The balance of the pre-WWII display of covers & Postal Cards with WA associations to various visiting ships including 1891 to "Lieut JF Parry/HSM Penguin", 1895 with message headed "HMS Tyne/Albany", 1897 small piece with GB stamps cancelled at Albany (stated to be the only postal evidence of 'Royal Arthur' being in WA), 1899 underpaid to Austria from SMS 'Saida', 1901 German SMS 'Hansa' x4 en route to Melbourne for the Federation Celebrations, 1905 front with pen-&-ink drawing of HMS 'Cambrian', 1905 to Austrian "SM Warship Panther/Sydney", 1910 to Austrian SMS 'Pommern', 1911 from Melbourne (stamps removed) to "French man-of-war/Montcalm/Fremantle", 1913 with note headed "HMS Fantome", 1913 PPC used under cover with message headed "HMAS Sydney/co GPO Sydney", 1914 PPC headed "14.1.16/Fremantle" where HMAT 'Kyarra' was berthed 14-15.1.1916, 1932 OHMS with '...Naval Staff Office/FREMANTLE WA' cachet (stated to be the only recorded pre-WWII item of RAN mail from WA), 1934 USS 'Augusta' illustrated cover (stated only two recorded),  also mostly unused PPCs of Challenger & Encounter at Fremantle (1907), real photo 'HM Hertog Hendrik' x2 (one endorsed on back "Departure of the Dutch Fleet/Nov 11th 1910"), real photo HMS 'Gibraltar' used from Broome 6 months after the ship had visited, 1924 Royal Navy Special Service Squadron at Fremantle x2, 1925 Visit of the American Fleet, 1913 photo of Japanese 'Azuma', 1927 programme (cover with minor silverfish damage, internally very fine) for Visit of the Duke & Duchess of York to WA, and a few others, condition quite mixed but, in respect of many, "find another one".  (48 items) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,000

1884 lengthy letter the first page with embossed crest of HMS 'Harrier' in grey & headed "Perth/Western Australia/Feb 15th 1884" with interesting contents "...We left Zanzibar on 20th of Dec last with HMS Osprey, Undine in company called at Mozambique left there on the 27th...we had one rather stiff blow just off St Paul's Isld but we rode it like a duck...We are to remain here 14 days then proceed to Melbourne..." and then the kicker "...It is quite a treat to see our own country..." It seems that the writer, OJ Knight, was an Aussie. The 'Harrier' arrived at Fremantle 10.2.1884 & departed for Melbourne & then Sydney on 26.2.1884.

Grade D (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1888 cover from England endorsed "Via Brindisi" with Jubilee 6d tied by London squared-circle to "Commander G le C Egerton/HMS Orlando/King George's Sound/Australia", a bit soiled mostly on the reverse, with the enclosed lengthy letter from the officer's mother. [George le Clerq Egerton was a veteran of the 1875-76 Arctic Expedition. 'Orlando' was en route to Sydney to be flagship on the Australian Station. She was at Albany 11-18.8.1888.  (2 items)

Grade B/A (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1891 (May 12) cover to a midshipman on "HMS Camperdown/Gibraltar" with ½d & 2d tied by 'ALBANY - KGS' duplex & 'GIBRALTAR/JU12/91' arrival cds on the face from where redirected to "Villa Garcia/Galicia Espana", the reverse with 'MALTA/JU4' transit, partial Spanish transit of 14JUN91 & 'VILLA GARCIA/ 16JUN91/PONTEVECCHIO' arrival, forwarded to "Londres" with London arrival of JU 19 91 in red and then back to "Albany/Western Australia" with transits of 'CASTLE TOWN/JU22/91/PORTLAND' & Plymouth of the same date, soiled but full of character. Gibraltar is a scarce destination from Australia in this period, while mail to Spain is rare.

Grade C (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1901 (April 25) cover with sailor's endorsement "...SMS Hansa/Fremantle" on the reverse, to Germany with ½d & 1d pairs (½d overpaid) tied by Fremantle duplex, 'SMR/PERTH' (= Ship Mail Room) transit and 'PRETTIN/26.5/01' arrival backstamp. The 'Hansa' was en route to Melbourne to represent Germany at the Federation Celebrations in May 1901.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$150

1901 (Apr 24) usage of '1½d.' in Blue on 3d Postal Card with Albany duplex, to "Holland" with Amsterdam arrival cds of 25/MAI/01 & light postmen's numeral-in-oval handstamp. The message, in Dutch, is headed "Albany" and roughly translates - in part - to "...We do want to go to Melbourne to celebrate the opening of the first parliament of the Confederate States of Australia as well as to greet the Duke and Duchess of York at the House of Commons..." The 'Noord Brabant' was at Albany 24-26.4.1901 en route to represent the Netherlands at the Federation Celebrations.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1903 WA Postal Card with message headed "Carnarvon West Australia/April 15th 1903" & signed by English-speaking Japanese seaman "K Uchida", to Pennsylvania with ½d tied by Carnarvon cds of AP16/03, New York transit of MAY30/1903 & Philadelphia arrival of the next day, rounded corners & a bit aged. The message states "After we have left Batavia we met with a severe cyclone...we called at North West Cape instead of going to Perth direct...North West Cape & Carnarvon are very poor place being very barren country, but kangaloo [sic] and emu hunting was very interesting..." The only recorded mail from the three Japanese cruisers that made a goodwill tour to Australia in 1903.

Grade C (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1905 (Feb 13) cover with pen & ink illustration of HMS 'Powerful' on the face, to "Guernsey/Channel Ids/England" with partial Guernsey arrival backstamp of MR11/05. The sender was Leo Quick, who served aboard HMS 'Powerful' which, at the time, was the flagship on the Australian Station.

Grade A (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1906 (Jan 31) Austral pictorial letter card to "Umberto Finzi/Petty Officer Calabria (Italian Cruiser)/Manilla Philippine Islands/East India Archipelago", reverse with Singapore transit of FE26/1906 & Manila arrival of MAR6 (no year), some peripheral damage & repairs but a super destination. The letter within is from a young lady to "Dear Bert...I hope you will soon be back in Fremantle. I miss you very much..." During 1905, the 'Calabria', with Prince Ferdinando of Udine among its officers, undertook a goodwill world tour. He later rose to the rank of Admiral. The exact dates of the ship's visit to Fremantle are not known.

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1908 (Sep 15) usage at 'ALBANY' of illustrated 1d Postal Card for the Visit of the American 'Great White Fleet' with message "...We went to a concert last night. About 2000 men marched with the bands off the different ships...", minor stain above the message; also a very fine unused example of the card. Used examples are scarce, with those posted at Albany during the Fleet's visit being difficult to obtain.  (2)

Grade B/A (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1908 (Sep 13 & 14) PPCs of Albany from sailors with the US Fleet to Washington DC or Colorado with brief messages "I hope to go ashore Tuesday. The liberty is from 1 to 6pm..." or "This is a very small insignificant town but it's so clean it gives one a headache to look at it"!  (2)

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$200

1908 Visit of the American 'Great White Fleet' selection on display pages with three real photo PPCs of the Fleet in Albany Harbour, Sailors passing beneath 'AUSTRALIA WELCOMES' arch and a Welcome Party & Band on the Pier; also unknown publisher 'Parade American Bluejackets', Semco of Flags etc, W&B (Melbourne) 'USS Vermont', Falk of the Fleet in Harbour; five others to America apparently from sailors one headed "USS Missouri", one with message "...We are in the harbor coaling", one with message "Leave for the P.I. tomorrow...would like to be back in Samland", and one to New Zealand "We are about to bid farewell to Australia" stated to be the only recorded Fleet card to a "previous port"; then rare cards to the ships at Albany x2 & from the female recipient of a PPC from a sailor to "USS Ohio/co PM/New York" (stamp removed); and a few others, condition variable; finally the 'Souvenir and Official Programme/...11th to 17th September 1908' printed by Sands & McDougall (Perth) with the itinerary, local photos & migrant-enticing content within, light creasing, minor defects & the cover detached still a lovely item.  (24 items) (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1910 (June 27) Broad Arrow Series PPC of two Japanese warships & Rear-Admiral Ijichi to Northern Ireland with 1d tied by Albany cds, the message states "This card was issued to honour the visit of His Imperial Japanese Majesty's war vessels". A rare card. The 'Aso' & 'Soya' made a goodwill visit to Albany & Fremantle in May 1910.

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1915 HMAS 'Australia' two covers each with GB 1d red tied by different security 'dumb' cancel, with boxed 'PASSED BY/NAVAL CENSOR' or double-circle 'PASSED/SHIP'S CENSOR' handstamps, the latter redirected from Subiaco to Cottesloe with cds of 7AP15 or 8AP15 respectively, minor staining and the latter with repaired flap-tears. Very scarce duo, the markings known to have been used aboard 'Australia', which spent most of the war in British waters, where it was twice rammed by "friendly forces".  (2 items)

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$400

1915-16 HMAS 'Sydney' OAS usages of PPCs from Nova Scotia x2 & Jamaica x2, all to "Vera" in Perth, carried in naval bag(s) to Melbourne where variously processed, two with 'A.I. FORCES POSTAGE FREE/ VIC' cds, one with 'A.I. FORCES/POSTAGE FREE' slogan & the last (stained) with one of the scarcer boxed 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' markings tying a 1d Kangaroo. Tough group, especially being inwards to Western Australia. Vera may have been a child: one card is redirected to "Children's Hospital", another to "Cape Naturaliste". [After sinking the 'Emden' off Cocos on 9.11.1914, 'Sydney' proceeded to England then it spent 18 uneventful months patrolling the east coast of the Americas and the Caribbean]  (4)

Grade B/C (Image1)

Estimate AU$300

1916 (Feb 22) PPC of Sandakan in North Borneo with the caption apparently erased by the censor, to Wales with KGV 1d red tied by Albany cds and very scarce 'PASSED SHIP'S CENSOR' handstamp in violet, redirected on arrival 31MR/16, a little soiled. HMAS 'Encounter' spent the early part of WWI patrolling the near Pacific & Malayan areas. On 11.2.1916, she was despatched from Sandakan to work in Australian waters & was at Albany 21.2.1916 to 9.3.1916. The message states "...We are on patrol duty in these seas and find it rather more interesting than our previous show". 

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$250

1940-46 World War II display pages including 1940 per SS 'Otranto' with huge 'HM TRANSPORT No 4' cachet, 1941 cover believed to be from HMAS 'Sydney' which was sunk later that year, 1942 from War Signal Station Albany with 'NAVAL/SERVICE' cachet, 1942 with 'HMA/SHIPS' & 'tombstone' censor cachets to a soldier on Rottnest Island, 1942 illusrated RAN cover with typed "HMS KANIMBLA' & 3d with security cancel, 1943 with 'HM TRANSPORT/No 11' cds & Canadian-pattern 'RAAF/ 5 /CENSOR' cachet, 1943 cover to a sailor on HMAS 'Bonthorpe' at Fremantle with plain redirection label & endorsed "This rating was drowned in Ftle approximately 18 months ago" (!), 1945 (Dec 9) OAS cover with boxed 'MAIL OFFICE/HMS ARGONAUT' cachet, 1946 three items from HMS 'Victorious' (one with ship's cachet in blue, one an Air Mail Letter Card to England with message "...we are sitting pretty in the harbour at Fremantle owing to damage to the Victorious..."; covers from shore stations including HMAS 'Leeuwin' one with large cachet in red, Naval Staff Office Fremantle x4, Naval Victualling Yard Fremantle x2, RAN Armament Depot Byford and Armament Supply Office Fremantle; American Forces with Navy Department covers x5 (three with 'UNITED STATES NAVAL SUPPLY DEPOT/FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA' cachet), 1943 two covers to USS 'Black Hawk' that visited Fremantle 6-10.3.1942, 1944 & 1945 covers from submarine tenders USS 'Pelias' & 'Euryale', 1945 civilian airmail cover to "Submarine Base/New London/Conn", two covers endorsed from naval Patrol Wing 10; Dutch Forces 1943-45 with 'ROYAL/WESTERN/AUSTRALIA/NETHERLANDS NAVY' cachet x3 (one registered); 1947 airmail to Greece with 'HMAS LEEUWIN' cachet and 1954 OHMS registered to "HMAS Parkes/.../Rockingham" endorsed "DESERTER/..."; etc, philatelic post-WWII items, condition rather mixed. With 'WA: The Forces POW & Censor Mail" by Haynes & Pope (stained on the edge of the pages).  (87) (Image1)

Estimate AU$1,500

1952 (June 23) British airmail cover at the concessional Forces rate of 6d, to "HMS Campania/co GPO London/(Ship in foreign waters)", small piece of the flap missing. Nothing to look at but it's the only inwards cover we have seen directly related to the Atomic Bomb Test at the Montebello Islands, off the Pilbara coast of NW Western Australia. ['Campania' was a WWII aircraft carrier, chosen as the command ship for the British invasion of the islands. It visited Fremantle & arrived at the islands 8.8.1952. It was hopeleesly inappropriate for its role, causing most of the scientists and engineers to pitch camp on terra firma. The nuclear test was on 3.10.1952. Two more nuclear tests were conducted in the islands in 1956] The illustration is above Lot 1242] 

Grade A- (Image1)

Estimate AU$250