Royal Reels: Gambling

Business

T. LYONS, BANKER, MINER, LOTTERY PROMOTER, RACEHORSE BREEDER

The cover was addressed to Thos. Lyons Esq., 69 Collins Street, HOBART, Tasmania and the pink pair of the ‘ONE PENNY’ stamp of Victoria was cancelled with a duplex DAYLESFORD/ AP 30/ 04/ VICTORIA associated with the barred numeral ‘173′. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Thomas Lyons, businessman, banker, gold miner, lottery promoter, race horse breeder & owner, stock broker tin miner was born on 3 January 1861

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SYLVANUS PARTRIDGE REYNOLDS, TANNER, NORTH MELBOURNE, VIC. MLA

The cover is addressed to Messrs. W. & L. Gordon Pty. Ltd., Napier Street, Essendon, W. 5., a suburb of Melbourne, and the company has not been identified to date. The red 1½d KGV Head stamp was cancelled with a roller cancel MELBOURNE/ 4 30 AM/ 23 AUG/ 1928/ VICTORIA with the slogan INCLUDE POSTAL DISTRICT/ NUMBER IN MELBOURNE/ SUBURBAN ADDRESS, with which the addressor has appropriately complied as shown

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SYDNEY to THE BELL ORGAN& PIANO CO. PTY. LTD., GUELPH, ONTARIO

This very faint advertising cover shows either a piano or small organ labeled ‘BELL’ and it is addressed to Mr. David Allen Jr, c/o Bell Organs & Piano Co. Ltd., Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The blue ‘Two Penny’ and grey ‘Half Penny’ stamps of New South Wales are postmarked with a duplex SYDNEY/ AU 10/ 2-PM/ 96/ 37 with a barred N.S.W. oblterator. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Although

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SYDNEY POSTCARD to I.M. MOSES c/o MESSRS DAVID SASSOON & Co., BOMBAY

One never knows initially where a postal item will lead and this one produces a trail of religion, trade, wealth and opium. The 1½d N.S.W. postcard is postmarked with the duplex SYDNEY/ SP 26/ 4 PM/ 92 with the N.S.W obliterator and there is a reception postmark of BOMBAY/ F/ OC 17/ (92). It is addressed to I. M. Moses Esq., Care of Messrs David Sassoon & Co., Bombay (Figure 1).

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THOMAS WILKES MONDS JUNIOR, FLOUR MILLER at CARRICK, TASMANIA

The advertising cover has ‘Ask for MONDS/ ROLLER FLOUR, ROLLED OATS, AND 0ATMEAL, All Grocers Sell Them’ at the top, and ‘Nothing For Breakfast So Good As ROLLED OATS, Nor ROLLED OATS So Good As MONDS’ at the bottom. It is addressed to Messrs Button, Bros. Oatlands. The red 1d pictorial stamp of Tasmania is postmarked LAUNCESTON/ MY 12/ 1906/ TASMANIA. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). Thomas Wilkes

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THOMAS SLOMAN, BANKER/PASTORALIST: SHIPWRECK of S.S. SCHOMBERG

The cover has a ms. Per Clipper Ship Schomberg from Liverpool, Octr. 5.1855 and was addressed to Thomas M Sloman Esqr. Merchant, Bathurst, New South Wales Australia, Via Sydney N.S. Wales. The stamp had washed off but most of the EXETER/ OCT 2/ 1855 was legible, and at the left hand border, in another hand, were the words Paid by Stamp (Figure 1). The reverse has a transit SYDNEY/ B/

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THOMAS CARLYLE LOTHIAN, PUBLISHER & PUBLISHER’S REPRESENTATIVE

Two Thomas C. Lothian Pty Ltd covers were found recently and I was surprised that I had never heard of the company before, not only because of its longevity but also because of its importance to Australian publishing. The first was a WW II censored cover with the usual red label of ‘3 Opened by Censor’ as well as the purple hand stamp, and it was addressed to an important

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THOMAS BRUNTON, BAKER, POLITICIAN, FLOUR MILLER & FARMER

The postcard had a 1d orange-brown ‘Reading Stamp Duty’ stamp cancelled with an ‘UP TRAIN/ MG 1/AU 23/ 90/ VICTORIA postmark and had a printed JAS. GRIGG, Esq.,456 Collins Street, Melbourne (Figure 1). The reverse was also printed and was headed SOUTHERN PROVINCE ELECTION/ August 4 th, 1890 Dear Sir, You may append my name to the requisition to Mr. Thos. Brunton. Yours truly, (unsigned by sender) but signed by the receiver Mr. Phillip,

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THOMAS BARKER STEAM MILLS, SYDNEY, PHILANTHROPIST & POLITICIAN

The entire is addressed to Ths Barker Esq., Steam Mills. Sysdney and there is a boxed red PAID AT/, CAMDEN handstamp, a large red hand-written ‘2’, and a black ms. ppe at lower left on this stampless front.  The vendor has identified it being sent in 1851 and the reverse has a Camden b/s as well as a Sydney arrival (Figure 1). Thomas Barker, engineer, manufacturer, grazier and philanthropist, was born

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THOMAS BAKER & JOHN ROUSE COMPANY, FORE-RUNNER of KODAK, AUSTRALASIA

Two N.S.W. letter cards to the Baker & Rouse company in Sydney in the late 1890’s not only led to information about photography in Australia, but also about philanthropy which led to the formation of one of the premier Victorian medical research and treatment centres. Both letter cards (with the printed red 1½d stamp) were identical and they were addressed to the company at 375 George Street, Sydney. The first

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