Royal Reels: Gambling

Islands

ARTHUR HENRY VOYCE (1899-1984) Missionary, Philatelist, Conchologist, Hymenopterist & Horticulturist

Reverend A.H. Voyce first came to my attention when I acquired a cover of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra 5½djoined pair which were issued on February 10, 1958. This cover was not a first day cover, but it was postmarked with a special postmark: R.S.L. NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS/ 14TH B.E.S.L./ CONFERENCE/ 17-21 FEB 1958/ 20 FEB 58/ CANBERRA AUST. It was addressed to ‘Rev. A.H. Voyce/ Methodist Mission, Kihili, Buin, Bougainville,

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MONTAGU JOHN STONE-WIGG, ANGLICAN BISHOP of the SEE of NEW GUINEA

The ‘Four Corners’ blue Queensland 2 penny stamp was cancelled with the 9-bar B.N.G. and the unframed SAMARAI/ 25 JUN 00 postmark was nearby. The envelope was addressed to Rev. F.A.C. Livingston, St. John’s Church, Milson’s Point, Sydney, N.S.W. (Figure 1). The reverse has a transit postmarks of an unframed COOKTOWN/ 2 30 P/ JU 28/ 00/ QUEENSLAND and SYDNEY/ JY 6/ 1-P-M./ 00/ 2 as well as a reception

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MELBOURNE to FANNING ISLAND WRAPPER

This ordinary Australian newspaper wrapper (H & G # E16), the 1d green Queen Elizabeth “Newspaper Only”, with five lines of instructions was upgraded with the ½d orange kangaroo stamp, and was sent from Melbourne in 1941 to Mr. Frank MCay, Cable Station, Fanning Island. There was no indication of what newspaper was enclosed nor of the sender’s name and address (Figure 1). In 1798, Captain Edmund Fanning, captain of

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LETTER to N. R. JAMES, ADELAIDE from NAMATANAI, NEW IRELAND

This fine cover is addressed to Mr. James, c/o Weather Bureau, G.P.O. ADELAIDE, South Australia. It has a red Registration label of Rabaul/ Deutsch-Neuguinea, a purple hand-stamped Crown over an oval PASSED CENSOR/ initials/ RABAUL, and the two stamps a green 3d Roo and a brown 5d KGV Head both have the N.W./ PACIFIC/ ISLANDS overprint, as well as 2 purple NAMATANAI/ 18 AU 18/ , an early unworn state

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LETTER from ENGLAND to MISS ROSSITER, STARVATION FLAT, NORFOLK ISLAND

This cover was sent from England with the grey wing-margin 6d stamp S.G. 147, plate 15, issued in 1876 with postmark dated AP 4/ 77, the barred numeral and town name being largely illegible. It was sent ‘via San Francisco’ and ‘via New Zealand’ to Miss Rossiter, Starvation Flat, Norfolk Island. The reverse was not seen but had a transit mark of Auckland. The vendor said that inward mail was

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ROBERT BEAR, PUBLISHER/IMPORTER & REV. DELAPORTE, NAURU MISSION

Five covers, dated 1901-1910 were addressed to ‘Sir’ Robert Bear at 16 Park Street, Sydney from British New Guinea and from Nauru. The first is a printed cover with a vertical pair of the 1d carmine with black centre British New Guinea stamps, postmarked with the ten bar obliterator (as well as blue crayon strokes) and there is an unframed WOODLARKS/ 1901/ B.N.G. cancel nearby. The reverse (not seen) showed

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REV. JAMES EGAN MOULTON, MISSIONARY, TONGAN BIBLE TRANSLATOR

wo covers were sent to the Rev. J. Egan Moulton at Tupou College (both spelt incorrectly as Tubou), in the capital city of Nuku’Alofa, Tonga. The first had a pair of the red 1d N.S.W. ‘Shield’ stamps cancelled with the barred numeral obliterator of ‘1204′ and in addition the origin was confirmed by a cds of ENMORE/ NO 17/ 1897/ N.S.W (Type 1D (i) 1896-1906). In addition there was a

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REV. ALEXANDRE BATTISTE, EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PORT-AU- PRINCE, HAITI

The registered envelope of Victoria is addressed to Rev. A. Battiste, Port-au-Prince, Hayti, West Indies. The boxed red printed ‘REGISTERED’ has been covered over by a red Registration Label of the ‘United States of America/ NEW YORK, N.Y. There is a handstamp applied in Australia of a black large ‘R’ in a circle and the pair of blue 2½d stamps of Victoria are cancelled with an unframed ELIZABETH STREET NORTH/

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REV. GEORGE HUNN NOBBS, NORFOLK ISLAND

This 1868 stampless cover is addressed to Revd G.H. Nobbs, Norfolk Island Australia, has a LOMBARD-STREET/ F.O./ OC 30/ 68/ PAID cds in red and has a large faint manuscript ‘6’ rating as well as manuscripts ‘Via Southampton’ across the top, ‘ans(wered) to Mr. Glennie, July 27th 1869’ on the left side and ‘Consignee’s letter/ (indecipherable)’ on the right. The vendor states that there is a colorless embossing on the

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R. P. CLARK, POSTMASTER, SCHOOLMASTER & ELDER, PITCAIRN ISLAND

The Sesquicentenary of the City of Newcastle, N.S.W. (1797-1947) First Day Cover has the set of 3 stamps (2½, 3½ & 5½d) postmarked on day of issue at EPPING/ 8 SE 47/ N.S.W. It is addressed to Mr. Roy P. Clark P.M., Pitcairn Island, South Pacific Island and there is a double circle reception postmark PITCAIRN ISLAND/ 27.OCT.47/ POST OFFICE (Figure 1). A cover with a blue 6 F French

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