1911-14 Australian Antarctic Expedition 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER/POSTED AT/MACQUARIE ISLAND/[Penguin]/ S.Y.AURORA' double-ring cachet with 'A.A.E' [Australian Antarctic Expedition] below, very fine strike tying Tasmania 1d Pictorial to small piece. [This cachet is usually found only alongside stamps on complete covers rather than used as a canceller. In late-1911 the SY 'Aurora' transported Douglas Mawson's 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 the party and returned them to Hobart in February 1914] (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1911-14 Australian Antarctic Expedition 1d Kangaroo tied to small piece by a largely superb strike of the scarce 'LOOSE SHIP'S LETTER/POSTED IN/ANTARCTICA/[penguin]/ SY AURORA/AAE' cachet, a little soiled.

Grade A- A1 (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1948-50 Covers group from Lt-Cmdr Dixon on HMAS 'Labuan' cancelled at Macquarie or Heard Island, ten are registered with provisional 'R' labels, various cachets including 'COMMANDING OFFICER/H.M.A.L.S.T. 3501' ['Landing Ship Tank', her official designation & number], condition variable but mostly fine to very fine. [Lt-Cmdr George Manley Dixon was a highly-skilled mariner & his heroics as captain of the HMAS 'Labuan' are the stuff of maritime legend. Mount Dixon on Heard Island is named after him.] (Qty 32)

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Collection mostly Australian with unmounted blocks of 4 of the 1957 & 1966 sets, large bundle of covers including 1948 with 'OPERATION/SINBAD' h/s, 1949 registered with 'HMAS LABUAN' h/s x2, 1949 with 'HMALST' h/s, 1957 apparently commercial usage of 1/7d Registration Envelope uprated with ANARE 3½d x2, some flights etc, generally fine to very fine; also Belgium 1957 Expedition M/S (**), and Australia packs of scenic postal cards including 18c x4 sets. (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

Covers collection mostly Australian including 1930 cover to serviceman at HMAS Albatross with KGV 2d tied 'B.A.N.Z./1930-31/[Penguin]/ANTARCTIC RESEARCH EXP.' pictorial h/s plus enclosure on Expedition notepaper headed 'SY Discovery' with note "Posted on board Sir James Clark Ross the whaler who is coaling us/Cam" (the envelope with a few blemishes), 1963 social envelope from "Ray McMahon, Mawson" with 'NELLA DAN' illustrated h/s on back and AAT 5d overprint tied 'DAVIS' cds, 1954 Expedition postcard with cinderellas on back & 'MAWSON' R label, page of loose 1954 expedition labels, 1940s-60s commemorative covers, then quantity of FDCs with Base Cancels including 1966 sets on Macquarie Island & Wilkes registered covers, apparently complete 1972-2019, some 'Silk' cachets, also album of 'Mawson's Hut' covers 1998-2016, etc, condition generally fine to very fine. Weighs 15kg. (Qty 100s)

Grade A/A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$500