Royal Reels: Gambling

Family History

JAMES & ROBERT BURNS CUMING, ADELAIDE CHEMICAL WORKS COMPANY

The South Australia purple ONE PENNY postcard is addressed in print to Mr. R. B. Cuming, The Adelaide Chemical Works Company, New Thebarton, (South Australia) and it is cancelled with a duplex G.P.O. ADELAIDE/ AU 25/ 94/ S.A postmark (Figure 1). The reverse has a short message: Aug 25 1894, Dear Sir, Will be there Monday morning 8 a m sharp, truly yours (initials uncertain), (Figure 2). James Cuming, businessman,

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J.J.A. BOASE, BANKER PENZANCE, CORNWALL: LETTER from MELBOURNE

The following scans were sent to me by Les Molnar who has added this cover to his ‘Emblems’ of Victoria stamp exhibit. It is unique in that a total of nine green 1d emblems stamps were used on the cover, and more importantly it had the previously unknown use of an interpanneau block of 4 stamps on the cover. The cover was sent per ‘Emeu’ via Marseilles and the 9

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J. MARTIN, DRAPER, JOHN MARTIN & Co. Ltd. S.A., & BRUNETTE DOWNS N.T.

This registered Business Reply Envelope had a purple handstamped ‘AIR MAIL’ as well as a ms. Brunette Downs N. T. registration label and it was sent to John Martin & Co. Limited, 92-106 Rundle St., Adelaide. It had 2 single small green One Shilling Lyre Bird stamps with a single purple 1d QEII stamp. The stamps were cancelled with 3 BRUNETTE DOWNS/ ( )/ N.T. postmarks, the date being illegible.

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JOSEPH BENSON MATHER, DRAPER, QUAKER, HOBART TOWN, V.D.L.

This indistinct cover front only, introduces an early immigrant to Tasmania. It has a blue VDL imperforate ‘FOUR PENCE’ stamp cancelled by a manuscript three curved strokes and there is also a manuscript applied at the left border by the postmaster ‘Swansea/ 24/11/59′. It is addressed to Joseph Benson Mather, 98 Liverpool Street, Hobart Town (Figure 1). His obituary was published in The Mercury, 19th May 1890, his death having

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KWONG, SING & CO. LTD, GLEN INNES N.S.W. A FAMILY DYNASTY

This cover has been described as very rare by the vendor on account of use of regular postage as postage due. It is addressed to Messrs. Kwong, Sing & Co. Ltd, Grey Street, Glen Innes and the red 2d Kingsford Smith stamp is cancelled with T.P.O 2 NORTH/ UP 21MY31/N.S.W. It has a fine double ring LATE FEE/ 1D/ TO PAY, as well as a green 1d KGV Head stamp cancelled with

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MICHAEL DONAGHY & SONS, ROPE MAKER, GEELONG, ADELAIDE & SYDNEY

The brown-orange advertising cover for M. Donaghy & Sons Pty Ltd, Geelong, manufacturers of Kangaroo Brand Harvest Twine, Rope and Mats. The illustration showed a man, probably a farmer, who was standing on a ‘deck ‘ of 6 mats, and there was a small kangaroo in the background who waved a baton and appeared to be directing a team of four kangaroos in the foreground. At lower right was printed

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ROBERT ANDREW MATHER & CO., LIVERPOOL ST., HOBART, DRAPERS

The Commonwealth of Australia Letter Card had a black 1d KGV printed stamp and the postmark date and place from where it had been sent could not be read. It was addresses to Andrew Mather & Co., Liverpool St.,Hobart Tasmania (Figure 1). The illustrated side of the card showed a picture within an oval and it was labeled as Railway Sleepers, Queensland. The reverse message side of the card was

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PFAHLERT’S HOTEL, WYNYARD SQUARE, SYDNEY to BEVERWIJK, HOLLAND

The cover is addressed to C. Th. Moens, Beverwijk, Holland and the receiver has incorrectly added that it was received on 13 Jan. 13. Postage was paid by the green ‘HALF PENCE’ QV stamp and a pair of the red 1d. ‘Shield’ stamps of New South Wales. The stamps are postmarked with two EPPING/ 13 DE 11/ N.S.W (a suburb of Sydney) (Figure 1). The reverse has a printed red

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THE BRANSON FAMILY of BINDA N.S.W.: FROM LACE to WOOL

Prologue: The appearance of 17 covers at one Australian philatelic website sparked my interest in the Branson family. The amount of information concerning this family on the Internet was surprisingly minimal, considering what was eventually learnt from a local source. All 17 covers were addressed to family members at Binda N.S.W. over a period of 29 years, from 1883 until 1912, and unfortunately no letters were still enclosed. The stamps

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THE RESCH BROTHERS, EDMUND, RICHARD & EMIL: RESCH’S BREWERIES

I have been intrigued by printed to private order (P.T.P.O.) covers and postcards, particularly those that have a ‘collar’ of advertising matter around the printed stamp, and I have noted that this format is seen particularly in the companies that sell alcohol. The Resch name is well known to most Australians in relation to breweries. Both of the two P.T.P.O. covers do not show the Resch name on the front,

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