Issue: 10:2008

Philatelic Review Bulletin

Penrith & District Philatelic Society P.O. Box 393 Kingswood NSW 2747

This bulletin is protected by copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries concerning publication, translation or recording rights should be address to the Penrith & District Philatelic Society

Produced in Australia by

Penrith & District Philatelic Society P.O. Box 393 Kingswood NSW 2747

Edited Uwe Krüger President [email protected] [email protected]

2 Dear members and collectors, Meetings The contents of this bulletin aims at informing Start: 8:00 pm; first Thursday in the month (except members of pending auctions, stamps issues and January) other calendar items relevant to our hobby. CWA Rooms, Baby Health Centre, Tindale Street, As things go, there will be room for errors but I Penrith hope I can keep those to a minimum. The editor Date Activity

4 December 2008 Exhibition; Trading; Contents Coffee and cakes

Bring your partner. Meetings ...... 3 January 2009 No meeting References ...... 3 5 February 2009 Exhibition; Trading Events ...... 4 Stamp Shows ...... 5 5 March 2009 Exhibition; Trading APTA ...... 5 2 April 2009 Exhibition; Trading Auctions...... 5 7 May 2009 Exhibition; Trading Useful Links ...... 5 4 June 2009 Exhibition; Trading Stamp Issues ...... 6 2 July 2009 Exhibition; Trading Australia Post ...... 6 6 August 2009 Exhibition; Trading Great Britain ...... 6 Election of Office Invitation ...... 6 Holders Looking back and ahead ...... 6 3 September 2009 Exhibition; Trading Cinderellas (7) ...... 6 Lions ...... 7 1 October Exhibition; Trading Shop & Post Early ...... 7 5 November Exhibition; Trading Broken Hill Centenary ...... 7 December 2009 Christmas Party Bedford Industries ...... 8 January No meeting Undated ...... 9 Muskoka Free Hospital ...... 9 QUEENSLAND ...... 9 References Brisbane Lions Club ...... 10  Australia Post South Australia...... 12 Victoria ...... 12  The Australasian Stamp Catalogue East Brunswick ...... 12  The Australian Commonwealth Specialists’ WESTERN AUSTRALIA TB Association of WA 1947- Catalogue 44th edition 1949 (all issued) with designs of Black Boy Grass Trees, desert Aborigine ...... 12  Comprehensive Colour Catalogue of Christmas Labels – generic ...... 13 Australian Stamps Burra ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Cinema Emergency Trust Fund ...... 13 City Express Messenger ...... 13 Cobb & Co ...... 13 Cocking Parcel Express ...... 13 Parcel Express ...... 14 Coil Stamps ...... 14 Collingwood Team of the Century ...... 14 Collector, The ...... 16 Collingwood 2002 Grand Final ...... 16 Combe, Green & Co...... 17 Community Philatelic Society 1979 ...... 17 Congregational Church Centenary ...... 18 Coolgardie Cycle Express ...... 18

3 Events

Where When Contact

Katoomba: 1st Saturday Katoomba Masonic Centre Tel: (02) 9418 9044 10:00am – 4:00pm Civic Centre, Station Street

Brookvale: Manly-Warringah Leagues Club 1st Saturday (except January) Unlicenced Premises (first floor Tel: (02) 9977 4076 10:00am – 4:00pm Carpark Building), corner Federal Parade / Pittwater Road

Orange Coin & Stamp Club, Orange: 1st Saturday (except January) P.O Box 324, Orange, 2800 Quinn's Arcade, Summer Street 9:00am – 4:00pm Tel: Norm Binns (02) 6362 3754

Tuncurry: 1st Saturday (February to November) Great Lakes Stamp Club, P.O Tuncurry-Forster TAFE College, 9:00am – 12:00noon Box 717, Forster, 2428 Taree Street

Caringbah: Stamp and Coin Collectors Fair, East Convener – Dave Ellis Coast City Church, 375 Kingsway 1st Saturday Tel: (02) 9528 9011 (Entrance fee: Gold Coin - all funds donated to the church)

West Tamworth: Tamworth Philatelic Society, 1st Saturday St Paul's Hall, corner Church & Bridge P.O Box 678, Tamworth, 2340 9:00am – 4:00pm Streets Tel: (02) 6765 6914

Bankstown: 1st Sunday Grahame Fudge: Masonic Hall, corner of Restwell 9:00am – 3:00pm Tel: (02) 4455 4011 Street and Greenfields Street

Corrimal: 1st Sunday

Masonic Hall, 69 Railway Street 10:00am – 4:00pm

3rd Saturday (March, June, August & Manly-Warringah Leagues Club Brookvale: November only) Stamp Club, 563 Pittwater Rd, Federal Parade Hall 10:00am - 4:00pm Brookvale, 2100

Wallsend: 3rd Sunday Tel: (02) 4946 9121 Pioneer's Hall, Cowper Street 10:00am – 4:00pm

Epping: 4th Sunday Epping School of Dance Hall, 9 10:00am – 4:00pm Oxford Street

Croydon: Last Sunday NSW Postcard Collectors Imar Community Hall, 2A Fitzroy February, May, August & November Society, P.O Box 426, Newport, Street only; 9:30am – 3:00pm 2106

4 Stamp Shows STANLEY GIBBONS MELBOURNE [email protected] APTA 2008 STANLEY GIBBONS SYDNEY SCDAA Stamp & Coin Fair, Petersham [email protected] Nov 30 Town Hall STATUS INTERNATIONAL [email protected] 2009 SCDAA Stamp & Coin Fair, Petersham Town Aug 30 21st CENTURY AUCTIONS Hall www.21stcenturyauctions.com.au SCDAA Stamp & Coin Fair, Petersham Town Nov 29 [email protected] Hal

PHILAS Stamp Auction: Auctions 8 November 2008; 12:30, Philas House ALLIANCE AUCTIONS (UK) [email protected] Tel +44 1279 758854 Fax + 44 1279 758859 Useful Links Name WEBSITE CAVENDISH AUCTIONS (UK) A-One Stamps www.aonestamps.com [email protected] APRL www.stamps.org CHARLES LESKI AUCTIONS APS www.west.net www.leski.com.au Australian Philatelic www.apf.org.au Federation CRAIG CHAPPELL Bilby Stamps & [email protected] www.bilbystamps.com.au Covers

British Library EDLINS of CANBERRA www.portico.bi.uk Collection www.edlins.com.au Philatelic Burpengary Stamps www.burstamp.com MILLENNIUM PHILATELIC AUCTIONS CDDSTAMPS www.cdddstamps.vom www.millenniumauctions.com Collections Plus www.centurynova.com.au

MOWBRAYS AUSTRALIA County Philatelic www.stampauctions.co.uk Melbourne FIP www.f-i-p.ch [email protected] www.esil.univnirs.fr/Eleves/P98/incio/ French postal history 1st & 2nd February 2008 (over 2 days) index.html 19th April Ideal Solutions www.philately.com 12th July 18th October James Bendon www.jamesbendon.com Kennedy Stamps P/L www.kennedystamps.com.au Sydney Kevin Morgan www.kevinmorgan.com.au [email protected] Stamps and Coins 19th March Leonard Hartman 18th June www.pbbooks.com/index.html 3rd September USA Malta Philatelic 3rd December http://www.maltaphilately.org/ Society J.R. MOWBRAY PHILATELIST (NZ) Michael Eastick & www.michaelestick.com JOHN MOWBRAY INTERNATIONAL Associates PTY LTD www.mowbrays.co.nz NRG Philatelics www.nrgphilatelics.com

PREMIER POSTAL AUCTIONS Pacific Stamps www.pacificstamps.com .au www.premierpostal.com Phil Bansner www.philbansner.com [email protected] Phillips www.phillips-auctions.com Provincial Philatelics www.proyphil.demon.co.uk PRESTIGE PHILATELY www.prestigephilately.com Renniks Publications www.renniks.com 19th January 2008 1pm #133 Royal Mail www.royalmail.co.uk Sotheby www.sothebys.com

Stamp Shows www.stampshows.com/#international 5 Name WEBSITE Looking back and ahead Stamp World www.stampworld.com/index.html For this issue I have attached another part of the STAMPS4COLLECT www.stamps4collectors.net Cinderella listing I have been working on for ORS sometime. Any additional information to that Stanley Gibbons www.stangib.com presented would be appreciated. Stanley Gibbons www.stanleygibbons.com Australia Next month will be the last meeting for 2008. Status International www.statusint.com Traditionally members have invited their partners Sydney Stamp Centre www.sydneystampcentre.com.au (WCS) to meet their friends at the club and have a few Webzine, NetStamp www.netstamps.com biscuits and some soft drinks. I would like to Yvert & Tellier www.yvert-et-tellier.fr/ extend my invitation to all friends of members as well.

Stamp Issues In retrospect, Australia Post has continued its Australia Post avalanche of stamps in various formats such as www.auspost.com.au/philatelic/stamps/intro.asp stamps in sheets, same stamps as peel & stick, 2008 STAMP PROGRAMME same stamps in booklet format containing miniature sheets, personalised stamps and 31 October 2008 Christmas Island Christmas personalised stamps. On top of all this we had the 31 October 2008 Christmas Olympic Games issues with two types of stamps (one printed in Beijing digitally and one in offset Great Britain printing). http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm Uwe Krüger President Invitation Cinderellas (7) Christmas Labels continued Dear guests and readers of this bulletin, Date unknown Aboriginal watching the Southern Cross

You are invited to join our club as stamp collecting has provided many of us with deep insights into past and present cultures of countries we may never visit. As a guest you may find the behaviour of existing members a bit overwhelming. Do not be afraid to ask questions. If you do, please do not be overwhelmed with the answer as you usually New South Wales get more than you asked for. Some of us have been 1969. The bicoloured Anti-TB Christmas seal was issued jointly in New South Wales by the national Tuberculosis and collecting stamps for such a long time that we have Chest Association (NSW Division), the Citizens’ TB League forgotten what it feels like to be a beginner. (CTBL) and he Anti-Tuberculosis Association of NSW.

Join in and enjoy a pastime that need not be expensive. If you have inherited a stamp collection we will provide you with information (free of charge) about the value of that collection. Again, we may make comments you may not like (there is rust in the collection; not worth much but The design shows two pine cones against a green background interesting enough to expand; etc). We are human with the TB Cross in red (rouletted). and we have our little errors. However, if you do not like the information received, by all means, get Proof sheets did exist but have been cut up. Those sheets a second opinion. comprised of 12 panes of 30 seals.

6 were printed in a special format. Three different designs were used (Santa, child before fire, sailing ship). The twelve seals are on the right hand of the sheet. On the left is a long hard sell appeal from the Association to support the sale of the seals.

The first stage in the printing process was the simultaneous printing of the yellow and magenta colours of the border yellow, the Cross and the slogan USE SEALS ON BACK OF YOUR ENVELOPES.

The second stage printed the green and bright red colours.

For the Captain Cook issues see also Christmas 1970. Lions The Australian Lions Awareness Foundation did take over the production of Christmas seals in 1992 from the City of Brisbane Lions Club and sold the labels through post offices. 1995

See Brisbane Lions Shop & Post Early

Broken Hill Centenary

1983. The annual Christmas Seals issued by the Salvation Army in Britain to raise funds for the restoration of its headquarters at Batley Castle are well known seals. The 1983 issue featuring flowers with overprints in grey across the back of the sheet reading: THE SALVATION ARMY BROKEN HILL IN THE SILVER CITY'S CENTENARY YEAR 1983. Normal Batley Castle sheets bear overprints on the back promoting the Salvation Army in U.K.

The 1948 seals issued by the Anti-TB Association of NSW 7 1966

Greetings with Magpie and Songbird.

1970

Here is a U.K. item promoting the Salvation Army in an Australian town - a unique Cinderella. Complete sheet comprises 25 seals (5 rows of five) depicting various English Christmas flowers and plants. Anti-TB Christmas Seals 1971 Without any doubt, the fastest growing sector of Cinderella Suspension Bridge. collecting on a worldwide basis is in the field of Anti-TB Christmas Seals, and there area number of good reasons for 1973 this. Christmas Seals have been around a long time, since 1904, when Denmark released the first seal on the prompting of a postal employee Einar Holboll who believed that people would pay a little extra to put an attractive seal on their Christmas mail if that little extra went towards a worthy charity. And he was right. The response was so good that the Danish Post Office made its Anti-TB Christmas seals an Stylised wheel chair. annual event, a move that was soon copied by nation’s right around the world. Today most seals are issued by charity 1974 organisations rather than postal administrations, though many continue to be sold through post offices, giving them a direct link to philately. Anti-TB Seals are popular with the public and collectors because they are attractive collectibles and at the same time help a worthy cause - the eradication of tuberculosis. Collectors of such items are also very much Stylised Wheel chair. aware that the early Christmas Seals have appreciated enormously in value over the years, making them a good 1977 investment! Collecting Christmas Seals in Australia has Typing by mouth; pointing to a letter on an electrical board. lagged behind many other countries because would-be collectors have not been able to find sources of supply or 1981 indeed find out what exists. 1 Garment making. Bedford Industries Bedford provides training an employment for disabled Engineering people in South Australia.

Christmas labels are available from Bedford Industries, PO Box 23, Melrose Place, SA 5039.

1965 1984 Flowers, butterfly.

1985 Flowers 1986 Koala 1987 Greetings and desert pea Celebration themes with Santa Claus, Angels, etc with four designs in se-tenant blocks in different arrangements. There are two rows of seven down each side, while in the middle are large format Season Greeting labels. 1 Bedford Industries Rehabilitation Association Inc PO Box 23, Kingswood SA 5062 8 1988 2001 Sheet featuring six different designs of Australian native flowers arranged in varying se-tenant formats of 42 labels (six columns, seven rows) 1989 Two different flower paintings by a handicapped artist in sheets of 42 (seven columns, six rows).

2004

1990 Six different designs depicting children’s drawings of Australian birds and animals (Koala, Kangaroo, Cockatoo, etc) and printed in se-tenant blocks within sheets of 36 labels making six complete blocks to each sheet.

1991 Printed by the lane Group in sheets of 24, two panes of 12 This issue comprises seven different multicoloured labels with a gutter of 24 ‘Card Only’ labels. with Christmas messages: Undated Training the disabled, two designs showing clerical work and Deck the Halls with boughs and holly; printing.

Oh Come all ye faithful; Tree Wise Men. Muskoka Free Hospital Hark the Herald Angels Sing; In 1917 the Muskoka Free Hospital for consumption (tuberculosis) issued Christmas labels to raise funds.

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

etc QUEENSLAND 1951 seals issued by the TB Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen's Printed in vertical format of two rows (14 labels per half Assn of QLD (featuring Flora, Fauna etc), sheet). The other half of the sheet comprises 14 labels for affixing to envelopes with seven different Christmas designs plus the common message: SEASONS GREETING-CARD ONLY-BEDFORD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION INC.

1992 Seven different labels showing the Christmas pageant staged in Adelaide by John Martin and the state Bank printed in blocks of 14 (2 x 7).

9 1985 1955 showing child with candle. Brisbane Lions Club 2 In 1984 the City of Brisbane Lions Club issued the first of its popular sheets of annual Christmas Seals to raise funds for the Endeavour Foundation for intellectually handicapped people.

These very beautiful sheets of Christmas seals are sold through Post Offices in Queensland and by Lion Clubs throughout Australia.

The first of the sheets, issued in 1984, had a spectacular design by Queensland artist Carolyn Morgan of a mosaic of Biblical and Christmas themes in and around a garland of Australian wild flowers. The multicoloured sheet was printed against a striking background of silver in a print run of 250 000 numbered sheets selling at 43.

1984

1986

To launch this project the City of Brisbane Lions Club produced a publicity sheet which was circulated in exact replica, under a heading ‘An Important Cinderella First for Australia’. On the back of this high class promotion piece were details of the issue and an order form.

2 City of Brisbane Lions Club Inc, GPO Box 1557, Brisbane Qld 4001 10 1987

1990 The 25 labels in the sheet feature 24 species of Australian flora. Many of those were discovered by Sir Joseph Banks, eh naturalist with Captain James Cook’s epic voyage of discovery in 1770. Banks spent 117 days on the Australian eastern seaboard. Design by Ms Carolyn Morgan. Printed (150 000 sheets) by 1988 Prestige Litho Co, Brisbane on 105 GSM Davac dry gummed stock. Sheets were perforated by CPE Asut Ltd, Melbourne.

1989 Designed by Ms Carolyn Morgan and printed by Prestige litho Co, Brisbane, Queensland on 105 GSM Davac Dry Gummed stock perforated by CPE Australia Ltd, Melbourne.

Total print: 150 000 sheets sold at $2.00.

11 1991

1948. East Brunswick Kindergarten Christmas seal featuring Santa Claus.

The City of Brisbane Lions Club announced in late 1992 that they will discontinue the issue of Christmas labels.

The project has been taken over by the Australian Lions Awareness Foundation. The Foundation did not take over remaining stock as that was done by Review Publications, Dubbo. South Australia. The SA TB Assn seals of 1944-1949

Aust TB Assn issue (from Adelaide) of 1950 and 1951

(Koala & Map of Aust designs), 1949-59 East Brunswick Kindergarten Christmas seal The National Assn for Prevention of TB Assn of Aust featuring a boy playing with toys. (NAPTA) issues from Adelaide from 1952 - 1966 (includes pairs, triple issues). WESTERN AUSTRALIA TB Association of WA 1947-1949 (all issued) with designs of Black Boy Grass Trees, desert Aborigine

Victoria The 1968 and 1969 se-tenant strips of 5 issued by the TB East Brunswick Association of WA with interesting designs of Black Swan, In 1948 and 1949 the East Brunswick (Victoria) WA Map, Kangaroo Paw etc. Kindergarten issued two different series of Christmas Seals to raise money for the building fund. In each case they were issued in a format of 12 seals on the right side with details of the appeal on the left side of then sheet. The sheets were sold for one shilling.

Only two Christmas seals have been issued by the Kindergarten.

12 Christmas Labels – generic A label without denomination has been reported. Unknown: City Express Messenger It is assumed that the following seals have been issued by a See Boyd large Department store. Cobb & Co In 1963 the Cobb & Co Coach Company of Queensland staged a Coach Run from Longreach to Melbourne to mark the Centenary of the old pioneering coach company and to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. At various stops along the route APEX Clubs held special fund raising local events around the arrival of the coach, while souvenir mail was carried from point to point on the run.

Cinema Emergency Trust Fund The actual purpose of these labels is unknown but they appear to come out of South Australia. The do exist as pre- decimal as well as decimal labels indicating that this fund has existed for a long period of time or the originator has issued them for a very long time. They were printed in sheets of 100.

The Dubbo APEX Club went a step further and produced an attractive two coloured label for affixing to mail carried onward from Dubbo in August. The labels were produced in sheets of 60 depicting a Cob & Co Coach on the run with the Royal Flying Doctor Service Emblem with the wording: COBB & CO COACH VISIT TO DUBBO. PROCEEDS TO ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE. AUGUST 1963. The sheet margin carried the notation: A DUBBO APEX CLUB PROJECT. Pre-decimal labels exist but are rare. Cocking Parcel Express The J. R. Cocking was first listed as a Chaff Merchant trading from Grote Street, Adelaide between 1882 to 1884. In 1884 the business had moved to Currie Street. In the same year offices are held at White Horse Yard and Topham Street just off Currie Street. The year 1887 places Cocking at 29 Currie Street and from 1888 to 1892 at 66 Currie Street. In 189e cocking moved to 33 Currie Street. From 1894 to 1900 the address was 37 Currie Street.

Street re-numbering took place in Adelaide in 1888 and 1920. Records of the 1888 have been lost but the 1920 very detailed changes still exist in the Adelaide City Council records. The street number changed from 33 to 37 and that would mean Cocking did not move.

From 1902 to 1915 one known address for Cocking is 10 topham Street and another from 1919 to 1922 is 28 Waymouth Street. In 1923 the office moved to 30 Waymouth Street and remained there (possibly) until the early 1930th . the change noted could have been a result of the 1920

renumbering.

By 1932 Morony Street off Grote Street near West/Terrace is registered as office. In 1948 head office was at Grote Street.

The labels appear to be used in conjunction with complimentary tickets.

13 Parcel Express The label was found on a complete suit box in 2005. the suit was made by The Don Tailors

Stamps were issued with 66 Currie Street being the first address appearing on the red sixpence stamp of 1882 to The date written on the lid of the box is 1936. 1892. The next issue was again a red sixpence showing the Coil Stamps 37 Currie Street address. See Vending Machine Test Coils Collingwood Team of the Century Stamp size was 55 mm x 43 mm. 14/06/1997

First seen in 2002; with "Local Post" Stamp and postmark The last stamp issue appears to be the four pence mid blue and the six pence dark blue issued probably between 1897 to Harold Rumney, 1900. Stamp size as noted above.

The printing technique employed reflects the state of the art and was most probably the lithographic process. Review of printing imperfections indicates that the same design was used and transferred from the original.

There is only one example of the 66 Currie Street stamp (in poor condition) and it is not possible to identify any distinguishing marks. The only differences can be found in frame breaks. Jack Regan,

The main characteristics of the 37 Currie Street stamps are: 1. the D in the lower left value table leans to the right; 2. The dot under the D in the lower left value tablet is higher as the other three; 3. The D in the top right value tablet leans to the left; 4. The word sixpence slopes downwards from left to right; 5. The scrollwork above the lower left value tablet does not touch the value tablet.

Syd Coventry (C),

3

Albert Collier,

All stamps were printed on white not watermarked paper. The 4d denomination was issued rouletted and the 6d denominations were Perforation 11.

There are being less than10 stamps in total recorded.

Nathan Buckley, 3 Bill Hornadge notes this mint copy. No colour indicated 14

Thorold Merrett, Peter Daicos,

Bob Rose, Len Thompson,

Darren Milane, Des Tuddenham,

Murray Weideman,

Harry Collier (vc),

Dick Lee,

Tony Shaw,

Gordon Coventry,

Wayne Richardson 15

Marcus Whelan Leon Davis,

Collector, The Anthony Rocca, To promote a new stamp magazine published in Sydney in 1977 a souvenir sheet was given at the press conference launch.

Scott Burns,

The sheet was enclosed in a folder showing the front page of the new magazine.

Alan Didak,

Glenn Freeborn,

The magazine closed after a few months. Collingwood 2002 Grand Final 28/09/2002 with Collingwood PM as Stamp Chris Tarrant Tarkyn Lockyer, 16 Community Philatelic Society 1979 The Community Philatelic society issued two cards to celebrate the Societies 20th anniversary as well as the Centenary of the death of Sir Roland Hill.

Paul Licuria

Combe, Green & Co. Combe, Green & Co Globe Parcels Express operated from 15-19 Currie Street, Adelaide. They are mentioned in the South Australian Directory for 1896 for the first time. However, THE RAILWAY AND PARCEL STAMPS OF MAINLAND AUSTRALIA records that in 1898 the name of the firm was changed to McCulloch, Combe, Green & Co and that after this there were a number of name changes (all incorporating McCulloch) until 1951. The operations of William McCulloch & Co Limited collapsed in Melbourne in 1886 but their Adelaide operation may have continued.

Type I

Sir Rowland Hill was a member of a body formed for the colonisation of South Australia. He was the secretary of eh South Australian Commission in 1935. Cossack Festival The six Cossack labels illustrated here closely resemble postage stamps in appearance and could easily be mistaken for a local issue. However, they have no postal validity nor The only known stamps issued by COMBE, GREEN & CO were they associated with any local post service. have two different designs. It is not known which design was used first. The imperforated stamp has been arbitrarily designated Type I.

TYPE II

It is lithographed in red on white paper and perforated 11 ½ . An example printed orange-red and imperforated has been recorded. The image for both stamps is 54 mm wide by 42 mm high. Sheet format is possibly in a 2 x 2 layout.

See story McCulloch & Co Parcel Express.

17

Looking at the perforation the label appears to have come from a sheet from the lower right hand corner. Coolgardie Cycle Express + With the discovery of gold in the Coolgardie district of Western Australia in 1892 thousands of miners flooded into the area. A post office was opened in Coolgardie in September, 1893 but this provided only a once weekly mail service to Southern Cross.

To meet a need for faster communication with the outside world, James A. Healy, who had an office in Hunt Street, Coolgardie (conveniently opposite the Post Office) conceived the idea of organising a private post by use of The six labels were issued on May 16, 1981 by the promoters cyclists between Coolgardie and Southern Cross, 190 of a Festival held on May 16-17 at Cossack, a "ghost town" kilometres away. The service was later extended to a whole on the Pilbara coast in Western Australia. The object of the network of runs covering the entire goldfields. Festival was to raise funds for the restoration of historic buildings at Cossack, which was founded in 1863.

The labels were issued in miniature sheet format and were sold at the Festival in this form, or on First Day Covers, at face value of $27 per sheet or cover. Because of the high cost, sales were not large and the organisers were left with a large proportion of the 2000 sets produced. These were later advertised in the philatelic press. The denominations and designs of these Cossack "stamps" are:

$2, showing a coat of arms, incorporating the Asian Aboriginal, pastoral, pearling fleet communities, the Healy appears to have started (and stopped) services to new kangaroo and emu, the foundation date 1863. areas at short notice, depending on local needs. It is difficult $3, the President of the Cossack Fleet Festival committee, to determine when some services operated but the following Mr. Don Halvorsen. partial listing of the cycle express runs indicates the extent of $5, the Committee, Don Halvorsen, Garth Harvey, Bill the service: Wreford and Bill Musham. $4, special issue for the 1981 international Fremantle to Bali In 1883: From Coolgardie to Southern Cross, Mt. Margaret, to Dampier (in Cossack waters) ocean yachting racing Yerilla, Pindinni, Hawke's Nest, Dundad, Norseman, classic, in concert with the Cossack Fleet Festival 1981. Menzies, Niagara, Mt. Malcolm (via Ninety Mile), Lake $6, featuring last century early photograph of Cossack town Darlot, Cutmore's Reef and Dunnville (via 25 Mile). and port incorporated with the map of Western Australia In 1854: Services were extended to Widgemoola (now locating Cossack on the map. Widgemooltha), and Boulder. $7, with image of the original H.M.S. "Cossack" which arrived in 1872 with the first vice regal visit to the North In 1895 the service ranged to Goose Puzzle and Hannans West, Pilbara, of His Excellency Governor Weld. On that (later renamed Kalgoorlie). occasion the Governor, representing Queen Victoria, renamed the town and port after Her Majesty's Ship The extent of the runs and the stamina of the cyclists may be "Cossack" on which he arrived. gauged from the fact that the run from Coolgardie to Gooze Congregational Church Centenary Puzzle was well over 300 kilometres and to Lake Darlot The Congregational Church commenced church services in almost 450 kilometres. South Australia with the arrival of the Rev. T. Q. Stow in late 1837. The Lake Darlot run incidentally took the cyclists three days, a remarkable time considering the heat and the state of the roads. The run was amongst the most profitably organised by Healy who claimed to have made £50 a trip - a very considerable sum in those days.

The service was well patronised and one cyclist named Bamlett was recorded as having carried 801b of mail on one 18 of his trips. The rates for letters varied from one shilling to five shillings depending on the distances travelled and amount of mail forthcoming.

In 1893 letters carried on the service were handstamped with the word "PAID" but in 1894 Healy introduced two cycle express stamps (1/- and 2/6 denominations) for use on the service.

Both the local stamps were printed in blue and were produced by the lithographic process at the office of the local newspaper, "The Coolgardie Miner", the printer being George Vindin. The stamps were printed in blue on coarse, unwatermarked paper and were roughly perforated, gauge 12. They were printed in sheets of 35 (7 rows of 5). For many years overseas handbooks have Tut the printing of this issue as 500 copies of each value, but it is now known that the quantities produced for each denomination were substantially greater than this figure.

Because of colour differences in surviving copies, it seems possible that there were more than two printings but no evidence of this has been forthcoming.

These stamps were not only sold at Healy's head office in Coolgardie but by his many agents scattered through the goldfields for use on return mail to Coolgardie. Where mail was collected at outlying mines to be reposted at Coolgardie for transmission to the outside world normal Western Australian postage stamps had to be affixed in addition to the Healy locals who covered transmission only to and from Coolgardie. Probably the majority of the mail comprised orders addressed to Coolgardie stores and merchants.

In December 1896 the service was suppressed by the Western Australian Post Office which regarded the service, and the stamps, as an infringement of its postal monopoly. Following closure of the service, remainders of the stamps were sold in London and later were acquired by a Sydney stamp firm.

The reproductions were affixed to souvenir sheets and each label was cancelled with a purple circular cachet reading "COOLGARDIE CYCLE EXPRESS - 70th ANNIVERSARY - 1894-1964". The reverse side of this sheet reproduced a postcard issued by Healy in 1894 to advertise the Cycle Express.

This postcard was issued by James Healy in 1894 to advertise his Coolgardie Cycle Express. The cards are scarce.

19