1840 (Dec 28) cross-written entire with letter headed "Parramatta", to Port Phillip per 'Clonmel', rated "8" for a double-weight intra-colonial shipletter with very fine GPO Sydney d/s across the flap & a largely fine strike of the first 'MELBOURNE/[crown]/JA*14/1841/NEW S.WALES' datestamp (inverted month slug) on the face, some soiling & internal splitting reinforced with archival tape. A rare & important cover. Ex John Woolfe - sold for £1495 - and Robin Gwynne. Illustrated by Brian Peace at page 18. [The only other recorded cover, Brian Peace's somewhat finer entire, sold at our auction of 27.7.2009 for $6990]
Earlier in December 1840, 'Clonmel' became the first steamer to enter Port Phillip. On 3.4.1841, during her second return voyage from Sydney, the ship ran aground at Ninety Mile Beach (Gippsland) and was totally wrecked. There was no loss of life. Between 1840 & 1846, the addressee, Duncan Cameron, occupied a run called "Glen Roy" at Pascoe Vale. He later owned a property of the same name near Penola in South Australia. Remarkably, in both cases, towns that developed on the sites were officially named "Glenroy"]
1854 (Sep 8) lengthy stampless mercantile entire sent as an unpaid consignee's letter to Mauritius "p Water Witch" which was wrecked on King Island in Bass Strait & the salvaged mail returned to Melbourne where it entered the postal system where it was rated "1/-" with manuscript "Detained for 2/- postage" in red at left, oval datestamp of JA26/1855 on the face & forwarded per 'Competitor' with '[crown]/MAURITIUS/ MR14/1855/=GPO=' arrival datestamp partly across the Melbourne datestamp, light ironed-out horizontal filing fold. Ex John Woolfe - sold for £1495 - and Robin Gwynn. Ben Palmer's Census Mauritius #8. [An outstanding taxed cover and the only cover from this incident recorded by Brian Peace - illustrated by him at page 55 - but we know of two others similarly treated]
There's quite a story here. 'Water Witch' departed Melbourne 13.9.1854. The weather must have been terrible because it took four days just to reach King Island, where the ship was wrecked. There was no loss of life, and the mail plus £20,000 in gold coins was saved. At the time, there was no settlement on King Island. After four days, the survivors stumbled upon 25 survivors from the August 1854 wreck of the 'Brahmin'! Two weeks later, two volunteers made it to Sandridge (Port Melbourne) at the northern end of Port Phillip Bay, in the 'Brahmin's' longboat, in what seems the remarkably short time of only 14 hours. HMS 'Electra' was sent to rescue the castaways - and the gold - arriving back at Melbourne on 30.10.1854. Stamped mail & the gold coins were sent per 'Competitor', departing 6.11.1854. However, unstamped mail was held for the required postage of 1/- & the equivalent fine, being finally sent on the next voyage of 'Competitor', arriving at Port Louis a week & six months after it was written. Fortunately, as docketed within, this was a "Duplicate" so hopefully the original was received much earlier. We know of two other similar items.
1856 (Feb 23) mercantile entire to England "p Ocean Chief" with exceptional pair of Imperf Woodblocks 6d orange SG 32a tied by light BN '2' of Geelong (b/s), Melbourne transit b/s, light 'AUSTRALIAN/PAID/ LIVERPOOL/MY13/56C/=PACKET=' cds in red & rated "1/-" for an incoming packet letter, poor London arrival b/s also in red. A superb Classic cover. RPSofL Certificate (2016).
1857 cover to GB "pr Indomitable" with Woodblocks Imperf 6d (two margins) tied by bold Diamond Numeral '41' of the London Foreign Branch & 'PAID/ FY /27AU27/1857' arrival cds in red on the face. Ex Dale Forster. A rare usage per non-contract ship: voyage unrecorded by Colin Tabeart.
1870 (May 25) envelope with Osborn Cushing & Co (merchants) embossing on the flap, to California "via Sydney & Honolulu" with scarce solo franking of Woodblock Perf 12 2/- blue/pale green tied by Melbourne duplex, American '20' (cents) inwards postage due h/s & part-San Francisco arrival cds on the face, slightly reduced at the ends & a bit grubby. Ex Roy Taylor (1950), Bernhard Forster and Dale Forster. Ben Palmer's Census USA #226: the only 1870 pre-Convention trans-Pacific cover in his listing. [The USA-New Zealand Postal Convention, under which mails from NSW Queensland & Victoria could also be carried on a trans-Pacific service, was insituted only from 1.12.1870. This cover is from the third non-contract voyage, carried per coastal ship to Sydney; Australasian Steam Navigation Co 'Wonga Wonga' ex Sydney 28.5.1870 via Auckland to Honolulu; & North Pacific Transportation Co 'Ajax' ex Honolulu 23.6.1870, arrived San Francisco 4.7.1871 (Independence Day). The rate is problematic: Ben Palmer stated the NSW rate was 1/- per ½oz x2, but assessed this as being 6d per ½oz x4 because at the time the trans-Pacific service did not extend to Victoria]
1878 Esplanade Hotel (St Kilda) cover to New Zealand "per Ringarooma" with Bell 2d x3 tied by unframed-oval 'LOOSE/=SHIP LETTER=' h/s & 'NZ/PORT CHALMERS/6JU78/ C - PO' duplex, Dunedin arrival b/s of the same date. Very attractive. [The h/s is an anomaly: all other similar NZ markings are inscribed 'LOOSE LETTER' only. 'Ringarooma' entered the McMeekan Blackwood trans-Tasman fleet in 1875]
1898 (Apr 26) water-damaged illustrated Carolin & Co Farm Machinery (Bendigo) advertising cover with the stamp washed-off, to Tasmania resealed with red wax & a very fine impression of the 'POST OFFICE/ [crown]/LAUNCESTON TASMANIA' mailbag seal, endorsed on the flap "recovered from/wreck of Manawatu", Launceston transit & 'CRESSY' arrival b/s both of JU2/98, minor immersion blemishes still of remarkably fine appearance: plus the elaborately illustrated enclosed letter. Ex Lewis Viney, Howard Longden - sold in 2001 for £1647 - and Robin Gwynn. The most visually appealing of the three recorded covers from this shipwreck: illustrated by Hoggarth & Gwynn at page 93 and by Brian Peace at page 206. [The 'Manawatu' departed Melbourne 27.4.1898. Off Williamstown, she suddenly altered course, smashing into the coastal steamer 'Edina', and sinking in shallow water]
(Qty 2)
1899 usage of Postal Card '1½' overprint in red on 2d violet with printed 'University of Melbourne' message on back, to Cape of Good Hope with Cape Town 'OBSERVATORY ROAD/C.G.H' squared circle arrival on face, minor blemishes.
