WESTERN AUSTRALIA Postal History Western Australia Postal History
Sale No: 242
Lot No: 1688
Symbol: C
1848 OHMS outer dated "17Sep48" at L/L & endorsed "Free" above the address, to the Revenue Office at Perth with very fine strike of the '[crown]/POST OFFICE/YORK' h/s. A very handsome pre-stamp cover. [The addressee, Henry Charles Sutherland, arrived on the Parmelia in 1829. From 1830 he was a Treasury clerk & is said to have been appointed Collector of Internal Revenue in -.11.1848 tho this item suggests his promotion was at least two months earlier. He was also a member of the Gentlemen of Perth Cricket Club]
Docketing names the sender as "Geo Handcock" [sic]. George Hancock arrived in 1830 aged 18. By 1848 he was farming at York with a Parkhurst Boy as an apprentice. Some 1500 Parkhurst Boys from a reformatory on the Isle of Wight were transported to the Australian Colonies & New Zealand where they were released on condition of taking up apprenticeships with local officials or settlers. Between 1842 & 1849, Western Australia accepted 234 of them, aged between only 10 ! & 21.
1852 large-part outer to Guildford rated "2" with a partly-very fine strike of the rare boxed 'PAID/("19 10 52)"/ NORTHAM/& TOODYAY' h/s in red, horizontal filing fold through the handstamp & a bit grubby. Northam & Toodyay PO 16.6.1842; replaced by two separate offices mid-1847. [PMI states the undated Paid & Unpaid h/s were transferred to Toodyay. This is the only date of use recorded at the later office]
1860 neat cover to Scotland with rare franking of Hillman Litho 6d black-bronze SG 18 with Transfer Flaw 'ALIA' Largely Obscured (a little cut-into at top & shaved at right, close at left & with a huge base margin & fragment of the adjoining unit below, Cat £750 x4++ on cover) tied by bold 15-bar '6' of ALBANY/JU26/1860/=WESTERN- AUSTRALIA=' (cds at left), faint London transit b/s of AU/11/1860. Pope & Reynolds Census #6. RPSofV Certificate (2011) states "genuine in all respects".
1861 tiny ladies envelope to Serpentine (no arrival b/s) with scarce franking of 1860 Imperf 2d vermilion SG 25 (close to large margins but damaged at top from having been folded over the edge), poor 15-bars '13' of 'PINJARRAH' (legible cds at lower-left), minor soiling. Sold at the Prestige auction of 12.5.2007 for $1747. [Pope & Reynolds record only ten BN '13' covers. This is the third earliest: two are dated 1860, then there is a gap until late-1868. We note that the stamp is a deep shade and may actually be the rare SG 25b. However the cover is offered on the basis of the stamp being a "normal" shade and no extension will be allowed in respect of the shade]
1863 outer to England "via Marseilles" with rare franking of Intermediate Perf 14-16 1d rose SG 33 vertical strip of 3 & Very Rough Perf 6d purple/blue SG 45 vertical pair - Cat £1420+ x5+ on cover - tied by 15-bar '21' & 'VASSE/AP22/63/=WESTERN-AUSTRALIA=' cds, a bit aged & minor toning on the perforations, the address stupidly obliterated, some internal reinforcement/repairs. Despite the faults, this is a significant cover. The rate to GB was 9d via Marseilles + 6d late fee: this is the only cover of which we are aware on which the late fee has been paid. Pope & Reynolds Census #7.
A Post Office Notice of 1.1.1859 stated "...late letters are received till within...a quarter of an hour of the despatch of any Ship Mail if...stamps to the value of sixpence be affixed...in addition to the...ordinary postage".
1868 cover to Oxfordshire with 6d violet tied by a poorly struck void grid cancel, postmaster's manuscript endorsement "I.P.O./19-6-68" alongside, 'HENLEY-ON-THAMES/SP12/68' arrival b/s, repaired opening tear just clear of the stamp. An important cover. Irwin PO opened in 1858 but the earliest dated postmark recorded in PMI is DE19/00 ! Pope & Reynolds state at page 7 that a void grid canceller was issued to a Mr Burges at 'Yandarino', inland from Dongara on the Irwin River in 1854 but that date is clearly an error. The manuscript "I.P.O" is confirmed as Irwin by the addressee George Fane likely a relative of Charles Fane who arrived in 1863 & settled on the Irwin, and/or Walter Fane who arrived in 1867 & also settled on the Irwin.
Sale No: 242
Lot No: 1694
Symbol: C
Cat No: DxA4; ERD)
1869 small envelope with superb 'GOVERNOR'S OFFICE/[arms]/WESTERN AUSTRALIA' embossing on the flap, to "Mrs Jos Hardey/Peninsula Farm" with large-part Perth duplex (#DxA4; ERD), very fine '[crown]/PAID' handstamp & initialled "GHL" at lower-left, minor blemishes. Ex Dr Cecil Walkley. [Joseph & Ann Hardey arrived -.2.1830 on the 'Tranby' & established Peninsula Farm & the historic homestead 'Tranby' at current-day Maylands 4 miles E of Perth. Hardey was a Wesleyan lay preacher & a foundation trustee of Perth's Wesley Church]
1879 stampless official cover to "The Postmaster/Berlin/Prussia" with very fine strikes of 'PERTH/SP11/ WESTERN AUSTRALIA' cds & '[crown]/PAID' h/s plus very late usage of the 1850s undated 'GENERAL POST OFFICE/ [crown]/PERTH/WESTERN AUSTRALIA' h/s at lower-left, boxed 'HOF-LEIPZIG' b/s, soiling on the face. Very unusual item to a scarce destination. Ex John Forrest.
1881 (July 28) OHMS cover to the Colonial Secretary with very fine Perf 14 1d yellow-ochre pair with Imperial Punctures tied by worn strikes of the 15-bar '8' cancels of Fremantle (cds alongside), Perth arrival b/s, minor flap fault otherwise superb. [See also Lot 1672]
1882 (June 26) double-rate cover to California "Via San Francisco" with 2d yellow x2 & 6d mauve x2 tied by 15-bar '6' cancels of 'ALBANY' (cds alongside), San Francisco transit b/s & '10/CENTS' tax h/s for a double-rate inwards shipletter, light spotting at left. Per 'City of Sydney' ex Sydney 13.7.1882; arrived San Francisco 8.8.1882. [The Eastern Colonies had entered into a Postal Treaty with the United States, under which the rate was 6d per ½oz. Western Australia was not a signatory so the rate remained at 8d per ½oz]
1888 (Jan 16) cover to "Geraldton/C Bay" (= Champion Bay) with 2d chrome-yellow tied by largely very-fine strike of the 12-bar '30' of 'ROEBOURNE' (light but clear cds alongside), very fine 'GERALDTON/JA25/88/=WA=' arrival cds unusually on the face, a bit aged & with a repaired opening tear at top clear of the stamp & cds. The only cover recorded by Pope & Reynolds and illustrated by them at page 144. [The addressee, Thomas Burges, was born in the Colony in July 1830. At the age of 6 he was listed in the Census as a shepherd!]
1889 OHMS cover endorsed "GPO/WA" at L/L to Victoria with scarce franking of Perf 14 1d yellow-ochre block of 4 & Perf 12½ 1/- bright green (corner fault) tied by 'P'-in-Bars cancels, oval 'REGISTERED/7MY89/PERTH WA' d/s alongside, 'REGISTERED/MELBOURNE' transit & 'RICHMOND' arrival b/s, folded at left for display & minor spotting mostly on the reverse. Despite the defects, a very attractive & scarce inter-Colonial cover. [Unusual rate structure: 2d for the first ½oz + 4d for the second ½oz + 2d for each successive ½oz x3 + 4d registration = 1/4d]
This is the earlier of only two covers with the 'P'-in-Bars cancel recorded by Pope & Reynolds: illustrated by them at page 164.
1889 double-rate cover with AMP imprint on the flap to "The Residency/Derby" with Perf 14 4d carmine SG 78 tied by largely superb strike of the 'PERTH/ 1 /MY8/1889/=WESTERN-AUSTRALIA= - GPO' duplex, poor 'DERBY' arrival b/s, neat docketing on the face. [The addressee, Thomas Henry Lovegrove arrived in 1868 as a newly qualified surgeon. He held various official positions including Captain with the Bunbury Volunteers, Government Resident in the Kimberley (as addressed here), was the first Warden on the WA Goldfields &, from 1895, was WA's Principal Medical Officer]
1890s complete parcel tag endorsed "Packet Only" to "Rocky Vale/Bridgetown" with 2d grey vertical strip of 3 tied to the reverse by 'R'-in-oval h/s, minor bends. A very scarce registered non-letter article. [Probably sent at the Merchandise Patterns & Samples rate of 1d per 2oz x3 + 3d registration]
1890s linen-backed piece from a registered parcel with remarkable franking of DLR 1/- olive SG 102 x30! being three blocks of 10 (5x2) all cancelled with an 'R'-in-oval h/s in violet, minor faults as should be expected with such usage. An extraordinary item supporting the need for higher denominations that, except for Postal Fiscals, were not provided until 1902.
Parcel rates in this period are problematic. The Handbook gives only fragmentary & somewhat contradictory parcel rates. From 1892, the inter-Colonial rate was 8d for the first pound (lb) + 6d for each additional lb to a maximum of 11 pounds for which the rate was 5/8d. From 1896 the rate for parcels to Britain was 1/- for the first lb + 6d for each additional lb to a maximum of 6/-. As was the case in other Colonies, heavier articles and packets containing bullion or specie could be mailed but only at the prevailing letter rates. In this instance, the contents were almost certainly gold or other ore samples. If sent from the Goldfields to Perth, 30/- paid the internal letter rate of 2d x180 for an article weighing 11¼lb. The 3d registration fee must be taken into account. So must the possibility of additional stamps not retained.
1893 (May 6) Sadler cover with very scarce franking of 'ONE PENNY' on 3d SG 107 x2 tied by very fine 'GINGIN - G' duplex, 'GUILDFORD - G' arrival b/s, docketing on the face.
1895 stampless OHMS cover to France with very fine Albany cds (PMI #2b) & very late usage of the 1850s double-oval 'POST OFFICE/[crown]/ALBANY/WESTERN AUSTRALIA' handstamp (#PO1), also with cogwheel 'R' registration h/s, postage not paid as required for foreign mailings but not taxed, Paris arrival b/s of 3/MAI/95, minor soiling. [We have recorded one other similar usage of the oval h/s, 6 days later]
1900 commercial cover to China with ½d + 1d pair & strip of 3 tied by multiple strikes of the 'R'-in-oval h/s of Perth (oval d/s in violet at L/R), 'HONG-KONG/ F /JU26/00' transit & British Post Offices 'SHANGHAI/ C /JU30/00' arrival b/s, minor faults. Scarce destination.
1906 letter from the GPO to the "Non Official Postmaster/Barton" requesting immediate payment of 1/7d due for unstamped letters, the form returned with stamps to that value affixed, on arrival punched with 5mm hole & endorsed "Acct now paid", very fine strikes of 'RECEIVED/RECORD OFFICE GPO PERTH' cds in red-purple & oval 'ACCOUNTS BRANCH/GPO PERTH WA' in violet, a little aged & severed for display. Both datestamps are unrecorded in PMI. [Stated to be the only such form recorded by the WASG]
Barton, named after Australia's first Prime Minister, was renamed from Buchanan as a Receiving Office 1.4.1905 & was renamed Piesseville -.12.1918. PMI states it became a PO in 1912 but that is an error because it is listed as a Post Office in the 1909 'Post Office Guide'.
