Great Britain and British Commonwealth Travelling Post Offices
Sale No: 1
Lot No: 1198
Symbol: PS
North: 'G N R P/MY1/1876/-N S W-' (22mm double-circle, 1mm arcs; LRD) largely very fine strike at left & 'GNRP/NSW' (16mm; undated) largely fine cancel on 1d Postal Card, unframed 'WEST MAITLAND' arrival cds also on the face, message headed "M'rundi" (= Murrurundi). Unlisted by Peck. [Peck records only one double-circle, between OC30/1876 & OC2/1882. We expect both dates are for the 20mm cds: see next lot. We have recorded the 22mm cds from DE20/1875]
North: 'G N R P/NO2/1876/+N S W+' cds (20mm; Maltese Crosses in lieu of arcs) very fine strike alongside 'GNRP/NSW' (16mm; undated) very fine cancel on 1d Postal Card, 'SINGLETON' arrival b/s, a couple of minor blemishes, the message in Latin! Peck rated 8.
North: 'TPO 1 NORTH/OC9 UP B - NSW/1909' light but very fine machine b/s on cover from Queensland to Sydney. Peck rated 9: LRD for code 'B'. [Recorded for 2½ months only]
South: 'TPO 3 SOUTH/13AP15/NSW' superb strike on Fullface 1d Postal Card with printed advice for NSW Government Railways, minor blemishes on the reverse. Peck rated 7.
West: 'TRAVELLING PO WEST No.2/MY1/82/NSW' cds (unlisted by Peck, 27½mm diameter, no arcs, similar to type 2W4 but inscription transposed) on cover to Sydney, 2d blue tied indistinct numeral with 'BURRAGA/NSW' cds alongside, 'SWALLOW'S NEST' b/s (closed 1893).
245 Mile Siding East-West Railway: boxed 'POSTED AT 245 MILE' handstamp largely very fine strike in violet on apparently commercial cover to Sydney, KGV 1½d red cancelled in transit with 'TARCOOLA/30JL28/SA' cds. [See 'Hand-Held Postmarks' at page 1. John Booker's philatelic cover with superb strike sold at our auction of 1.3.2020 for $551]
376 Mile East-West Railway: '376 MILE EW RLY/1OC18/S.A' very fine strike on 1/- Kangaroo. Rated RRRR. PO 19.9.1916; closed 1918. [On the site of Barton. Handbook states closed May 1918. Several later strikes to 26OC18 are recorded]
Central Australia Railway: 'CENT AUST RAIL/No 1 SA' typed endorsement on provisional R label on Tatts cover to Melbourne, the 5c & 25c stamps cancelled at 'ALICE SPRINGS/21JE69/NT-AUST'. Very scarce commercial usage.
Express Railway: machine 'EXPRESS RAILWAY/MY 21 UP - SA/1910' very fine impression unusually tying 2d to the address side of cover to Melbourne, minor stain at right.
Kadina Railway: framed 'K.A. RAILWAY/MY23/81/SA' very fine transit b/s on 1d Postal Card to Adelaide with message headed "Blyth" but cancelled at 'HOYLETON' (rated RRR), a bit aged.
Port Pirie Railway: 'P.P. RAILWAY UP/11JE11/S.A.' very fine strike tying ½d & 1d to viewside of PPC to Argentina, a second almost as fine strike on the address side. Rated RRR.
Railway: 25mm unframed 'RAILWAY P O/JA2/1866/S-A' (ERD; dateslugs inverted) light but obvious b/s on tiny cover to Adelaide with Rouletted 2d (oxidised) tied by 'GAWLER' cds. Rated RRRR+.
Railway: unframed 'P.O/ 3 / AU22/68/RAILWAY' (Gang 3 inverted) largely very fine b/s on cover to Adelaide with Rouletted 2d tied by 25mm unframed 'MOONTA/=S.A=' cds - rated RRRR - with another strike alongside. Rated RR.
Railway: 'RAILWAY/JU17/79/S.A' cds (rated RRR) b/s on cover to Sydney with 2d orange tied 'HAMLEY BRIDGE' cds, couple of minor blemishes. [Copper Mining. Tony Presgrave states it was used on the Burra Line until 1880 and then on the Morgan Line]
Trans-Australian Railway: 'TRANS AUSTRALIAN RAIL' two almost fine strikes & provisional R label with typed 'TRANS AUST RAIL/PO SA', on 1961 5d Envelope with return address of a TAR employee at "Coondambo Siding/Port Augusta" to Melbourne. Closed 30.4.1986. [Coondambo is 95km W of Woomera. The PO closed 30.1.1917]
Trans-Australian Railway: 'TRANS AUSTRALIAN RAIL' light but very fine strike & provisional R label with typed 'TRANS AUST RAIL/SA', on 25c Registration Envelope to Melbourne with return address of a TAR employee at "Mundrabilla Relay N 1/TAR WA" with very fine 'RAWLINNA/WEST AUST' & 'KALGOORLIE' transit b/s indicating it was missent on the westbound service & offloaded at Kalgoorlie. Closed 30.4.1986. [Mundrabilla is in the far SE of WA, close to the Bight & some 300km SE of Rawlinna. It never had even a TO]
634 Mile Trans-Australian Railway: '634 MILE TAR/3OC36/WA' largely very fine strike on KGV 2d. PO 1.4.1935; TO 2.6.1937; closed ? [John Booker's superb strike sold at our auction of 1.12.2019 for $455]
634 Mile Trans-Australian Railway: '634 MILE TAR/20MR37/WA' four very fine to superb strikes on philatelic cover to California. PO 1.4.1935; TO 2.6.1937; closed ? [John Booker's similar cover - with three strikes - sold at our auction of 1.12.2019 for $1377]
Eastern Gold Fields: 21mm 'TPO EASTERN GOLDFIELDS/SP16/[02]/WA' (no gang & year slugs) transit b/s on Victorian 1d Envelope uprated to 'PADDINGTON/WA' (24mm arrival b/s; PO 15.11.1897; closed 30.11.1911), a few blemishes.
Great Southern Railway: 26mm 'TRAVELLING POST OFFICE/NO28/96/GSR WA' very fine transit cds in blue unusually on the face of uprated Italian Postal Card to Perth, light discolouration.
Great Southern Railway: 26mm 'TRAVELLING POST OFFICE/SP12/96/GSR WA' largely fine transit b/s on taxed cover from Victoria to "Geraldton PO/Champion Bay" with 'GERALDTON' arrival b/s, minor spotting.
Great Southern Railway: 21½mm 'TRAVELLING PO GSR/SP19/97/WA' largely very fine transit b/s on Victorian OHMS cover with printed 'MINISTER OF RAILWAYS' Frank, flap fault clear of the cds.
Great Southern Railway: 21mm unframed 'TRAVELLING POST OFFICE/ 1 /MR30/98/GSR WA' largely very fine transit b/s on defective cover from Fremantle to NSW. [This marking is not recorded in PMI]
Trans-Australian Railway: 1917 illustrated cover for Opening of the Trans-Australian Railway, to Melbourne with KGV 1d red tied by 'ALBANY' cds of 23OC17. [The First Overland Mail train departed Perth 24.10.1917]
