LOUIS & NICOLAS CHEVALIER CORRESPONDENCE; Unusual group with May/June 1854 fronts and part backs to Louis Chevalier Melbourne with scarce framed "PAID AT/BEECHWORTH" h.s. on front of each, former endorsed 'Registered letter' at left and latter with a a Butterfly "14" mark on front (Dead Letter Office?) and endorsed twice 'Not Known' at right plus an 1848/53 range of E/reduced ELs to his son Nicholas (1828-1902) in Munich, Rome or Venice ex Lausanne with Zurich or Geneva and Turin transit d.s. on rear. July/Aug 1853, Aug. 1854 and Dec. 1855 E/reduced EL to Melbourne ex Lausanne rated '1F30', '2F60' and '5F20' for the single, double and quadruple rates, the first is the earliest example of mail from Switzerland to Australia recorded by us plus an 1854 range of fronts or reduced Es to Melbourne ex London rated '6'(d) or '2/3'(d) double Marseilles rate and one with scarce framed "DETAINED ON/BOARD SHIP" h.s. and an 1855 defective EL to Lausanne ex Melbourne. Note: Nicholas Chevalier arrived in Melbourne on 25.12.1854 to join his father & brother pursuing an artistic career with his oil landscapes in many major institutional collections. (19 items) Cross Reference: REGISTERED MAIL, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, SWITZERLAND, INSTRUCTIONAL MARKS (Image)

OFFICIAL LETTER RE POLICE MURDER BY BUSHRANGERS; 20 Aug. 1857 letter (no cover and endorsed 'copy' at top) from the Treasury in Melbourne to the Police Commissioner regarding a £250 gratuity to the mother of the late Police Sgt John McNally killed by bushrangers on 16 Oct. 1856 - the first police officer in Victoria to be killed by a bushranger 'Gipsy Smith' (William Turner). Unusual. Cross Reference: CRIME & PUNISHMENT, IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY (Image)

SCARCE 1/- REGISTERED FRANKING; May 1857 env. (rear flap missing; small faults) to Lancaster franked 6d Woodblock three margins, just touching at base & 1/- bi-coloured 'REGISTERED' Woodblock, four margins and tied or cancelled by indistinct barred numeral cancels. Front with London "[Crown]/REGISTERED" h.s. and "d6" internal reg. rate due. Rear with a framed "LIVERPOOL/SHIP" d.s. and part of a Victoria oval town d.s. Cross Reference: REGISTERED MAIL, INCOMING OVERSEAS MAIL (Image)

6d WOODBLOCK ROULETTE FRANKING; 5 Nov. 1857 env. (small peripheral faults) to Brisbane (Moreton Bay District) franked scarce 6d Woodblock roulette with discernible traces at left and base and tied by b/n "1" of Melbourne. Redirected to Drayton and charged a further '2d' on front. Rear with Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Drayton d.s. Uncommon early mail to Queensland. Cross Reference: REDIRECTED MAIL, NEW SOUTH WALES, QUEENSLAND (Image)

6d WOODBLOCK FRANKING - WRECK OF THE EMEU; 8 Sep. 1857 env. (small faults) 'per R.M.S Emeu' to Scotland franked 6d Woodblock (2 - one cut into) tied by "49" b/n with Heathcote, Melbourne and Cupar Fife d.s. on rear and London Paid cds on front. The S.S. Emeu was stranded on a reef off the Saudi Coast, near Jeddah on 22 Oct. 1857 with her mails eventually picked up by the Madras nearly a month later. Uncommon double rate mail. Cross Reference: CRASH/WRECK MAIL, SCOTLAND, INCOMING OVERSEAS MAIL (Image)

TPO COLLECTION; Range on annotated leaves in binders (2) inc. 23 June 1876 1d PC to Talbot with "UP TRAIN/M.G.3/VICTORIA" cds on rear, 10 May 1877 env. to Geelong franked 2d Bell tied by "785" b/n with "UP TRAIN/M.G.7/VICTORIA" cds on rear and endorsed 'Cannot be found in Kilgour Street' on rear, 8 Nov. 1878 env. to Geelong franked 2d Bell tied by "804" b/n with "UP TRAIN/M.G.2/VICTORIA" cds on rear, 20 May 1880 1d PC to Melbourne tied by "UP TRAIN/MG3/VICTORIA" duplex, 23 July 1887 1d PC to Flemington cancelled by "UP TRAIN/MG.15/VICTORIA" cds, 11 Nov. 1887 env. to Sandridge franked 2d tied by "UP TRAIN/M.G.16" cds, 20 Jan. 1888 1d PC to Geelong cancelled by "TPO/1" b/n and "UP TRAIN/MG 1/VICTORIA" cds, 1912 env. to Melbourne franked 1d tied by "T.P.O.3/VICTORIA" cds and other related and later examples. (c140 items) Cross Reference: POSTAL STATIONERY, TRAVELLING POST OFFICES, RAILWAY MAIL, RAILWAYS (Image)