAR SAVINGS CERIFICATES, which partially obscured the purple 3/ NOT/ OPENED BY

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