Royal Reels: Gambling

Family History

EMANUEL SOLOMON (1800-1873) CONVICT, MERCHANT & POLITICIAN

The cover is addressed to Messrs E. Solomon & Co., Adelaide and has the pale red 2d South Australian stamp (S.G. 24a) cancelled with the diamond numeral ‘106′ of Woodchester, and there is a manuscript ‘Private’ at the lower left (Figure 1). The reverse has a transit mark of MOUNT BARKER/ (   )/ 1859/ S-A and a manuscript on the right side, written vertically, of ‘P.O./ Woodchester/ 28.5.59 plus a

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CONSTANCE ENID RADCLIFFE, THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

After researching this unusual postcard for a year, I realised that the postcard was not addressed to Constance but to her mother, Emily for it was addressed to Mrs. Radcliffe, Theosophical Society, Victoria Square, Adelaide, S.A., whereas Constance never married. However both parents and their 3 children were greatly involved with Theosophy, particularly Constance over her long lifespan. The postcard is inscribed vertically along its left border ‘Copyright: The Colombo

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JOHN MACQUARIE ANTILL, MAJ.-GENERAL & THOMAS HORAN, POSTMASTER

Within 10 minutes of seeing this item on E-Bay I was able to identify both the sender and receiver of this unpretentious postcard, a most unusual amount of luck. This N.S.W. postcard with the lilac 1d printed ‘View of Sydney’ stamp is postmarked with a faint barred numeral ‘1237′ and it was addressed to J.M. Antill Esq R.O. [Receiving Officer], Picton, N.S.W. There was a faint PICTON/ 1891/ 8 JU/

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JOHN BROWN/ BROUN, ‘COLSTOUN’ UPPER PATERSON, NEAR GRESFORD N.S.W.

The cover has a ‘TWO PENCE’ Sydney Views stamp of New South Wales cancelled with the Barred Numeral ‘55′ of Newcastle and it is addressed to John Brown/Broun Esq., Colstoun, Gresford, Upper Paterson (New South Wales) (Figure 1). The reverse has an oval NEWCASTLE/ [Crown]/ AU [Rosette] 10/ 185(1)/ NEW S WALES originating postmark (Figure 2). At an ancestry website devoted to the ‘Brouns of Scotland, Denmark and Australia’, I found

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JOHN BARKER, PASTORALIST & PUBLIC SERVANT in VICTORIA

This entire is another example of an inadequately addressed cover that was delivered in the 19th century. It is addressed to Barker Esqr, Clerk of Council, Melbourne and it has an olive-drab 2d ‘Half Length’ stamp of Victoria tied by a Barred Oval ‘2′, paying the inland letter rate from Geelong to Melbourne. The reverse was not seen but showed the date of sending and reception of 10 January 1852 (Figure

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JANE & HENRY RUSSELL, MR. BARFF, & the UNIVERSITY & OBSERVATORY, SYDNEY

A series of covers on Ebay addressed to two of the three above- named persons, all of whom were interrelated, opened up an interesting story about all three persons as well as two long-standing important Sydney institutions. The first cover to Mr. Barff, 48 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney with the blue N.S.W. 2d QV stamp postmarked with the Type D4 duplex (in use1894-1901) COWRA/ JU 20/ 6 15 PM/ 00/

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JAMES HENRY BRETT WALCH of J. WALCH & SONS PTY LTD, HOBART (1)

The cover is addressed to J. Walch & Son, Newspaper Agents. Hobart, Tasmania and the two red 1d ‘Shield’ stamps of N.S.W. have 2 copies of the barred numeral ‘1711′. There is a transit roller cancel of SYDNEY/ SEP 22/ 12 M/ 1905/ 15 overlying the postmark of origin RILEY’S HILL/ SP 20/ 1905/ N.S.W (Type 1 D (i), opened 1893, closed 1978, 29 k from Ballina. The reverse was

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RUTLEDGE PIONEER FAMILY, WILLIAM &THOMAS, BRUSH FARM P’MATTA

The cover is addressed to Mrs Thomas Rutledge, Brush Farm, Parramatta and the blue 2d QV ‘Laureate’ Plate 1 stamp of New South Wales is cancelled with a ms. ‘37′ of Bungendore, N.S.W. The cover is said to be unique by the vendor (Figure 1). The reverse has 3 postmarks, top left an unframed PARRAMATTA/ [CROWN]/ AP 1( )/ NEW S. WALES, bottom left an unframed CAMPBELLTOWN/ /[crown]/ AP 12/

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ROBERT JAMIESON, BOLAC PLAINS, WARRNDOO, NEAR LAKE BOLAC

The blue cover has a pink ‘TWO PENCE’ embossed QV stamp of Victoria cancelled with a duplex BALLAARAT/ 7Y/ DE 19/ 72 with the barred numeral ‘5′, the fourth duplex which has a distinctive long top bar of the ‘5′, and the spelling with 3 ‘A’s’ in Ballarat. This is a late recorded date for Freeman & White state on p. 76 that this spelling was in place from the

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