1827 (March 26) folded entire headed "Sydney, New South Wales" addressed to "The Secretaries of the Wesleyan Missionary Society", London with ornate 'H' wax seal, very fine strike of the 'SHIP LETTER/ MARGATE' step h/s transit on the reverse, rated "1/4" for the British 8d ship letter rate plus 8d inland delivery (50-80 miles) from Margate, London '14SE14/1827' arrival b/s, minor blemishes & light soiling. From the 'Silent Period' - 1819 to 1828 - when Sydney had no postal markings. [The letter begins "The following is a list of all of the Bills which have been drawn on the General Treasuries of the Missionary Society for the several stations comprised in the New South Wales and New Zealand Districts ..." It was carried by the 'Margate' which left for the UK via Cape Horn on 28.3.1827] Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1281
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
1837 (June 20) outer to Scotland "Per Medusa" with poor Sydney d/s in red & rated "3" in red for an outwards paid shipletter, two light strikes of the scarce 'BRAZIL/ F ' b/s in green applied at Falmouth where apparently overcharged "7/6" for the packet rate Rio de Janeiro-Falmouth of 2/7d x2 + inland rate to Stirling of 1/1d x2 = 3/8d x2 = 7/4d, Scottish boxed '½' h/s, vertical filing fold at left otherwise of very fine appearance. Ex John Woolfe - sold for £2070 in 2006 - & Robin Gwynne. Illustrated by Brian Peace at page 12 where he states "only one entire [sic] is recorded from this wreck". An historically important cover, being one of the earliest shipwreck covers from Australia. In fact, in all the major auctions of shipwreck collections since 2000, we could find only one earlier item, of 1830, also in John Woolfe's collection. [The 'Medusa' sailed via Cape Horn and, on 25.9.1837, was totally wrecked near Bahia on the Brazilian coast. All on board, & the mails, were saved]
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1282
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
1850 (Feb 27) lady's cover (103x66mm) to "Carrington/Port Stephen" with Sydney View 2d Plate I Worn State SG 15/16 group (very fine with good to large margins & outer framelines except at left, Cat £600 x2+ on cover) tied by bars cancel of Sydney (b/s), per coastal ship with no arrival marking, minor blemishes. A very scarce franking, in the second month of issue. Not included in Ben Palmer's Census. [Carrington PO 9.11.1831; closed 31.12.1851. Port Stephens is about 100km NE of Newcastle]
1850 (c.) lady's cover (100x60mm) to "Mrs Gibson/Goulburn" with Sydney View 2d Plate II Worn State SG 25 (margins close to good with outer framelines in places, minor defect at U/R clear of the design, Cat £180 x2+ on cover) & bars cancel of Sydney. Ben Palmer's Census #1. Ex Leslie Leon (1978), sold for £150 which is equivalent to $2000+ today.
1852 (Nov 11) large-part entire to England with Sydney View 3d yellow-green (margins large to just touching at base & right) tied by bars obliterator with 'SHIP LETTER/[crown]/SYDNEY' b/s, boxed 'LIVERPOOL/ SHIP/MR16/1853' transit b/s in green where rated "1/-" due on face, London arrival b/s of the next day, minor blemishes. Although during the period of the Australian Royal Mail Steam Navigation Co contract, this item was carried by private ship 'Falcon' which departed Sydney on 16.11.1852 arriving Liverpool 15.3.1853 (the ARMSN steamer 'Sydney' left Sydney on 4.12.1852 arriving Plymouth 16.3.1853 - the day after). The inwards charge of 1/- was the packet rate, and appears to have been applied in error instead of the 8d charge for private ship letters.
The writer "Robert Jones" mentions that he sent newspapers two days earlier by the P&O steamer 'Formosa' (on the return voyage of her experimental trip to Australia in preparation for a mail contract bid) but that "... these steamers do not make the voyage so soon as sailing vessles have done". He goes on to add " ... Hobart-Town has set the example refusing supplies until the Home Govt has given up the convict system ... a ship with 1000 passengers arrived at Melbourne had lost 100 on passage by Typhus fever and more than that of cases on board, why wd the authorities allow so many ...". Ex Dr Tony Orchard. Ben Palmer's Census #247. The illustration is above Lot 1285.
1854 (July 4) folded entire to Melbourne headed "p Yarra Yarra" with Laureates 2d blue (margins good to huge) tied by bars obliterator of Sydney (b/s), Melbourne 'SHIP LETTER/FREE/JY 8/1856/G.P.O.VICTORIA' arrival cds in red, minor folds not affecting stamp & some adhesion on back alongside Herman Toaspern & Henry Gibson ownership markings. Presumably carried by Australian Steam Navigation Co 'Yarra Yarra', although paying the 2d overland rate only and not taxed. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
This item was posted only a few days after the start of the 'Postal War' period between NSW & Victoria. As a consequence of Victoria increasing its ship letter rate from 3d to 1/- per ½oz, NSW suspended reciprocal rates and charged mail from Victoria as if it were wholly unpaid [see next lot]. In the confusion, the NSW Post Office apparently accepted the inland charge as full payment but put the letter aboard the 'Yarra Yarra' anyway, and the Victorian Post Office, also confused, waved it through without extra charge, perhaps assuming that it had been posted before the change in rates was effective.
1854 (Aug 30) folded entire inwards from Victoria during the 'Postal War' period endorsed "per City of Sydney" with very fine 'PAID/[crown]/AU30H/1854/MELBOURNE' oval d/s in red, rated "1/-" in red crayon for the increased ½oz ship letter rate, 'SHIP LETTER/[crown]/SE*5/1854/SYDNEY' arrival b/s where taxed as wholly unpaid with a very fine to superb strike of the '3'[d] h/s (White X13; long vertical serif) on face charging the NSW inwards ½oz ship letter rate, minor folds & small internal repair. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
After the separation of Victoria from NSW on 1.7.1851, the general 3d per ½oz ship letter rate applied for mail sent by sea between the two Colonies (compared with overland mail @ 2d per ½oz). As a result of Victoria raising its ship letter rate to 1/- on 1.5.1854, NSW suspended the reciprocal rate arrangement and from 1.7.1854 treated all incoming Victorian mail as wholly unpaid and subject to inwards ship letter & inland delivery charges. No fully-prepaid rates existed between the two Colonies until the dispute was resolved with the re-introduction of a 3d per ½oz rate - this time by all routes (ship or overland) - on 1.1.1855. [See also previous lot]
1854 folded entire headed "McLeay River, September 30th 1854" to Bath, England with Laureates 1d orange-vermilion pair (four clear margins; a bit oxidised) & 3d green (margins close to touching) tied by one reasonably fine and two illegible strikes of Barred Numeral '89' with poor but just recognisable 'KEMPSEY/OC 1(?)/1854/NSW' b/s, initially carried south with very fine 'PORT MACQUARIE/NSW' transit of next day and from there by coastal steamer to Sydney (very fine 'OC*7' transit) where treated as wholly unpaid with superb strike of the large '1D' accountancy h/s (White et al Type X16) in black on the face, London '30JA30/1855' arrival b/s where rated "6"[d] Empire ship letter charge to pay, central fold clear of the markings & a few minor blemishes. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
This is a very important item, especially for the rates specialist: on Saturday 30.9.1854 the new 6d Empire per ½oz ship letter rate was proclaimed by GPO Sydney notice (a fact that would have been unknown to the sender in Kempsey), replacing the old 3d Colonial ship letter rate plus inland charges and providing an all-inclusive rate with no inland charges to pay at either end. Items could be sent prepaid or unpaid, but part-payment was not accepted, and so all of the 5d paid was wasted.
This development also brought with it the 'Accountancy Period' (1854-57) during which Sydney used markings to indicate the amount of the rate credited to NSW - 1d for contract packet letters and 3d for private ship letters. This is the earliest known usage of the '1D' handstamp (that White records for only six weeks, from 7.10-18.11.1854). The 'Great Britain' had departed Sydney on 4.10.1854, so this item was held and carried on the General Screw Steam Shipping Co contract steamer 'Calcutta' ex Sydney 4.11.1854, arriving at Southampton on 28.1.1855. This was the first contract 'homeward' voyage in the Accountancy Period. Under the new regulations, NSW claimed 1d credit from the 6d charge to be collected in the UK for an unpaid contract packet letter.
1854 (Sept 11) inwards cover from Great Britain endorsed "Paid" with 'ROYSTON/SP11/1854/B' cds in green, rated "1/-" in red on face for the ½oz packet letter rate with London 'PAID/CH/12SP12/1854' transit also on face, 'SYDNEY/[crown]/DE*9/1854/NSW.S.WALES' arrival b/s where a largely very fine strike of the '3'[d] h/s (White X12; short angled serif) applied on face charging the NSW inwards ½oz ship letter rate, minor blemishes. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
Carried as a contract packet letter by the General Screw Steam Shipping Co 'Argo' on the last outbound voyage of the contract before the ships were withdrawn for service in the Crimean War. Paid 1/- for the prevailing packet letter rate three weeks before the introduction of the 6d Empire ship letter rate in Great Britain on 1.10.1854 (which applied to both contract and private ship letters). As it happened, the 'Argo' did not leave until 4.10.1854. The 6d Empire ship letter rate brought with it the 'accountancy period', where credit of 5d applied to the UK for items carried on contract voyages paid for by the UK, or 3d for items carried as private ship letters, and during which this '3' h/s was used as an accountancy marking. However, this item had paid the 'old' rate (all of which was retained by the UK) and was treated on arrival as unpaid, the '3' used as a tax marking to collect the NSW fee from the recipient.
1855 (April 26) cover to England endorsed per "Red Jacket" with Laureates 1d orange-vermilion (faults) & 2d blue and Diadems 6d grey (margins close to touching) tied by bars cancels of Sydney (b/s) and manuscript "6" accountancy marking in red on face, 'PAID/LIVERPOOL/SHIP/JY25/1855' tombstone & London '26JY26' transits both in red on face, 'ST IVES HUNTS/JY27' arrival b/s in green, repaired edge faults clear of stamps & most markings. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
Carried by Australasian Steam Navigation Co 'Telegraph' to Melbourne from which the White Star Line 'Red Jacket' departed on 2.5.1855 arriving Liverpool on 25.7.1855. The Empire ship letter rate of 6d per ½oz was introduced on 30.9.1854, but this is paid an additional 3d charge (equivalent to the inter-colonial ship letter rate) possibly as some form of supplementary charge for conveyance to Melbourne in the final few days before the 'Red Jacket' departed. The manuscript 6d accountancy marking claims credit to NSW for half of the 6d ship letter rate (3d) plus all of the extra 3d charge (there was no '6' h/s). As this item pre-dates the first White Star contract sailing in June 1855, it was treated as a private ship letter with 3d credit to NSW (unlike the 1d credit due for contract packet letters).
1855 (Sep 18) unstamped mercantile entire to Virginia with most unusual superscription "per Phoenix/via Singapore" with very fine unframed 'SYDNEY/ D /JU*20/1855/N S W' b/s & rated "6", London (1855/5OC5 in red) & New York (OCT/18) transits, rated "56" for carriage to London from where it was treated as a double-letter & rated "98", vertical filing fold. Ex John Woolfe - sold for £977 - and Robin Gwynn. A rare shipwreck cover, of which only three items have been recorded by Brian Peace: illustrated by him at page 60. The assessed postage was 6d shipletter from NSW to London + 1/- China packet Singapore-London + 10d for ½oz via Marseilles = 28d converted in the USA to 56c but treated as a double-letter from Singapore so reassessed 6d + 1/- x2 + 10d x2 = 50d = 98c (why not 100c??)]
'Phoenix' departed Sydney 23.9.1855. On 8.7.1855, having almost cleared the Torres Strait, it was wrecked. Fortuitously, a passing Danish (!) ship rescued the passengers & crew & conveyed them to Batavia from where the mails were forwarded
1856 (Feb 20) envelope addressed to "The Reverend William Ronaldson, Wellington, New Zealand" with Laureates 3d green (wide base margin, otherwise close to touching) tied by bars obliterator of Sydney (b/s), 'AUCKLAND/FE27/NEW-ZEALAND' cds on face where rated with ornate '2' h/s for inland delivery charge and 'WELLINGTON/MR26/1856/NEW-ZEALAND' arrival d/s (almost an entire month later!) alongside, part-back flap missing where wax seal removed. The William Denny Co contract was financed by the Auckland provincial government at an annual cost of £6000 to provide a monthly mail service between Sydney & Auckland. It operated successfully from August 1854 until March 1857 when the 'William Denny' was wrecked near North Cape, NZ. Although carried under contract, the general ship letter fee of 3d per ½oz applied for pre-payment to Auckland; the 2d New Zealand inland charge was payable by the recipient. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
1856 (Sept 20) envelope to England endorsed per "Red Jacket" with attractive three-colour franking of Laureates 1d orange-vermillion & 2d blue and Diadems 6d grey (creased before being affixed) all with margins close to cut-into tied by Sydney bars obliterators, largely very fine strike of the Sydney 'INSUFFICIENTLY/ STAMPED' boxed h/s on face where charged "6[d]", 'LIVERPOOL/SHIP/DE29/1856' boxed b/s where charged "1/-" double rate, London transit and 'ST-IVES-HUNTS/DE30/1856' arrival b/s in green, a few blemishes. The 9d originally paid seems to have been an attempt to cover the additional postage for an item weighing over the single 6d per ½oz rate, but fell short of the 1/- required; the Sydney "6[d]" charged for the additional ½oz only (crediting the 6d paid for the first ½oz but ignoring the over-payment); the Liverpool "1/-" treated the item as wholly unpaid. Carried by White Star Line clipper 'Red Jacket' via Cape Horn after the General Screw Steam Shipping Co steamers had been taken off the Australia run to serve as transports for the Crimean War. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
1858 (Aug 6) cover to England with exceptional franking of Diadems 1d orange-vermillion block of 4 (full margins except at right; creased across the base of the lower two units where it was folded under the envelope) and 2d blue pair (right-hand unit cut-into at top & trimmed at right) tied by 'NSW'-in-oval-rings obliterators applied in Sydney (b/s), no other postal markings, a couple of minor blemishes. Presumably posted directly onto a coastal steamer (most likely at Newcastle) with the stamps uncancelled until arrival in Sydney. The Empire ship letter rate of 6d per ½oz was paid, with the additional 2d perhaps paid for the inland letter rate (not required, as this was included in the ship letter rate) or to cover a fee for the irregular posting. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
1859 (Jan 15) envelope registered to England endorsed per "Next Mail Steamer" with Diadems 6d brown (margins large to cut-into) and (6d) 'REGISTERED' (three margins; cut-into at base) with Sydney bars obliterators and 'REGISTERED' oval d/s in red on face, London 'REGISTERED/1 AP 59' transit in red on face and 'RD/LIVERPOOL/AP 1/59' arrival b/s, minor blemishes & adhesion/repairs on back. Paid 6d for the ½oz Empire ship letter rate plus 6d registration fee. Carried by the European & Australian Royal Mail Co steamer 'Oneida' to Suez arriving 15.3.1859, then overland and by the 'Teviot' to Southampton. This voyage was the last under the E&ARM contract begun in 1857, the company bankrupted by heavy penalties for late delivery and its management taken over by Royal Mail in 1858. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
1861 (July 20) envelope to India with Diadems 6d violet tied by Sydney 'NSW'-in-oval-rings obliterator with 'SYDNEY/JY20/1861/E/NSW' transit b/s, 'MADRAS/1861/AU29' cds on face where re-addressed to "Oota" and charged "2A" in manuscript for re-direction fee, 'OOTACAMUND/1861/SP 1' arrival b/s, minor faults on back flap & a few blemishes. Posted as a loose ship letter and carried by coastal steamer to Sydney [see also Lot 1296]. The only local steamer that arrived in Sydney on 20.7.1861 was the Illawarra Steam Navigation Co 'Hunter' from the Clyde River & Wollongong; carried onwards by P&O ships 'Northam' to Galle and 'Malta' to Madras. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
1872 (April 13) envelope to St Lawrence, Queensland enclosing letter headed "Newcastle 13 April 1872" with 1d dull red & 2d blue tied by Sydney 'NSW'-in-oval-rings obliterators, Sydney 'SHIP LETTER' b/s and 'ROCKHAMPTON/AP21/1872/QUEENSLAND' transit plus faint 'MARYBOROUGH' b/s of next day, docketed on face "...from Newcastle NSW ...", repaired tears on back flap not affecting markings & minor blemishes. Posted as a loose ship letter at Newcastle paying the 3d per ½oz ship letter rate (reduced from 6d on 15.12.1871; reduced again to 2d from 1.1.1874) and carried by coastal steamer to Sydney. Sydney mails for Rockhampton closed at 4.30pm on 16.4.1872, carried per Australasian Steam Navigation Co 'Balclutha' arriving 21.4.1872. This is one of the few surviving items definitively showing the loose letter service from Newcastle to Sydney in the 1850s-70s. Most can only be circumstantially identified from the use of pre-printed 'Newcastle' envelopes or the stamps being struck with Sydney 'NSW' obliterators (the use of which was not restricted to such letters, being used to 'kill' uncancelled stamps in general). Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
1876 (Jan 27) envelope to Scotland endorsed "via Sydney, Brisbane and E&A steamer via Brindisi/Torres Straits Route" with scarce solo franking of De La Rue 'NINEPENCE' on 10d brown tied by poor numeral cancel '736' with largely fine 'BOWNING/NSW' unframed b/s (PO opened 1.10.1874), 'YASS/NSW' (same day) & Sydney 'JA28' transits and 'ST ANDREWS/MR26/76' arrival b/s, minor blemishes.
Paid 9d for the ½oz rate via Torres Straits & Brindisi; carried by Eastern & Australian Mail Steamship Co 'Somerset' which departed 29.1.1876 for Singapore via Cape York/Thursday Island, transferred to the P&O service via Galle & Suez to Brindisi, then rail and ship to destination (53 days to Brindisi & 57 days to destination, confirming the tentative P&O ship allocations in Tabeart at p386). The Torres Strait route was a Queensland Government contract commencing 1873 (after experimental services in 1866-67), by which NSW sent limited mail paid for on a total weight basis. The contract ceased at the end of 1880, being replaced by one with the British India Steam Navigation Co (dubbed the 'Queensland Royal Mail'). Ex Dr Tony Orchard, who states that he is aware of only two surviving covers from NSW that can definitively be identified as having travelled via this Torres Strait service.
1878 (Aug 15) envelope addressed to "The Lord Bishop of Antigua/Antigua/West Indies" endorsed "Via England", scarce solo franking of De La Rue 1/- black (faults) tied by superb strike of '188' Numeral-in-Rays with mostly-complete 'CONCORD/NSW' unframed cds alongside, Sydney b/s of same day, London 'PAID/30 SP 78' transit in red on face and 'ANTIGUA/OC17/78' arrival b/s, rated with faint '1½D' h/s at top, "11" in blue pencil & "1" in red pencil, trimmed at top slightly affecting a couple of markings. Ex Dr Tony Orchard. [There are many covers from the 'Clare Hill' Correspondence with Diadem frankings. This is the only other 19th century cover to Antigua that we have seen]
1889 (March 4) usage of Postal Card Centennial 2d blue 'For the United Kingdom by the long Sea Route' to England with message headed from "Wardell/NSW/Feby 27 89" with superb strike of the 'SHIP-LETTER/ MR4/89/SYDNEY - NSW' duplex (Hosking #1498; White et al #SL13) on the value indicia, some edge faults & stains plus adhesion on back but still presentable. Ex Dr Tony Orchard.
Wardell is located 700km+ north of Sydney near the Queensland border. The card was carried south by coastal steamer as a loose ship letter, then probably by rail to Melbourne to catch the P&O RMS 'Arcadia' which departed 7.3.1889. The two Centennial Postal Cards issued in 1889 specifically to pay the Long Sea Route 2d rate and the faster Via Italy 3d rate to the UK are very scarce used-in-period (ie prior to the Australian Colonies joining the UPU on 1.10.1891, from when the postcard rate was reduced to 1½d by all routes). This is probably the first example we have seen used from outside Sydney, and certainly the only one we know about posted as a loose letter.
1902 Oceanic Steamship Co illustrated advertising cover to "Louisiana Purchase Exposition Co" in St Louis with NSW ½d & 2d tied by NZ-pattern boxed 'LOOSE LETTER' h/s of Auckland (b/s of 5AP02), San Francisco transit & St Louis arrival b/s of APR28/1902, light staining still a very attractive cover. [The Exposition ran from 30.4.1902 until 1.12.1904 and attracted nearly 20 million visitors!]
