Three examples of this company have appeared at one Melbourne stamp auction company over several years. The messenger company was first established in New York in 1830 by John Boyd, initially as a service for tradesmen to deliver hand-bills. In 1844 it became a local post competing with Governmental postal services and it continued in this form until it was suppressed in 1883. After the service was closed by the
This stampless entire was addressed to Benjamin Kane Esquire, Acting Inspector of National School Board, Melbourne on 28 April 1853. It was sent from Lake Colac, as shown by the framed red ‘PAID/ LAKE COLAC’, and was rated by a manuscript red ‘2′ (2d being the inland letter rate)as well as the manuscript ‘Free’. The reverse (not shown) had back-stamps of Colac and Melbourne (Figure 1). Benjamin Francis Kane was
Every now and then a postcard speaks to our family personally. It was late1950’s and we bought our first home. One of our 3 sons was born whilst we lived there. It was a bungalow built on rock with 8 inches of sandy topsoil. Its address was 8 Marne Street, Vaucluse, but the locals called it Diamond Bay. It was perched high on a massive rock formation with glorious views
This 1891 1½d overprint on the 2d Victorian postcard with the red ‘UNIVERSAL P0STAL UNION’ overprint, deletion of the ‘FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM’ and ‘by the long sea route’ came about when Victoria joined the U.P.U. As a result cards could be sent for 1½d to any member country of the Union, which by then comprised most of the rest of the world. It is addressed to the Manager, Comptoir
I was surprised to learn of the past and present Swedish connection with Australia when I came across a very ordinary cover on Ebay listed as an advertising cover. It hardly lived up to expectations for the very plain commercial cover with the 3½d KGVI stamp was sent from Sydney in 1952 to a firm in New Zealand. An address for return was given as ‘SWEDISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SYDNEY
This cover was bought on E-bay for sentimental reasons only, and when I received it I was surprised to find a letter in it. The contents were not historically exciting, but it did provide information that was of interest. The reason for buying it was for the Menzies Hotel Melbourne insignia on the reverse of the cover, as it provided memories of the second night of our honeymoon, when we
An unclaimed cover in 1882 turned out to be a revelation of Australia’s past history, of which most Australians are not proud. A long cover with a green 1d Victoria stamp was postmarked with an incomplete RICHMOND/ VICTORIA, barred numeral ‘71′ duplex. The cover was addressed to Mr. Ah Toy, Chinese Garden, Appleton St., N. Richmond. There were 2 other markings, an indecipherable manuscript (denoting a form?) and a purple
The first cover I suspect may have been philatelically contrived by the unidentified sender. It is addressed to Mr. Walter George Rendall, Artist, Goulburn and Goulburn is crossed out probably by the sender and G. P.O., Sydney has been added. A vertically joined pair of two partial blue Two Pence 100 Years of N.S.W. stamps have been cancelled with a SYDNEY/ JU 15/ 6 30 P.M/ 91/ 27, N.S.W duplex,
This 1d imprinted Western Australian postcard has a halfpenny green W.A. stamp (ASC #18) attached, for the 2-line postcard’s directions clearly state that the 1 penny rate applies for the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The card is printed on buff stock and when used for any other place an additional halfpenny stamp is required. The postcard is addressed to Messrs. Smith & Wesson, 33
The first cover was addressed To the Revd W.M. Evans, The Welsh Church, Latrobe St Melbourne and the lilac ‘TWO PENCE’ stamp of Victoria was postmarked with the first duplex WARRNAMBOOL/ JA 8/ 76/ VICTORIA, and the stamp was obliterated with the barred numeral ‘10′ . The addressee wrote up the L.H.S. the date of its reception by ‘Jenkin Jenkins 10/1/76′ . The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). The second