Royal Reels: Gambling

Missionaries and Religion

BISHOP WILLSON, FIRST CATHOLIC BISHOP of TASMANIA

Two covers addressed to the Bishop of Hobartown have appeared in auction catalogues over the past 4 years. The first one I saw initially left some doubt whether I was dealing with the Catholic or Anglican Bishop, whereas the second cover left no doubt that the person addressed was the first Catholic Bishop of Tasmania. Further research on the first cover showed that it also was addressed to Robert William

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BEATRICE ISABEL HASSALL, AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARY in PALESTINE

The Air Mail cover has two KGV Head stamps, the 2d red and 4d olive, as well as a pair of the dull claret Hermes 1 shilling 6 pence stamps, for a total postage of 3 shillings 6 pence. They are all cancelled with the 3 AIR MAIL 3/ 5-P21 DE 36/ SYDNEY N.S.W. postmark. The cover is addressed to Miss Beatrice I. Hassall, Church Missionary Society, Jerusalem, Palestine, and

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ANNIE BRIGHT, JOURNALIST, EDITOR, TEACHER & SPIRITUALIST

At top left, this cover has a partially obscured (by a roller cancel:  Melbourne Vic JA 29  2-30P  1909) The Harbinger of Light, Editor: Mrs. Charles Bright, 117 Collins Street, Melbourne.  It has a blue Victoria 2½d stamp and it is addressed to Mr. Victor L. White, 32 Johnson Avenue, Richmond Hill, Long Island, New York State, USA (Figures 1 & 2). The reverse has an incomplete reception postmark of

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KIMBERLEY, TASMANIA to ALEX NORTH F.R.V.I.A., ARCHITECT LAUNCESTON

This Tasmania Post Card with the red 1d King Edward VII head was the third Tasmanian type of official postcard issued with this sovereign’s head, the 2-line inscription having been removed from beneath the crest of the previous issue. It was issued on a buff colored card with an early date of 4 September 1906 and reissued on a white card, with an early date of 1 June 1912, the

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REV. FELLMAN, MALAUNA NEW BRITAIN, SO. PACIFIC OCEAN

This cover is a problem, both in regards to my original misspelling of the town’s name as Ralauna in the address when it should have been Malauna, and the difficulty with the postmarks’ dates. The interest of the marking on the front and the excitement of the postmarks on the reverse, make up for the deficiencies. The cover has an uncertain routing, and readers are asked for their interpretation, as I

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REV. DR. ALLAN HAUCK, PROFESSOR, PHILATELIST & P-NG POSTMARKS

Some 60 covers were posted from Papua-New Guinea with Australian definitive stamps in the 1950s at the Printed Matter Rate of 3 pence. There was some duplication in the postmarking and a selection was made of post offices that were uncommon in personal experience. They were all addressed to Dr. Allan Hauck, 730 Park Avenue, Newport, Kentucky, United States of America. The first cover front is the only one showed

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REV. C.W. SCHURMANN, HOCHKIRK, LUTHERAN MISSIONARY & PASTOR

This telegraphic message cover has postmark interest for in addition to the duplex postmark of HAMILTON/ FE 5/ 83/ VICTORIA with the barred numeral ‘46′ , there was a blue POSTMASTER-GENERAL / VICTORIA/ FRANK STAMP, as well as the faint blue double oval POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE/ HAMILTON/ FE 5/ 1883 ‘Belt & Buckle’ cancellation. The cover was addressed to Rev. C.W. Schurmann, Hochkirk. There was also an illegible manuscript

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REV. ARTHUR LEYLAND BIRD, BROTHERHOOD of the GOOD SHEPHERD

The cover was sent from W.H. Pethard of Northcote South, Melbourne and the orange 2d KGV Head stamp was postmarked with a roller cancel of MELBOURNE/ 430AM/ 26 APR/ 1935/ VICTORIA with a slogan AIR MAIL/ SAVES TIME. It was sent to The Rev. A. Leyland Bird B.G.S., The Rectory, Brewarrina, N.S.W. There was a reception postmark of BREWARRINA/ 29 AP 35/ N.S.W and it was redirected to Angledool Stn,

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REV. WILLIAM BEDFORD, VAN DIEMEN’S LAND (1781 – 1852)

This undated stampless entire is interesting particularly because of a rare postmark, and its early date in the colony of Van Diemen’s Land. It is addressed to Reverend William Bedford, Hobart Town, with the signature of E. Abbott, who the vendor stated was E. Abbott, Tasmanian M.L.C. The only cancellation is the rare oval undated LAUNCESTON handstamp (Figure 1). H.M. Campbell et al’s book “Tasmania: The Postal History and Postal Markings” (1962)

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RECHABITE LODGE, S. A. DISTRICT NO. 81, SENT TO Dr. J. BERG ESENWEIN

This cover has a strip of three ½d green ‘Roo on map of Australia’ stamps plus a single red 1d stamp of the same design.  The stamps are cancelled with four examples of the LAMEROO/ JY/  11/ 13/ S.A squared circle postmarks.  There is a printed red illustration with at least half of the diagram obscured by the three green stamps.  The cover is addressed to Dr. J. Berg Esenwein,

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