GEELONG: 1849 outer docketed within "H&R Langlands Melbourne", to "Buninyong" & initially rated "4" at Geelong but endorsed "Charge this letter 9d it is from Melbourne Loose per Steamer" & re-rated "9d", superb 'GEELONG/[crown]/FE*13/1849/PORT PHILLIP' b/s but with no arrival marking, light horizontal filing-fold. An outstanding Port Phillip District cover, bearing the only such pre-stamp manuscript endorsement we have seen from any of the Australian Colonies. [Bunnenyong PO 1.1.1845; renamed Buninyong 17.1.1859]
The addressee, Thomas Learmonth Jnr & his brothers were important early pastoralists in the Port Phillip District, taking up the 'Boninyong' Run in 1838. Henry & Robert Langlands established Melbourne's first iron foundry in 1842, which grew to become one of the largest employers in Victoria. They fabricated the boiler for Australia's first train, launched the first iron-hulled vessel & in the 1860s made the pipes for Melbourne's reticulated water supply.
MELBOURNE: 1851 (Jan) outer from NSW by coastal vessel "p Shamrock" to "Thomas Wills/Lucerne/ Melbourne" with Sydney Views Plate III 2d ultramarine [Pos 9; margins just clear to large] tied by an inverted strike of the 'Butterfly' Numeral '1' cancel and unframed oval 'MELBOURNE/[crown]/JA*7/1851/PORT PHILLIP' b/s, ironed-out vertical fold & some soiling mostly on the reverse. Ex Henry Harvey, Rodney Perry & 'Manwood'. Ben Palmer's Census #30.
A rare & important Port Phillip District cover, being the only recorded cover with a Sydney View cancelled on arrival at Melbourne. [The Port Phillip District of NSW, became the separate Colony of Victoria on 1.7.1851]
The addressee Thomas Wills, was one of the original settlers at Alphington, ENE of the city. In 1840, he built the stately 'Lucerne' where the Latrobe Golf Club is now situated, but soon sold the property to build the grander & eponymous 'Willsmere' across the Yarra River in Kew. That property was acquired to build the enormous and impressive Kew Lunatic Asylum where, ironically, one of the early inmates was Thomas Wentworth Wills, prominent cricketer, co-originator of Australian Rules football, and co-founder of the Melbourne Football Club.
MELBOURNE: 1861 cover to "Wilson Hardy/3 William Street/Melbourne" with NSW Diadems 6d purple tied by a superb strike of the Barred Numeral '1' of Melbourne (tiny arrival b/s of AP.25/61 in red), minor blemishes.
MELBOURNE: 1868 cover to "Miss Palmer/Garden Street/South Yarra" with Tasmania Imperf Chalons 6d reddish mauve SG 49 (margins close to large with fragments of the adjoining units at top & base, Cat £180 x5+ on cover) tied by an almost very fine strike of the "killer" '1' of Melbourne (arrival b/s of AU20/68), some toning/soiling still most presentable.
MELBOURNE: 1874 unstamped cover endorsed "Per favour Captn Kirkpatrick", to Ballarat with superb strikes of the first boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP LETTER' h/s (not recorded by Hosking; 38x10½mm) & '2D/TO PAY'-in-oval h/s both of Melbourne (b/s of DC21/74), Ballarat arrival b/s of the next day, a few faults but quite attractive.
MELBOURNE: 1890 usage of 'Tasmanian Industrial and Juvenile Exhibition' envelope ('Industrial & Juvenile' scored-through) with uncancelled strike of the 'CORPORATION OF LAUNCESTON/TASMANIA/ FRANK-STAMP' h/s in blue, to the USA with largely superb strikes of the second boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1436; 34x10mm; damaged at the sides) & 'MELBOURNE/ 4S /AU25/90 - VICTORIA' duplex, unpaid & untaxed despite which a 'NEW YORK/OCR/2/ 90 - PAID/PO/ALL' h/s was applied to the reverse. An extraordinary shipside mailing. Absent from Ben Palmer's Census.
MELBOURNE: 1891 cover with Tasmania DLR 1d pair tied by largely superb strikes of the second boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1434; 44x8mm with rounded sides), 'T("2")'-in-oval h/s & Melbourne arrival b/s of JY21/91, Postage Due 2d blue & claret tied by boxed 'LC2/JL22/91' d/s, minor soiling.
MELBOURNE: 1892 cover with cachet of 'WB COCKER/late/DAVID COCKER/CUSTOMS/COMMISSION &/ INSURANCE AGENT/WEST DEVONPORT' in rosine on the flap, with Tasmania DLR 1d pair tied by largely superb strike of the second boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1436; 34x10mm; advanced damage at the sides) & superb 'T2D' h/s of Melbourne (unusually with duplex b/s of DE30/92), Postage Due 2d blue & claret tied by boxed 'LC3/DE31/90' d/s. [The addressee McCulloch Carrying Co, was founded at Echuca in 1865. As William McCulloch & Co, it was the largest carrying firm in Victoria & is well known for issuing Carrier Stamps for its operations in Melbourne & Adelaide]
MELBOURNE: 1893 cover with Gibraltar QV 25c blue pair (= 5d, paying 2½d foreign letter rate + 2½d late fee) cancelled by two part-strikes of the '1' "killer" of Melbourne (b/s of NO20/93) & very fine strike of the second boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1436; 34x10mm; damage to 'SHI' of 'SHIP'), 'GOULBURN/NO21/93/NSW' transit & 'QUEANBEYAN' arrival b/s of the next day. A remarkable origin/destination cover. [The addressee's husband, George Arthur Charles Fane de Salis was, with his father Leopold, an earlier settler in what is now the ACT. Their property 'Cuppacumbalong' is at Tharwa. The cover is probably from a family member, likely George himself or his brother Leopold Jnr, en route to or from England]
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1163
Symbol: PS`
Cat No: 1433
MELBOURNE: 1894 usage of Tasmanian Embossed 2d Envelope with DLR 2d for the late fee tied by two superb strikes of the rare rounded-boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP PACKET' h/s (Hosking #1433, rated G), Melbourne b/s of NO29/94, minor spotting. Intended for use on parcels, this is believed to be the only recorded example on cover.
MELBOURNE: 1901 usage of British QV 1d Letter Card endorsed "on active service" & inside "Pretoria/1900" to Adelaide with superb strike of the boxed 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1435, 61x5mm), Melbourne b/s of 7.1.01 & Adelaide arrival the next day indicating carriage from Melbourne on the English Mail Train. [Mail from soldiers at the Boer War to South Australia is very scarce. The sender was Major CJ Reade, who self-censored the card at L/L, commander of the Second South Australian Contingent. The addressee was Sir Frederick William Holder, twice Premier of South Australia & a member of the 1897-98 Commonwealth Constitutional Convention. He entered the Commonwealth Parliament in 1901 & was chosen as the first Speaker of the House of Representatives]
MELBOURNE: 1908 Tasmanian PPC of Cape Raoul to Saxony with Tasmanian Pictorials ½d x2 & '1½d' on 5d tied by separate large-part strikes of the rare boxed 'LOOSE SHIP PACKET' h/s (Hosking #1437, rated G; ERD by 3 years), Melbourne cds of 15FE08 alongside, paid at the letter rate but should have paid double the 1½d postcard rate so underpaid ½d but not taxed. The h/s was intended for use on non-letter mail, but no such usage has been recorded. [The message in German states, translated, "Cape Raoul is the first land after New Zealand. It looks like a [pipe] organ. Sadly some years ago it was used as target practice by a British warship"!! [Professor Google confirms the target-practice story!! but dates it variously to the 1880s, to World War I or later. This card suggests it was likely a pre-Federation piece of bastardry]
MELBOURNE: 1911 South Australian PPC of Adelaide Railway Station to Harley Street in London with message "RMS India/At sea between Adelaide & Melbourne/Sydney Feby 19th 1911/...", to London with Western Australian 1d tied by superb strike of the rare boxed 'LOOSE SHIP PACKET' h/s (Hosking #1437, rated G), Melbourne cds of 20FE11 alongside, underpaid but not taxed, damaged corners. Intended for use on non-letter mail, but no such usage has been recorded. [The addressee, Dr HM Fitzgerald-Powell, was an eminent laryngologist]
MELBOURNE: 1912 South Australian PPC to Surrey with South Australian 1d tied by superb large-part strike of the rare boxed 'LOOSE SHIP PA[CKET]' h/s (Hosking #1437, rated G), Melbourne cds of 18MR12 alongside, underpaid but not taxed, minor spotting. Intended for use on non-letter mail, but no such usage has been recorded.
MELBOURNE: 1912 PPC of RMS 'Macedonia' with message headed "Written at Sea/12.5.1912", to Adelaide with South Australian 1d tied by a largely superb strike of the surprisingly scarce boxed 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #143853x10mm with letters 6mm high), Melbourne cds of 13MY12 alongside, underpaid 1d but not taxed, minor blemishes on the view-side.
