BRISBANE: c.1910 Spanish PPC to Hobart with Netherlands Indies 2½c tied by very fine undated triple-oval 'KONINKLIJKE PAKET VAAR/SS/NIEUW ZEELAND/MAATSCHAPPIJ' cachet in violet, very fine strike of the by now very worn 'LOOSE/SHIP/LETTER'-in-oval h/s (Hosking #1308, which we believe is simply a worn state of #5802, with large circular 'O's and large stops). [The message indicates the sender was at Macasser, a town in the south of Celebes (now Sulawesi)]

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

BRISBANE: 1910 PPC of Bundaberg to Tasmania with fine strike of the by now very worn 'LOOSE/ SHIP/LETTER'-in-oval h/s (Hosking #1308, which we believe is simply a worn state of #5802, with large circular 'O's and large stops) and South Australian 1d pink tied by Brisbane cds of 19AU10, bumped corners. [The message indicates the sender was a missionary at Alligator River, about 180km E of Darwin, in a remote area of Arnhem Land that has never had a post office. The card would have been placed aboard a coastal ship that was probably making a monthly delivery of supplies]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

BRISBANE: 1928 Burns Philp (Semarang, Java) cover with large insignia on the flap & typed "Per SS Marella/via Brisbane", to the company's office at Cairns with a largely very fine strike of the very worn 'LOOSE/SHIP/LETTER'-in-oval h/s (Hosking #1358), Netherlands Indies 10c strip of 3 tied by BRISBANE/ 17JL28/ QUEENSLAND' cds, 'CAIRNS' arrival b/s of 21JUL28 & another strike tying Postage Due Perf 14 1d to the face, ironed-out vertical fold well clear of the stamps & markings. [The deliberate 'mis-sending' first to Brisbane, which is 1600km SSE of Cairns, suggests the 'Marella', a Burns Philp vessel, sailed directly from Semarang to Brisbane]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

BRISBANE: 1929 comic PPC with KGV 1½d scarlet tied by 'LOOSE/SHIP/LETTER'-in-circle h/s (Hosking #1360) & largely superb 'BRISBANE/2DE29/QUEENSLAND' cds alongside, to Essex with message from a New Zealander stating "We arrive in Brisbane tonight..."

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

BRISBANE: 1934 commercial cover from New Guinea endorsed "Faith in Australia/Air Mail" but apparently not flown, Undated Birds 2d & 6d tied by Brisbane slogan cancel & very fine 'LOOSE/SHIP/LETTER'-in-circle h/s (Hosking #1360) alongside, part-' 3 AIR MAIL 3 /1AU34/SYDNEY NSW' arrival b/s indicating carriage by air from Brisbane, flap missing.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

CAIRNS: 1931 cover to the NSW Department of Agriculture with superb strike of the rare 'LOOSE/SHIP/ LETTER'-in-Oval h/s (Hosking #1376; no serifs on 'SHIP'), Papua Bicolour Lakatois 1d & 2d tied by superb Cairns cds of 9JL31, two vertical folds clear of the stamps and markings.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

MELBOURNE: 1915 Northern Tasmanian Tourist Association illustrated advertising cover to Massachusetts "Via Makura" with KGV 1d x3 (the central unit torn before being affixed) & a superb strike of the boxed 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1435) of Melbourne (b/s of 17FE15), 'PASSED' censor h/s in violet, underpaid 2d but not taxed.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

MELBOURNE: New Guinea Huts 1½d red with superb & almost complete strike of the rare boxed 'LOOSE/SHIP NEWSPAPER' h/s (Hosking #1439; rated G). One of the rarest Australian instructional handstamps: we know of only two other examples, only one of the three being on cover & no example on a newspaper. This is also a candidate for the rarest postmark on a New Guinea stamp!

Grade A A2+ (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

PORT KEMBLA: 1935 & 1937 commercial covers 1) from a Danish ship with Danish 10o & 15o tied by 26mm cds, front only; and 2) from French ship "Str Caledonickel" with New Caledonia 1fr50c tied by 30mm cds; both with straight-line 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1478) in black or violet.

Grade A/B (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

PORT KEMBLA: 1939 commercial (?) cover to USA with Gilbert & Ellice ½d x3 tied by boxed 'SS ...LEBANK/.../GLASGOW' cachets & '9JUN1939' h/s both in violet, 30mm 'PORT KEMBLA/NSW' cds & superb strike of the straight-line 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1478) in violet below, small stain at the base.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

SYDNEY: 1910 & 1913 Fijian PPCs (the first a real photo type 'Preparing for a Canoe Race, Rotuma' which is the northernmost island in Fiji) with KEVII 1d red single & superb '1D' tax h/s or KGV 1d red x2 both to Sydney where cancelled on arrival & each with a superb strike of the oval 'LOOSE SHIP/ + LETTER + ' h/s (35½x24½mm & 'L' to 'L' = 7½mm; Hosking #1501; White et al #SL18) below. Nice duo. (Qty 2)

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

SYDNEY: 1910 real photo PPC of Brent's Batgate Hotel (Rotorua, New Zealand) to Queensland with NZ KEVII ½d pair tied by superb 'SYDNEY/18AP10/ 13 ' cds & very fine strike of the double-oval 'SHIP LETTER/ 1D /LATE FEE' h/s (Hosking #1502) alongside.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

SYDNEY: 1916 USA 2c Envelope to a German Internee, uprated with Washington 3c mauve & 6c orange x2 all with 'ACB/LD' commercial perfins & rather impertinent 'REGISTERED/RETURN RECEIPT DEMANDED' h/s in purple at L/L, the stamps cancelled with 'SYDNEY/11AP16/ 50 ' cds, very fine strike of the oval 'LOOSE SHIP/ + LETTER + ' h/s (35½x24½mm & 'L' to 'L' = 7½mm; Hosking #1501; White et al #SL18) alongside, very fine 'CENSORED/DETENTION BARRACKS/TRIAL BAY NSW' h/s in violet at L/R, light horizontal & vertical folds probably from having been kept in a shirt-pocket. Stated by Dale Forster to be the only Australian registered Loose Ship Letter cover he has recorded, and all the more remarkable for the Avis de Reception handstamp.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$350

SYDNEY: 1927 Oceanic Steamship Co cover with illustrated flap, to Indiana with double-oval 'LOOSE SHIP/ + LETTER + ' h/s (Hosking #1501) and Fiji KGV 3d blue tied by Sydney cds of 10MR27. [This may be a case of mail missent in the wrong direction, to Australia instead of to Hawaii]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

THURSDAY ISLAND: 1909 commercial usage of British New Guinea 1½d Postal Card with message headed "Thursday Island", to Holland with a largely very fine strike of the unframed-oval 'LOOSE/SHIP/LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1513), 'THURSDAY ISLAND/SP12/09/QUEENSLAND' cds alongside overstruck with 'HILVERSUM/ 22.10.09' arrival cds & boxed postman's delivery h/s, very fine 'SINGAPORE/SP27/1909/ + ' transit cds at left, repaired tear at the base otherwise remarkably fine for this poor-quality card that is normally badly speckled. An excellent trans-Torres Strait usage.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$800

THURSDAY ISLAND: 1913 social usage of Dutch Indies PPC with message headed "Batavia 29.9.13", to Niue !! "per SS Montoro" with Indies 5c tied by very fine strike of the unframed-oval 'LOOSE/SHIP/LETTER' h/s (Hosking #1513), 'THURSDAY ISLAND/11OC13QUEENSLAND' cds alongside, minor blemishes. A remarkable origin/destination item. [The addressee Robert Dunn Head, was the third of 16 children !! of Robert Henry Head & his islander wife Pelenisi Ieremia. Head Snr was a survivor from the wreck of the mission vessel 'John Williams II' off the Niuean coast in 1867. He was 34yo, and operated as a trader on the island until his death in 1921]

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

TOWNSVILLE: 1927 cover to Manchester with Papuan Lakatoi 1½d tied by Townsville slogan cancel of 8AUG27, very fine strike of the very scarce & idiosyncratic two-line 'LOOSE SHIP/ -LETTER- ' h/s (Hosking #1525) below, ironed-out wrinkling.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$500

TOWNSVILLE: c.1943 cover to Massachusetts with American 3c Eagle 'WIN THE WAR' tied by a fine but worn strike of the very scarce & idiosyncratic two-line 'LOOSE SHIP/ -LETTER- ' h/s (Hosking #1525), Townsville (?) cds at L/L completely obliterated as a security measure, Brisbane censor label & violet Passed by Censor cachet in violet. Believed to be the latest usage of any Australian Loose Ship Letter marking, all later usages being Paquebot patterns.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200