Pre Condominium
New on 15 March 2015:
11 May 1903
A comment on the Islands Mail Contract with Burns Philp & co. Ltd. in the Adelaide Register:
Some information about the 4 Jan & 4 Dec. 1905 and 4 Jan 1906 cards:
Both were written by Kate Anderson, wife of Rev. William Anderson whom she married in 1902.
She was a daughter of Rev. Peter Milne in Nguna. Anderson was a missionary for many years but
quit missionary work in 1905 to become a settler in Undine bay (the postcard decribes the (new) home there).
They traded and had the plantation there for about 20 years before they rejoined missionary work again.
Source: J Graham Miller, "LIVE, A History of Church Planting in the Republic of Vanuatu" book 5
Mrs. Anderson wrote the cards
Letter to a lottery in Tasmania. (unknown coll.)
Picture postcard to Australia - correct British colonial postcard rate 1½d.
Image thanks to Steve Drewett stamps.
Picture side
NSW 2½d as correct rate on letter to the UK. Backstamped on arrival Glasgow
29 November 1902. ("Aore" coll.)
The Rev. James Paton, D.D. was the youngest brother of the famous New Hebridean
missionary John G. Paton. He was born in Dumfriesshire in 1843 and died in
December 1906. John G. was born 24 May 1824 and died on 28 January 1907.
Reverse of this cover ("Aore" coll.)
The Rev. James Paton, D.D. was the youngest brother of the famous New Hebridean
missionary John G. Paton. He was born in Dumfriesshire in 1843 and died in
December 1906. John G. was born 24 May 1824 and died on 28 January 1907.
The upper writing shows John G. Paton's signature in 1894, the lower the address
James Paton D.D. on this letter. The "D.D."'s and the "J" and the "aton" of the
name give proof that this letter was written by John G. Paton during his
second-last visit to Aniwa near Tanna in winter 1902/03.
NSW 2½d as correct rate on letter to Sydney (Mine Department). The stamp has been cut out
and then placed back again. It's tied with the redirection address. Additional cancel
Sydney 29 May 1903 and NSW duplex on front, backstamped Sydney 29 May 1903, 8:30 am.
("Mele" coll.)
10 May 1901
25 August 1901
6 November 1902
11 May 1903
11 May 1903
11 May 1903
17 June 1903
(new 10/22)
14 August 1903
NSW 2½d as correct rate on letter to England. The PCH Type 1 on the
cover has an inverted day block. The stamp cancelled Sydney 1, 3 November 1903 "noon",
backstamped Sydney 2, 3 November 1903, 7 am, Sydney 1 as on stamp and Reigate 5 December 1903.
This is a stationery of British Residency (Imprint on flap). The Burns Philp steamer OVALAU carried this letter as far as Lord Howe, where she sunk following a fire
in the holds during the night from 19 to 20 October. Passengers, crew & mails where landed and some passengers and the mail carried to Sydney by the pilot steamer CAPTAIN COOK (Capt. Hildbrand) to
Sydney where the steamer arrived in the morning of 3 November. Ovalau left Sydney on 1 September for the Solomon Islands, Banks Islands and the New Hebrides and
left Norfolk Islands on 15 October to Lord Howe. ("Mele" coll.)
NSW 1d stamp on a postcard to France. Cancelled Polignac 25 January 1904 on arrival.
Taxed in Australia 5c (Incorrectly taxed as the colonial postcard rate was 1d since 1903). Carried by the YSABEL which arrived in Sydney on 20 December.
(Millet coll.)
Picture side of the card
Correct 2½d letter rate with all backstamps and with original letter.
The letter was written by Frank Bayldon, master of the 'Tamboo', the Burns Philp boat
which provided the regular mail service between the New Hebrides nad Sydney. This
was subsidised at £3,600 per annum by the New South Wales government.
The 2½d NSW stamp is cancelled with PCH type 1 (or 1A?) with the '0' of
1904 missing. Backstamped Sydney AP 25 04 in transit and on arrival SPALDING
MAY 30 04. ("JGI" collection).
Reverse of this cover.
The letter which was still inside.
Two ½d N.S.W. stamps on a postcard to Sydney cancelled with PCH type 1. Addresse is Allen Street, Glebe Point, Sydney.
(Seen on Ebay in April 2008)
reverse of this card
12 October 1903
8 December 1903
15 April 1904
26 October 1904
Letter to a lottery in Tasmania (taxed). (unknown coll.)
NSW 1d as correct postcard rate to New Zealand.
The PCH Type 1 is the day/month
type with four digits year block. ("Mele" coll.)
Underpaid postcard from Vila to England short paid ½d. PCH type 1 datestamp.
The NSW 5 taxmark is incorrect as the amount should have been 10c, double the dificiency.
Backstamped Sydney 21 January 1905. The corerect amount of postage due was indicated
by the mark applied in England: 1d I.S.H. Circular arrival datestamp Liverpool 25 February 1905. ("Aore" coll.)
Dessus d'enveloppe lourde affranchie à 10d (photographies) par quatre timbres de 2½d. (quatriême échelon de poids)
de l'émission de 1897 de Nouvelle Galles du Sud. Timbre à date NEW HEBRIDES VILA 4 JU 1905 (2e état du premier type) à destination de
la France. (Millet coll.)
(Cover front of a heavy cover with photographs franked 10d, the fourth weight level. Stamps of the N.S.W. 1897 issue, cancel PCH Type 1, destination France.)
Ex Stan Jersey's collection:
Here's Stan's text for this cover more than 30 years ago:
New Hebrides, New South Wales Postal Agency at Vila. Datestamp on ordinary stamp of
New South Wales. (picture thanks to Stan Jersey) I wonder where this cover is now.
4 January 1905
4 January 1905
4 June 1905
24 August 1905
4 December (1905)
4 January 1906
4 January 1906
(new 2/2019)
19 January 1906
(new 3/22)
29 June 1906
25 August 1906
8 September 1906
10 December 1906
This is a sample of the forged PCH type 1 which was cut in about 1925 and later
destroyed by the Pacific Island Study Circle of the Royal Sydney Philatelic Club.
Before the dies were defaced some pulls were made on CROWN PARCHMENT NOTE paper
to assist in the detection of forged postmarks. This is one of these pulls.
(Klinger coll.)
Timbre à 1d. de Nouvelle Galles du Sud sur carte postale pour l'Australie oblitéré par le premier type de timbre à date
(2e état( NEW HEBRIDES VILA 11 MR 1907.
Arrivée GUNDAGAI N.S.W. 23 MR 1907 et, au verso, transit SYDNEY MAR 22 1907. (Millet coll.)
(1d N.S.W. stamp on a postcard to Australia cancelled with PCH Type 1)
NSW 1905/10 SG 333 2d stamp cancelled CK type PM1 on a letter to England ("Aore" coll.)
NSW 1905/10 SG 333 2d stamp cancelled GK type PM1 on a letter to Sydney.
Image thanks to Corinphila
Strike of PCH Type 1 on NSW 1d and ½d stamps (correct postcard rate)
on a card to Sydney. ("Namba 2" coll.)
PCH Type 1 on NSW 2d stamp (intercolonial rate) to Sydney. Backstamped Sydney 29 April 1908 - the date on which the Burns Philp's steamer TAMBO arrived. ("Mele" coll.)
11 March 1907
10 April 1907
10 April 1907
13 January 1908
15 April 1908
PCH Type 1 on NSW 2d stamp (intercolonial rate) via Fiji to New Zealand. Backstamped Suva 26 July 1908. (Goron coll.)
This picture postcard to Sernhac, Gard, France is dated 11 NO 1908 on the canceller
and arrival cancel is dated 26 December 1908. It is written on September 7, 1908,
and tells about the visit of the Kersaint in Port Vila. The 1½d NSW stamps are cancelled with
PCH type 1. (Ruecker coll.)
The latter part of 1908 was spent by "Kersaint" in what are described as 'punitive'
expeditions to Ambrym (New Hebrides), followed by a similar exercise at Santo.
This particular expedition was mounted in response to the death of a settler (Greig) and
his two daughters, an enquiry, held locally, being undertaken by Lt Valat of the
"Kersaint". (Source: "Pacifica", Jan 2004, Jacques Mérot: New Hebrides -
The Cruiser "Kersaint".)
Maybe these activities caused the delay of this postcard.
NSW 1d x4 on a letter to Sydney cancelled with PCH Type 5. Backstamped Sydney 21.DE.08. This cover was brought to Sydney by the Burns Philp & Co. Ltd steamer
TAMBO, Captain Hillman, which arrived at Sydney on this day.
The addressee was Hugh Venables (1877-1935) Vernon, son of the famous Sydney architect Walter Liberty Vernon, who was in partnership
with Howard Joseland at Castlereagh St. (Goron coll.)
Well after the suspension (10 months) of the use of NSW stamps: Cover to Nouméa
with PCH type 5 on a NSW 2d stamp. (SeSi collection)
23 July 1908
12 November 1908
25 November 1908
9 October 1909
The 12 December 1908 postcards to Frank Malmberg in New York - please see menu "1908 - 1908 Postal History - Used in 1911 or later" for postcards to
Frank Malmberg when he was in the New Hebrides and letters he sent when he left Vila.
James F Newman who wrote these cards was a trader on the island TONGOA. On the date DE 12 it would be an incorrect use of the NSW stamps after the deadline
Nov. 30th but was probably tolerated as the people on the islands might not have been informed on the regulations in time.
The addressee Frank Malmberg lived on Tongoa later in 1911. 6 of these cards to Frank M. are known and a couple of cards & letters later.
Malmberg postcard with NSW ½d and 1d cancelled with type 1. Seen in some old auction catalogue snippet.
PCH Type 1A on NSW ½d and 1d stamps on a postcard to USA. The addressee is
Frank Malmberg, who lived on Tongoa in later years (see 18 DE 1910, 01 JA 1911 and 11 AP 1911 in "1908 used in 1911"]).
On the picture side cancelled on transit with a Sydney machine cancel. The Vila cancel
rather clearly is PCH type 1A which in PCH is known in 1897 and 1899 only. The
date DE 12 would be an incorrect use of the NSW stamps after the deadline
Nov. 30th but was probably tolerated as the people on the islands were probably
not informed on the regulations in time. (Klinger coll.)
Blow-up of stamp and cancel
PCH Type 1A on NSW ½d and 1d stamps on a Sydney picture postcard to USA. The addressee is
the same as on the postcard above. (seen at the May 2003 auction
of the German auctionhouse Steltzer.)
PCH Type 1A on NSW ½d and 1d stamps on a "House of a chief" picture postcard to USA. The addressee is
the same as on the postcard above. (Treadwell coll.)
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
12 December 1908
(new 2/2019)