THE FIRST AIRMAIL IN AUSTRALIA - June 1914
16 June 1914 (AAMC.1) Melbourne - Bendigo - Ballarat, real photo postcard flown by French aviator, Maurice Guillaux, signed and endorsed by him (in French) with a greeting to the mayor of Ballarat. Superb condition.

Provenance: Nelson Eustis Gold Medal Collection, Leski Auction, March 2008, Lot 1.

The card is accompanied by a letter to Nelson Eustis from the Ex-Mayor of Ballarat, dated September 1936. It is clear from that correspondence that Eustis already owned the signed card at that time. He had sold it to a dealer in London in 1946, together with the rest of his Australian Air Mail collection, and it was sold shortly afterwards. The buyer was an American soldier who took it home and put it in his safe where it was forgotten until early 1992. Much to my surprise, the American ex-soldier, by then a retired Professor of Tropical Medicine and a great friend and client, showed me the "little collection of Aussie flight covers" he had bought in London in 1946. We were sharing a fine bottle of California red wine when he brought out the two volumes he had purchased all those years ago. I only needed to see the first page (where this card was displayed) to realize I had rediscovered Nelson's pre-War collection. Intact! I was able to bring the collection back to Melbourne for auction, which took place in December 1992. Nelson attended the auction in person and was delighted to be able to re-purchase his long lost and much beloved "Number 1" as well as a number of the other pieces.

After Nelson passed away, his daughter consigned his Gold Medal collection for auction with us and that sale took place in March 2008. On that occasion, this fabulous card was heavily contested, finally being knocked down to the present vendor for $30,000 + commission. It was been proudly owned (but not exhibited) for the next seventeen years and we are delighted to be offering a new generation of collectors the opportunity to own this wonderful piece of Australian aviation history. CL. (2 items)

Estimate AU$20,000-25,000
Min. Bid. A

9 June 1914 (AAMC.1a) Bendigo - Ballarat letter from D.Andrew (Mayor) on 'City of Bendigo' letterhead to "His Worship the Mayor of Ballaarat" flown by Maurice Guillaux in his Bleriot monoplane with added message in French including "...j'avoir transporte le premier en Australie un lettre" ("I have carried the first letter in Australia"), signed "M. Guillaux" at upper left, undercatalogued at $15000.

Ex Frommer, sold for $33600 in the September 2016 sale of his Grand Prix Pioneer Australian Air Mails Collection.

[This letter was the only item carried on the flight and is therefore the earliest known item flown by aeroplane in Australia.]

Estimate AU$25,000-30,000
Min. Bid. A

4 Sept. 1919 (AAMC.23) Hobart - Launceston cover with Peace Loan advertising and KGV 1½d brown carried by ED Cummings in a Sopwith Pup on the first aerial mail flight in Tasmania, violet two-line 'FIRST TAS. AERO MAIL/DPMG' handstamp and 'LAUNCESTON/-5SE19/TASMANIA' arrival backstamp, very fine with only 6 examples believed to have survived, Cat $4000. Accompanied by photo of the Sopwith Pup circling Hobart GPO.

Ex Frommer Grand Prix Pioneer Australian Air Mails Collection.

Estimate AU$1,800-2,200
Min. Bid. AU$

Nov.1919 - Feb.1920 (AAMC.27a) Mesopotamia (Iraq) - Australia flown cover endorsed "On active service" at top, and flown by Ross Smith, Keith Smith, Jim Bennett & Wally Shiers on their onwards flight to Australia; the vignette tied by one of two superb strikes of the oval "FIRST AERIAL MAIL" cachet, and addressed to Mrs J.Morris, Maroona, Victoria. Exceptionally, the cover is signed by Keith Smith, J.M.Bennett & W Shiers on the reverse & inscribed "Darwin 12-12-19" in Bennett's hand. A magnificent example, now listed as #228 by Frommer and illustrated at page 65.

Estimate AU$8,000-10,000
Min. Bid. AU

Nov.1919 - Feb.1920 (AAMC.27a) a "Ross Smith" vignette attractively tied by one of 2 strikes of the oval "FIRST AERIAL MAIL" cachet on a cover picked up at RAMADI, MESOPOTAMIA, one of the refuelling stops on the flight from England to Australia. With the three-line violet h/stamp on the back flap together with the sender's name and address. The lot also includes the original handwritten enclosure "...an aeroplane came hovering around the camp and landed and out came 5 Aussies....one of them has promised to carry this through the air and post it for me in Aussie." A marvellous example of an intermediate from this important flight. The sender, Corporal James Thomson was located at Ramadi as part of the 6th Light Armoured Motor Battery. The cover is #318 in the Frommer listing, illustrated at page 85.

Estimate AU$6,000-8,000
Min. Bid. AU$

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.

Estimate AU$1,000-1,250
Min. Bid. AU$

April 1922 (AAMC.64a) "Herald" Air Mail vignettes; a horizontal pair with selvedge at left & top, mint with full gum. Multiples are scarce. (2). Cat.$400++

Estimate AU$400-500
Min. Bid. AU$300

21-22 July 1925 (AAMC.80-89a) Adelaide - Melbourne - Sydney per Australian Aerial Services, intermediates group comprising of Melbourne - Echuca, Melbourne - Sydney, Echuca - Broken Hill, Deniliquin - Broken Hill, Hay - Broken Hill, Broken Hill - Echuca, Broken Hill - Mildura, Sydney - Deniliquin & Sydney - Echuca, all with KGV adhesives including 4d Olive (2) & 4½d Violet (5); generally fine to very fine, Cat $2700. (9 covers)

Estimate AU$1,000-1,200
Min. Bid. AU$

Oct.1929 (AAMC.145b) Eyre Peninsula Airways Ltd vignette (black on yellow), block (4), no gum. Extremely scarce multiple. Cat.$750. Provenance: The Nelson Eustis Gold Medal Collection, Leski Auctions, March 2008.

Estimate AU$400-500
Min. Bid. AU$320

Oct.1929 (AAMC.145b) Eyre Peninsula Airways Ltd vignette (black on deep red), block (4). Mint. An extremely rare multiple. Cat.$750. Provenance: The Nelson Eustis Gold Medal Collection, Leski Auctions, March 2008.

Estimate AU$400-500
Min. Bid. AU$400

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. 

Estimate AU$1,200-1,500
Min. Bid. AU$

13 June 1932 (AAMC.269a) Sydney - Bourke - (Quakers Hill) Sydney, flown cover, carried and signed by Jones and Ritchie on the first all-Australian designed and built Jones Monoplane "Wonga". [Only 10 flown].

Estimate AU$200-300
Min. Bid. AU$160

1934 - 1950 group of flown covers; 2 registered and including a few foreign. (12, of which the Australian items Cat.$470.).

Estimate AU$150-200
Min. Bid. AU$120

The Last Flight of the "Southern Cross" 18 July 1935 (AAMC.515) a cover (#30) carried from Mascot to Richmond, with special vignette showing the route the aeroplane had followed around the world; signed by Charles Kingsford Smith, Mary Kingsford Smith, P.G. Taylor, John Stannage and all other personnel on board.

Estimate AU$800-1,000
Min. Bid. AU$65

THE LAST FLIGHT OF THE "SOUTHERN CROSS": A complete IMPERFORATE proof sheetlet of four of the round-the-world-route-map vignettes designed by Ernest Crome. (AAMC: 516f).

Provenance: From the estate of Ernest Crome.

Estimate AU$400-500
Min. Bid. AU$360

9 Jan.1937 (AAMC.701) (Batavia, D.E.I.) - Darwin - Sydney flown cover, flown by KNILM and signed by the whole crew; cancelled Jan.12 on arrival. Endorsed verso in Crome's hand "one of twelve only".

Estimate AU$200-250
Min. Bid. AU$160

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).

Estimate AU$150-200
Min. Bid. AU$120

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.

Estimate AU$200-300
Min. Bid. AU$160

22 July 1939 (AAMC.873) Adelaide - Darwin - Dili flown cover, carried by Guinea Airways on a survey flight to Portuguese Timor; signed by the crew of Cameron, Ross and Scott as well as the Minister for Civil Aviation, J.V. Fairbairn, who was on board.

Estimate AU$250-300
Min. Bid. AU$200

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).

Estimate AU$200-300
Min. Bid. AU$160

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.

Estimate AU$80-120
Min. Bid. AU$60

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.

Estimate AU$100-150
Min. Bid. AU$80

A range on album pages; noted NSW 20/- Carrington *, various OS Overprints to 1/- *, Tasmania 10/- Tablet FU, Queensland 2/6, 5/- & £1 CTO, South Australia 2/6, 5/- & 10/- CTO, Victoria Stamp Duty types to £1 CTO, etc. (qty).

Estimate AU$400-500
Min. Bid. AU$320

An on-and-off paper accumulation in three shoeboxes; appears to be mainly Victoria, but noted NSW, Tasmania, S.A. as well as some GB and other foreign. Appears to be untouched. (1000s) A great winter activity!

Estimate AU$100-200
Min. Bid. AU$80

A complete set, ½d - 5/- CTO on British Commonwealth Forces envelope, all tied by the A.F.P.O. No.30 - R.A.A.F. JAPAN cds for 28 AUG. 1948, located at IWAKUNI; together with another set on an envelope with all stamps tied by AUST ARMY P.O. 241 cds's; also a range of the lower denominations on piece, each showing a complete cds. 

Estimate AU$200-250
Min. Bid. AU$160