AUSTRALIAN: 1912 Kinsey cover to Christchurch with New Zealand 1d Dominion 'VICTORIA/LAND' overprint affixed at U/R tied by 'BRIT ANTARCTIC EXPD/3MR/12' cds and Tasmania 1d Pictorial affixed at L/L tied by 'HOBART/25MR13/TASMANIA' cds, 'LOOSE SHIP'S LETTER/POSTED IN/ANTARCTICA/[penguin]/SY AURORA/ AAE' cachet at U/L partly overstruck by ''AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC/EXPEDITION 1911/COMMANDER OF SHIP' cachet with signature "JK Davis", very fine. [A similar cover sold at our Online Auction on 20.2.2021 for $1797]
John King Davis - Douglas Mawson's deputy - purchased the ship in 1910. In late-1911 the Aurora transported Mawson and his party to Macquarie Island and then to Cape Denison, which became base camp for the Expedition. She returned in late-1912 with fresh supplies and left a party to wait for Mawson who was overdue from a sledging trip. In late-1913, 'Aurora' finally picked up Mawson and his party and returned them to Hobart in February 1914.
AUSTRALIAN: c.1930 philatelic cover with 1½d Canberra tied by superb strike of the undated 'BANZ/1930 [penguin] -31/ANTARCTIC RESEARCH EXP' cachet, an almost as fine strike in violet across the flap. Superb!
AUSTRALIAN: c.1931 commercial cover with pre-printed address of Kodak at Hobart with KGV 2d red tied by a superb strike of the undated 'BANZ/1930 [penguin] 1931/ANTARCTIC RESEARCH EXP' cachet. Rare: we have recorded only two other commericlal covers with the penguin cachet.
NEW ZEALAND: 1913 'VICTORIA/LAND' Overprint on KEVII ½d SG A2, unusually well centred, tied to piece by two strikes of the 'BRIT ANTARCTIC EXPD/JA18/13' cds being the First Day of Issue, Cat £850+.
