ANGOLA: 1909 (Apr 8) PPC with South Australia 1d tied by Adelaide machine cancel, to "Landana-Chilaongo/ Angola Congo" with 'FUNCHAL/25MAI09/MADEIRA' transit from where trans-shipped to a south-bound service with octagonal d/s of 'PROVINCIA D'ANGOLA/17JUN1909/LUANDA' apparently where endorsed "Cabinda" instead of being sent to Chilaongo in the Angolan interior, indistinct transit & very fine 'CONGO PORTUGUEZ/3JUL1909/CABINDA' arrival d/s, minor creasing & a couple of small closed tears at the top. The only postal item we have seen to this destination.
Cabinda, formerly known as Portuguese Congo, is an ocean-side 'exclave' of Angola, bound by (French) Congo to the north & Belgian Congo/Zaire to the south & east. Local separatist movements have functioned at least since the 1960s.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: 1903 (Sep 15) PPC registered to "Foca" with NSW 3d & 10d tied by 'ALBURY/NSW - 50' duplex, part arrival-cds at the base, forwarded to "Kljuc" with Austr-Hungarian 'K und K...XXVII/23/10/03/KLJUC' military cds at upper-left. The card has a non-philatelic message including "...The American Fleet has left our shores..." & affords no explanation for the apparent overpayment. Our best guess is foreign letter rate 2½d x2 (why?) + 5d late fee (see 'Australian Philatelist' Winter 1989 at page 38) + 3d registration?? [Foca is in the SE of Bosnia & Kljuc is 250 km NW via Sarajevo]
BRITISH EAST AFRICA: 1903 (Dec 2) PPC without message so with Tasmania 1d only for the printed matter rate tied by Hobart cds, 'ADEN' transit & 'MOMBASA/13JA/1904' arrival cds, mistakenly taxed but with "T 5c" crossed-out & inappropriate mss "Free" added. [BEA was renamed Kenya in 1920]
CHRISTMAS ISLAND (INDIAN OCEAN): 1907 (Nov 29) tinselled PPC with South Australian 1d tied by Adelaide cds, to a child on "Christmas Island/Via Singapore" with Singapore transit cds of DE16/1907, minor blemishes. [PPCs from Britain are common but only two or three from Australia have been recorded. Europeans on the island would have been involved in phosphate mining, which began in 1899]
COOK ISLANDS: 1904 (Feb 25) cover with NSW 2d (corner fault) tied by Sydney duplex, to "Manuae Plantations/.../via Aitutaki" with faint Rarotonga transit b/s, part of the flap missing. An excellent destination: most covers to Cook Islands & Niue are to the Post Offices. Manuae is in the southern Cook Islands, 100km SE of Aitutaki from which it was administered. In 1898, Aitutaki leased Manuae for a copra plantation. It has been virtually uninhabited since the 1930s. [The foreign letter rate was 2½d, except to BNG, Fiji & New Zealand, of which the Cook Islands were a dependency]
CUBA: 1908 (Jan 27) goldmining PPC with no message & endorsed "Printed Matter" with South Australia 1d tied by poor Adelaide cds, to "Vedado/Havana/Cuba" with superb American-pattern 'HABANA,CUBA.DIV.DE CARTEROS/MAR16/1908/RECDO' ("carteros" = postmen), minor blemishes.
CURACAO: 1901 (August 29) cover with Western Australia 2½d blue tied by the scarce 'SHIP MAIL ROOM - WA' framed duplex (LRD: PMI recorded 3½ months only), to "British Vice-Consul/Curacoa" [sic] with poor 'CURACAO' aquared-circle arrival b/s.
DANISH WEST INDIES: 1902 (Oct 22) beautiful PPC of 'TOWN HALL, ADELAIDE' with South Australia ½d & 1d tied by superb Adelaide cds, to "West End/St Croix/DW Indies" remarkably with cds of 'ST THOMAS', 'CHRISTIANSTED' & 'FREDERIKSTED' all on the face. Superb!
GERMAN EAST AFRICA: 1904 usage of Queensland 1½d Postal Card ('Sheep under a Bottle-tree...'; message in German with address "Mapoon/Thursday Isl/North Queensland"), to "German Central East Africa...via Bombay-Zanzibar" with BN '336' cancel & very fine 'THURSDAY ISLAND' cds alongside, very fine 'ADEN' & superb 'DAR-ES-SALAAM' transits & light but obvious 'LANGENBURG/DEUTSCH/OSTAFRIKA' arrival cds all on the face, minor toning. [Langenburg was at the northern end of Lake Nyassa. The PO opened 5.6.1895 & was relocated to Neu Langenburg 2.7.1908]
Mapoon is an Aboriginal settlement on the west coast of Cape York where a German Moravian Mission was established for the Presbyterian Church in 1891. The sender, Arthur Richter, and Nikolaus Hey were the first missionaries. Many aboriginal children were forcibly removed there from all over Cape York. Conditions were poor &, in a 1950s official report, were described as "nauseating". Both the Queensland Government & the Presbyterian Church underfunded the mission. The Government appropriated the land for commercial bauxite mining & further reduced services to encourage the residents to move to New Mapoon, 100km SSW near the town of Weipa. On 15.11.1963, police forcibly removed the remaining residents, many at gun-point. Homes were burned-down to prevent the people returning. Despite this, over time, many did make the journey back & the government eventually provided new housing & some infrastructure. NB: these notes are condensed from the Queensland Government's own website.
GERMAN NEW GUINEA: c.1910 NSW 1d Wrapper with 'NSW'-in-bars cancel, to "Herbertshohe/ Neu-Pommern/(New Britain)" endorsed "Pr RMS Stettin", opened-out for display, small repaired tear at the lower fold. ['Stettin' was a German naval cruiser, launched in 1907]
GERMAN POST OFFICES IN CHINA: 1907 (Jan 10) double-rate cover with NSW 2½d indigo pair tied by 'SYDNEY/ 17 ' cds, to "Tsingtau/China" endorsed "Per SS Eastern" with British Hong Kong & Chinese Shanghai transit b/s plus German-pattern 'TSINGTAU/11.2.07/KIAUTSCHOU c' arrival b/s, minor blemishes & part of the flap missing. The only cover we have seen to Kiautschou.
GERMANY: 1912 (Dec 11) PPC ('Port [sic] Charles Light House/Port Darwin NT') with South Australia ½d & 1d tied by superb 'DARWIN NT/AUSTRALIA' cds, to Germany with Singapore transit cds, long German instructional h/s in violet & German/French Insufficient Address label, returned with 'DEAD LETTER OFFICE/FE24/13/ADELAIDE' cds in rosine, bumped corners & small edge-tear. Very colourful.
The Point Charles Lighthouse was a prefabricated structure, shipped from England, & erected in 1892. It was already rusty when it arrived! It was automated in 1933, and survived Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve 1974. The letter, in German, is headed "Terminus Hotel". The 'Terminus' was Darwin's first hotel, having been erected in 1885. It was demolished in 1931.
HELIGOLAND: 1907 (Sep 30) PPC with NSW ½d & 1d tied by superb 'SINGLETON' cds, to the sender's mother on "Helgoland/Germany" with Sydney machine transit, creases. The only post-1900 item we have seen to this destination. [From 1814, Heligoland was a British possession. In 1890, Britain exchanged Heligoland for Zanzibar - the arrogance of the imperial powers - & it became part of Schleswig-Holstein]
HONG KONG: 1910 (May 19) usage of NSW long 3d Registration Envelope to "Hongkong/China" with scarce franking of 6d orange pair + ½d blue-green & 2½d indigo x2, Hong Kong arrival b/s of 6JU/10, slightly shortened at the ends. From 4.7.1905, the letter rate to Hong Kong was reduced from 2½d to 2d. However, the foreign rate to China was paid at 2½d x7 + 3d registration, an unnecessary overpayment of 3½d.
Grade B
Estimate AU$150
Opening AU$ 115.00
Sold...AU$ 115.00
Closed..Apr-26-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 115
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1183
Symbol: C
INDIA - FEUDATORY STATES: 1906 (Apr) PPC with Tasmanian '1½d' on 5d tied by superb Launceston cds, to "Ajmer/Rajputana" with Tuticorin cds & boxed 'FOREIGN POSTAGE DUE/("ONE") ANNA' h/s, two different 'AJMER' cds of 3MY/06 & small oval 'AJMER/UNPAID' h/s of the same date in green, twice endorsed "Refused" & again on the viewside, superb boxed 'REFUSE/REFUSED' h/s probably applied at 'DLO/AJMER' (d/s of 5MY06), two different 'DLO/BOMBAY' d/s of 7MY06 & 1JL06, corner crease & minor blemishes. [The card was fully paid but the 1a tax suggests that the letter rate of 2½d should have been paid. Why?]
INDIA: 1900 (Jan 30) underpaid double-rate cover addressed in English & Gurmukhi (?) with Queensland ½d x2 & 2d tied by BN '519' of 'ALOOMBA' cds at L/R, to "Burrapen/Punjaub/India", Cairns & Brisbane transit b/s & part-'20/CTS' tax marking at the base, Indian b/s of 'TUTICORIN' (27JL) & 'PHILLOUR' (1AU00) plus 'BARAPIND/ B.O. /2AU/00/JULLUNDUR' arrival, mss "0.4.0" = 4as & boxed 'FOREIGN POSTAGE DUE/("four") ANNAS __ PIS' h/s, slightly truncated at the base. [Given the tropical climate, the sender is unlikely to have been a cameleer. However, there was a population of itinerant Sikhs on the eastern seabord]
JAMAICA: 1901 (Mar 8) cover with NSW 2½d indigo tied by Sydney duplex, to "Inspector of police/Black River/Jamaca" [sic] with 'KINGSTON transit of AP23/01 & largely superb 'BLACK-RIVER' arrival of the next day, light central vertical fold. [By the early 1900s, Black River, at the mouth of Jamaica's longest waterway, was the island's most economically important town after Kingston. Today, it is a major eco-tourism town]
JAPAN: 1902 (Apr 13) underpaid cover with Queensland 2d only & poor BN cancel of 'CLERMONT', mss "T" in magenta, to a ship's passenger at Yokohama with Rockhampton & Townsville transit and American-pattern 'YOKOHAMA/24/MAY/02/JAPAN' arrival b/s, four ricepaper attachments with printed x2, handstamped or manuscript internal redirections, three other Japanese datestamps including rubber 'NAGASAKI/JAPAN' & various 'chops', minor blemishes.
MACAU: 1906 (Oct 31) PPC with NSW ½d & 1d tied by Sydney duplex, to "IM Customs/Lappa/Macao/China" endorsed "Per Kumano Maru", Hong Kong transit & large-part '.../CORREOS/19NOV06/DE/MACAU' arrival cds, faint spotting & light bend. Entirely social message states "...Typhoon must have been terrible...Thanks for the PCs...have the craze as badly as ever..." [A major typhoon had struck Hong Kong on 18.9.1906 causing major destruction on land & sea, and up to 15,000 deaths. Modern reports say little about Macau being impacted but the message suggests that there was some damage there]
MAURITIUS: 1902 (Sep 1) usage of beautiful Messageries Maritimes PPC ('Ville-de-la-Ciotat') with light but clear 'AGENCE CONSULAIRE DE FRANCE/[Marianne]/PERTH (AUSTRALIE)' cachet in blue, endorsed "Per P&O/RMS Britannia/Via Colombo", Western Australia 2d tied by very fine Fremantle duplex, fair Colombo & 'MAURITIUS' transits & large-part 'FORESTSIDE/1OC/1902' arrival cds, the message in French. [Forest Side is 18km S of Port Louis. The central stain apears to be associated with two faint diagonal cuts that have not penetrated the card but which suggest the card was disinfected??]
MOZAMBIQUE: 1910 (Jan 10) PPC ('Hobart from Glebe') with no message & endorsed "Printed Matter" with Tasmania ½d pair tied by Hobart machine to the viewside, to "Portuguese East Africa...via Durban" with 'CORREIO AMBULANTA/9FEV10/LOURENCO-MARQUES' arrival cds on the face, minor blemishes.
NETHERLANDS INDIES: 1904 (Mar 16) use of Queensland 1d Postal Card ('Brisbane River...') from Townsville to "The Borneo Co Ltd/Samarang/Java" underpaid with 'T' h/s but curiously crossed-through, a bevy of Dutch-pattern squared-circles of 'BATAVIA' & 'SEMARANG' arrival, forwarded simply to "Borneo" with 'SOERABAJA' & 'WELTEVREDEN' transits & 'BANDJERMASIN' arrival.
The Dutch had abolished the Bandar Sultanate on Borneo in 1863 but it was only in 1906 - two years after this card was sent - that the Dutch finally suppressed opposition from the local people. Today, Banjarmasin is the capital of South Kalimantan.
NORWAY: 1910 (June 4) cover with NSW ½d green, 8d Lyrebird & 1/- Kangaroo tied by superb 'NEWCASTLE' cds, scarce provisional pink & black R label with small 'Newcastle' h/s in violet, poor Sydney transit & 'BUREAU REEXP/10VII10/DE CHRISTIANIA' arrival, minor soiling. The rate was 2½d x7 (17½d) + 3d registration = 1/8½d.
Norway is the scarcest destination of all the Scandinavian countries. The capital Christiania or Kristiania was renamed Oslo in 1925. (Image1)
Estimate AU$300
Opening AU$ 290.00
Sold...AU$ 380.00
Closed..Apr-26-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 380
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1192
Symbol: C
NORWAY: 1911 (Dec 14) cover with Victoria ½d & 2d tied by Melbourne machine cancel, to "Christiana' with 'KRISTIANIA/TUR/ 1 ' machine arrival b/s, forwarded to "Monaco" with 'MONTE CARLO/PRINCIPALITE DE MONACO' arrival b/s, minor blemishes.
PAPUA: 1910 Union Bank cover with Victoria 3d & dumb bars obliterator, superb Sydney transit b/s of 13OC10 & very fine 'PORT MORESBY/28OCT10/PAPUA' arrival b/s. [We have seen other covers from this correspondence, with adhesives to 6d. The letter rate was 2d per ½oz, so the rate here is problematic. At the time, the late fee was also 2d]
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE: 1912 (Mar 14) PPC unnecessarily paid at the letter rate with Victoria 2½d tied by 'CLIFTON HILL' cds, to an infantry officer in "Africa Occidental Portuguese/Ilia de San Thome" but forwarded to Portugal with large-part 'AFRICA .../30ABR12/CORREIO DE S THOME' cds on the face, light even soiling. The only postal item we have seen to this destination.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: 1907 (Oct 30) PPC with Queensland 1d tied by octagonal 'P B/BRISBANE' (= Pillar Box) d/s, to a ship's captain at Suva with arrival cds of 5/NOV/07, redirected to "Resident Commissioner/ Gavutu/Solomon Islds" with a second Suva cds of 12/NOV/07, minor peripheral damage.
Don Franks recorded only a handful of early inwards items, all newspaper wrappers from Papua. The 'Clansman' had a chequered career: between 1888 & 1926 it was involved in four collisions at sea! On 2.9.1907, she had collided with the 'Herald' at Auckland.
SPAIN: 1907 (Jan 31) use of NSW 'THREE PENCE' on 4d Registration Envelope with NSW ½d & 2d tied by superb 'R'-in-oval h/s of Sydney, French 'LIGNE N/16/FEB/07/PAQ FR No3' marine sorter d/s & 'ESTAFETA DE CAM.../5MAR07/(BARCELONA)' arrival b/s, minor spotting/aging. [In all periods, Spain is a much scarcer destination than is Portugal. 'Estafeta' = post office]
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1197
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
ST HELENA: 1906 (Mar 5) PPC with South Australian 1d tied by superb 'PORT ADELAIDE' squared-circle, to "Eastern Tel Company/St Helena" with 'T'-in-oval & 'T/5 CTS'-in-circle h/s both applied at Adelaide, on arrival large '1D' h/s & 'ST HELENA/AP29/06' cds applied, light creasing & bumped corners. A rare destination, in any period. [Perfunctory message between family members]
From 1.6.1905, reduction in the Empire letter (2½d) & postcard (1½d) rates was progressive. It was not until 1.5.1911, that the 1d rates applied to all Empire destinations. A real challenge would be to form a collection that demonstrates from what dates the rates to various destinations were reduced
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS: 1903 (Nov 26) usage of NSW ½d Wrapper uprated with 3d yellow-green tied by 'SHIP MAIL ROOM/SYDNEY NSW' cds, to Singapore. Superb! [The newspaper rate was 1d up to 4oz + ½d for each additional 2oz x5, for a packet weighing between 12 & 14oz. Kumpers & Co were importers & agents, including for Continental Motor Tyres from Germany]
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS: 1906 (Aug 2) PPC with South Australia ½d Post Office pair tied by superb Adelaide cds, to "Province Wellesley" with very fine 'PENANG' transit & light but clear 'BUTTERWORTH/ AU21/1906/ + ' cds (Ted Proud Type D5), minor blemishes. [Province Wellesley (P.W.), named after Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, is the mainland part of Penang, which was originally called Prince of Wales Island. Mail to P.W. is rare]
SURINAME: 1912 (July 2) use of Queensland KEVII 3d Registration Envelope with De La Rue imprint under the flap with Crown/A 1d pair & 3d tied by 'REGISTERED/BRISBANE' cds in blue, red & black/white R label, San Francisco (9.8) & New York (14.8) transit b/s, light even aging. Mail to Curacao is seen regularly but this is the first we have seen to Suriname (aka Dutch Guiana).
SWEDEN: 1901 (Oct 12) usage of Tasmanian 2d Letter Card ('MOUNT LYELL REDUCTION WORKS...') with Tablet ½d tied by 'WEST DEVONPORT' cds, to Upsala with very fine 'SASSNITZ-TRELLEBORG/ 13.11.01/141B' TPO transit & superb 'UPSALA/19/11/01/1. TUR' arrival cds both on the face, a very minor corner bend otherwise superb! and possibly the finest used Mining Letter Card we have seen. [The letter, between brothers, is in Swedish. The TPO cds was applied on a ferry from Sassnitz in Germany to Trelleborg in Sweden, a distance of 100km. The service was closed in 2020, a victim of coronavirus]
THAILAND: 1904 (May 23) cover with Tasmanian ½d & 1d pair tied by 'HOBART/P - B' (= Pillar Box) cds, to Thailand "Via Colombo" with Singapore transit & Bangkok arrival of 23.6.1904 (affected by repaired flap faults) and 34mm Siamese-language b/s. There are many PPCs from this period to Siam but very few covers.
THAILAND: 1911 (June 10) PPC with NSW 1d tied by 'STRATHFIELD' cds, to "Longkat Harlow Lui [?] Dredging Co/Puket/via Penang" with poor Penang transit & superb 'PUKET/15.7.1911' arrival cds. [Phuket is Thailand's largest island. The local economy was founded on tin-dredging. Today it is a major tourist destination] (Image1)
