COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA continued...

17 April 1922 (AAMC.64) Geelong - Melbourne flown cover, bearing the blue "Herald Air Mail" vignette alongside the two 1d KGV adhesive, all of which are attractively tied by the GEELONG roller cancel.

2 June 1924 (AAMC.71) Adelaide - Sydney flown cover, signed by the pilots C.A. Butler and F.S. Briggs, who were in command on different legs of the flight.

1927-32 covers all with QANTAS "Western Queensland" red/white vignettes (Frommer.15d) including a 12 Nov. 1927 flown cover with the earliest recorded usage of the "FORWARTDED BY AIR MAIL" violet handstamp at  McKINLAY; a Dec.1927 usage of a Lettercard from CAMOOWEAL; and an August 1932 cover, self addressed to Hudson Fysh with 1/- Large Lyrebird & 3d Bridge tied by 'MCKINLAY' datestamp; (3 items).

BERT HINKLER: A book titled "HINKLER : Hyperbole, Hypocrisy and Humbug versus Authenticity and Accuracy in AUstralian History" by Roy G. Bettiens, [Fyshwick, 1985]; No.34 of 37 self-published, hardcover tomes; with additional later letters and documents loosely inserted. Comprehensive and passionate!

12 November 1929 (AAMC.145c) a special postcard issued on the 10th Anniversary of the England to Australia flight by Ross & Keith Smith in 1919; postmarked at Hounslow and Melbourne, the postcard is also signed by the surviving brother, Keith Smith. Housed in a special folder created for the card, the text explains that "Ten cards were autographed on the front by the survivor, Sir Keith Smith."

1 Jan.1930 (AAMC.149; Nier.300101) Brisbane - Sydney reg'd cover flown by A.N.A. on their inaugural service. The plane force-landed at Casino (where the undercarriage was damaged), the mail was collected the next day by pilot E.H. Chaseling for delivery to Sydney, the 3 Jan backstamp confirming the delayed delivery.

19 Feb.1930 (AAMC.152a) Anthony's Lagoon - Camooweal flown cover carried by A.A.S. to link with the newly established Qantas service from Brisbane and signed by the pilot, Frank Neale. Cat.$400+.

6 June 1931 (AAMC.184a) Lord Howe Island to Australia, flown cover, signed and endorsed by the pilot, Francis Chichester.

Mar.1931 (Frommer 36c) Qantas white/blue vignette 'By Air Mail / NORTH QUEENSLAND Australia's Winter Playground': exploded large part booklet comprising the covers, two complete vertical strips of 8 & a vertical strip of 6, all with top selvedge.

July 1931 (AAMC.212) Manila (Philippines) - Japan, flown cover, signed by the pilot, Francis Chichester; with stamped numbered message regarding the abandonment of the onward flight because of the total wreck of the plane at Katsuura.

1932-33 (AAMC.242) Australia - Germany flown cover carried on the return of the Bertram Atlantis Expedition franked 3d Airmail tied by DARWIN 12 DE 32 cds, plus Dutch East Indies (2) for arrival and departure after a long delay for repairs, AKYAB (Burma) cds tieing India 3a Air and German 10pf Eagle tied by BERLIN 14 4 33 arrival cds. Cat.$1750.

Two hardcover books, self published and bound by Ernie A. Crome: "Donald Mackay 1870-1958" (1983); "From Ships to Helicopters" (1984); the second volume with original signatures of G.U. Allan, H.A. Litchfield, L. Wackett, Hubert Opperman and John Scruse. (2).

20 July 1933 (AAMC.317) Calcutta - Lucknow flown cover, carried by James Wood while en route from Australia to England in his DH60M Moth "Spirit of Western Australia"; with six-line handstamped cachet; cancelled on arrival at Lucknow. [One of only 16 carried].

1 September 1933 (AAMC.325a) A Northern Terrirory Aerial Survey Expedition flown cover, signed by the pilot, Frank Neale and Commander Harry Bennett. (One of only 12 covers flown aboard their Percival Gull.).

11-12 May 1934 (AAMC.379) Australia - New Zealand Goodwill Flight, special cover (number 101 of 250) signed by the crew of the "Faith in Australia", Ulm, Allan and Boulton.

11 September 1934 (AAMC.401a)  Perth - Sydney "Palace Hotel, Perth" cover, flown non-stop by Kingsford Smith and Taylor in the "Lady Southern Cross"; addressed to Alfred Levy at Tattersall's Club, Sydney; cancelled on arrival in Sydney and with Sydney & Tattersall's Club backstamps.

September/October 1934 (AAMC.419) a cover carried aboard the "Southern Cross" on the Dr W.G. Woolnough Aerial Geological Survey flights in Northern Australia; signed by the crew including the pilot, O.B. Hall and Dr Woolnough. [One of 32 covers carried.]

PATRICK GORDON TAYLOR 1896 - 1966: Following the publication of his first book in 1935, which told the story of his Trans-Pacific Flight in "The Lady Southern Cross" in November 1934, with Charles Kingsford Smith. P.G.Taylor went on to write several books about his career. The present unique volume, produced and bound by Ernie Crome in March 1983, is "the only photostat copy of material in his collection relating to Taylor's career and publications. That collection is now housed by the National Library, Canberra. Blue hard covers with gilt titles. Signed and endorsed by Crome.

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24 March 1935 (AAMC.493) Australia - England flown cover, signed and endorsed by the pilot "Carried by the Miles Falcon G-ACTM, Australia - England, 7 days, 19 hrs, 50 mins. Piloted by H.L. Brook." Also cancelled on arrival at Croydon Airport.

Having only learned to fly in 1933, and participating in the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race, this flight set a new solo flying record time for the long route between Darwin and England.

TRANS-TASMAN AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED: The company MINUTE BOOK, from 14th June 1935, the first meeting of the Board of Directors: Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Captain P.G. Taylor, B.T. Sheil and J.W. Stannage, up to the final entry on 29th May1936 following the loss of Kingsford Smith en route from England.

The minutes of the first meeting indicate the allocation of shares was as follows:

Kingsford Smith (48), Taylor (8), Sheil (9) and Stannage (3). That document and most subsequent documents and letters bear the original signatures of the directors: Charles Kingsford Smith (5 times), P.G. Taylor (14 times), John Stannage (1), Beau Shiel (2), and J. Percival, as Acting Company Secretary. (1). The volume also includes several loosely inserted original letters and some unused TTAS letterheads.

Fascinating reading and an important and remarkable survivor of this ill-fated attempt by Kingsford Smith and his colleagues to secure the contract for the carriage of airmail and freight between Australia and New Zealand. UNIQUE.

Provenance: The Estate of Jack Percival, MBE. Stanley Gibbons (Australia) Auction, 16th June 2004, Sydney. Lot 1103.