COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA continued...

June-July 1935 (AAMC.517a) 3rd MacKay Aerial Survey Expedition flown covers: Oodnadatta - Cook (1 of 6), Hay (1 of 3), Salisbury (1 of 4), Forrest (signed by Bennett,1 of 5), Rawlinna (1 of 8), Laverton (signed by Bennett, 1 of 40, Farina (1 of 5), Narromine (signed by Bennett, 1 of 4) and Broken Hill (1 of 6), all with the blue 4-line Expedition cachet; Cat. $2700+. (9).

THE LAST MAILS FLOWN BY CHARLES KINGSFORD SMITH: 23 Oct. 1935 (AAMC.545) Australia - U.K. - Italy - U.K. cover flown by Charles Kingsford Smith and Tommy Pethybridge on their record-attempt flight. [No. 6 of 49 flown]. Owing to the "Lady Southern Cross" being badly damaged in a storm the flight was abandoned and the covers were returned to London. Kingsford Smith and Pethybridge died shortly afterwards when, on November 6th they were lost at sea off the coast of Burma. Cat.$650.

7 Nov.1936 (AAMC.645) Darwin - Longreach flown cover, carried and signed (on reverse) by L.E.Clark in his Percival Gull. This was a short internal leg on his epic journey from England to New Zealand via Australia. Only 8 covers carried on this leg. Cat.$375,

30 June 1938 (AAMC.813d) Rangoon, BURMA - Melbourne (6 July b/stamp) and Hobart, flown cover carried on the first "all-the-way" flying boat service from England to Australia.

A 1938 - 1951 collection of flown covers, comprising of  Aug.1938 Empire Service Sydney - London (AAMC.826); Dec. 1939 Sydney - Coonamble Christmas flight (AAMC.887a); 30 April 1940 Auckland - Sydney (2 different) (AAMC.899 x 2); 30 April Sydney - Auckland (AAMC.900); Oct. 1943 Sydney - Kerand (AAMC.964a); Dec. 1946 Brewarrina - Sydney (AAMC.1088a); Dec. 1947 Sydney - London with vignette, pilot signed (AAMC.1124); and, June 1951 Melbourne - Christchurch (AAMC.1274). (Total: 9 flown covers).

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29 Nov. 1938 (AAMC.831b) Sydney - Canberra flown cover (cancelled on arrival), carried by RAF Vickers Wellesley long-range bomber on the first leg of the return flight to England. One of only 2 covers flown; the pilot returning the England by ship after the plane crashed near Derby.

3 April 1939 (AAMC.846) Sydney - Brisbane flown cover, cancelled on arrival in Brisbane and signed by the French pilot, Henri Martinet and Paul Klein, who had joined the flight in Sydney. Rarely seen. Cat.$525.

22 July 1939 (AAMC.874) Adelaide - Dili - Adelaide cover flown both ways to Portuguese Timor, carried by Guinea Airways and signed by the crew and the Minister for Civil Aviation (J.V. Fairbairn), who was also on board.

March 1940 (Frommer 56c) QANTAS airmail vignette booklet (lacks staple) with both covers and 3 complete panes of 8 vignettes plus blank margins. Rare. Cat.$500. 
Ex Tom Frommer Gold Medal Collection, 2003.

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THREE SIGNED COVERS: 23 Dec. 1942 (AAMC.950) Sydney - Mornington Is. Christmas Mail cover with vignette, signed by the pilot; 9 Apr. 1946 (AAMC.1038a) 7d Airletter with red Overprint carried on the Qantas "Kangaroo Route" opening flight from Australia to London, signed by the pilots; 19 Dec. 1949 (AAMC.1234) TAA flown Christmas mail to Mornington Island signed by the pilot. (3 

30 Aug.1944 (AAMC.982) Sydney - Fanning Island, registered flown cover, signed and carried by P.G. Taylor on his Catalina Flying Boat "Frigate Bird" with Sydney & Fanning Island backstamps. (15 flown).

15 May 1946 (AAMC.1044b) Australia - U.S.A. cover flown on the TWA Skymaster "Shamrock" and signed by all members of the crew; with Washington arrival cds's.

17 January 1947 (AAMC.1092) Rabaul - Sydney flown cover, carried for QANTAS and signed by the pilot, J.A. Bonnington; with special vignette affixed. Very fine.

14 Oct. 1947 (AAMC.1113-1114) Sydney - Norfolk Island & return flown covers; both with special vignettes prepared for the QANTAS flights and both covers signed by the captain, L.R. Ambrose, who piloted the Lancastrian in both directions. (2 covers).

14 Mar.1951 (AAMC.1271c) Sydney - New Zealand via SAMOA flown cover, inscribed 'AIR-MAIL via Capt. Taylor's Special Survey Flight of the Southern Pacific Route. Australia - Chile', with cachet in violet & APIA cds on reverse. Cat.$200.

14 March 1951 (AAMC.1271d) Australia - Cook Islands flown cover, carried by Captain P.G. Taylor on his Special Survey Flight from Australia to Chile in his Catalina "Frigate Bird II"; backstamped AITUTAKI.

June 1953 (AAMC.1318a) Coronation Day flight covers: London to Norfolk Island, Ceylon, Port Moresby, Singapore, Cocos Islands, and Karachi, together with return flight covers from Karachi and Singapore. Also, a number of BOAC special covers, mostly associated with the first Comet Jetliner flights between London and Johannesburg in May 1952. (Total: 25 flown covers).

5 April 1957 (Unlisted) cover endorsed "First Round the World Flight by No.11 Maritime Squadron R.A.A.F." and signed by Flight Sgt. C.J. Prior, 11 Sqdn, RAAF.

RUSSIA to FREMANTLE via BROOME: 1916 (Apr. 8) use of 2k green Arms pair on Esperanto Card from Moscow to Fremantle (with Broome transit cds) with KGV ½d & 1d added for on-posting to Italy, Moscow; censor handstamp on face. [Broome is an unusual entry port for mail to Australia.]

 

An unique pair of  Dec.1934 registered covers (2) from Sydney to Petersham, each franked with 2d Dark Hills & 3d Macarthur tied by 'REGISTERED/SYDNEY' datestamps, both with black/blue registration labels numbered '1' or '10000' respectively, PETERSHAM arrival datestamps on reverse.