Great Britain and British Commonwealth WESTERN AUSTRALIA Postal History
Sale No: 237
Lot No: 719
Symbol: L
'Dictionary of Western Australians' in five hardbound volumes: Vol I: Early Settlers 1829-1850; Vol II Bond 1850-1868; Vol III Free 1850-1868; Vol IV Part One 1868-1888 A to K; and Part Two 1868-1888 L to Z (University of WA, 1979-85). Biographical details on thousands of arrivers. The first volume is especially important. An outstanding reference that we use regularly, and only the second set we have seen. Weighs 8kg.
1833 piece from a laid paper outer (77x63mm) with a fine strike of the First Type '[crown]/GENERAL/POST OFFICE/PERTH.' handstamp, small part of the address & non-contemporary endorsement "17.9.1833" (LRD). Believed to be Ex Absalom (1920s). [PMI states that the implement was crafted from wood, that it wore rapidly & was soon discarded. Only eight examples have been recorded, between 18.4.1833 to 1.9.1833 only, of which 4 are institutionalised. Between late-1833 and late-1841, letters bore no postal markings]
1844 mercantile entire headed "Bunbury 9th Feby 1844" and endorsed within "Triplicate pr Velocity/original pr Ganges/Duplicate pr Shepherd", to London endorsed "pr Velocity", rated "4d" with very fine strike of the boxed 'PAID/("13.3.44")/FREMANTLE' h/s in red, London 'SHIP LETTER' h/s & ' VT /20OC20/1844' arrival cds both in red & rated "8" for an inwards shipletter, ironed-out vertical fold at left. [The writer, James Kaye Child, arrived at Australind per 'Henry' on 20.4.1841, aged 25. During 1844, he commenced a whaling venture at Bunbury but died in 1846]
1849 envelope endorsed "Western Australia/May 17th 49" to London with a generally fine strike of the second undated '[crown]/GENERAL/POST OFFICE/PERTH' Handstamp & a worn but largely legible strike of the large-oval Ship Letter h/s in red, rated "9" for a letter exceeding ½oz & "2/-" for an inwards shipletter, docketed at right "Mr Henry Trigg/17th May 1849". [Henry Trigg was a very early settler who arrived in the Colony per 'Lotus' on 6.10.1829. Trigg became a prominent landowner & Congregational lay preacher. Like so many of his contemporaries, in 1850 he was named as a defaulter in the Western Australian Mining Company]
1855 (late) envelope to Northamptonshire with Imperf Penny Black pair (three large margins, cut-into at the base) & 4d pale blue (margins close to large - except where a little cut-into at U/R - with a fragment of the adjoining unit at right), the pair tied by neat void-grid cancels in black & the 4d similarly cancelled at the same angle, very fine undated-oval 'POST OFFICE/[crown]/FREMANTLE/WESTERN AUSTRALIA' Handstamp at L/L, London transit b/s of 24MR24/1856 in red & 'KETTERING' arrival cds of the same date in green on the face. A handsome cover.
1860 cover-front to Scotland "Via Southampton" with very scarce franking of Hillman Lithographs 6d grey-black SG 19 (apparently from the base of the sheet with margins just shaved - at right - to very large), very fine 15-bar '6' cancel & 'ALBANY/NO1/1860/=WESTERN-AUSTRALIA=' cds at L/L.
1872 cover to Bunbury with a very fine strike of the scarce Framed-Oval 'GREENOUGH/MAY3/18[7]2/+WESTERN AUSTRALIA+' (LRD) on the face, 2d chrome-yellow tied by Void Grid (LRD), Perth Maltese Cross transit of MY13/1872 & 'BUNBURY/=WESTERN-AUSTRALIA=' arrival b/s, repaired opening fault at U/L & part of the flap missing.
POSTAL STATIONERY: 1912 commercial usage of 1½d blue/green Postal Card PSSA #PC19 to Germany with 'CHRONOMETER, WATCH & CLOCK-MAKER/P.A.KAYSER/PERTH' cachet on back, Perth '15JUL12' machine cancel and 'EINGEGANGEN/ 12AUG1912/...' private arrival cachet on face, Cat $1000 but unpriced "used at correct rate". The four known used cards described in PSSA are either over-paid or late usages; we know of ony one other commercial example paying the intended foreign postcard rate.
POSTMARKS: 'TELEGRAPHS/30.SEP.19/FREMANTLE' cds (26mm diameter) two strikes on Commonwealth of Australia 'TELEGRAM' form 'E.T.No.2' to passenger on board SS Orsova wishing "God speed good luck/Rabbi & Mrs Freeman", minor blemishes. Type unrecorded in PMI.
