Jul 27, 2009 Prestige Philately - Auction No 148 Page: 1 Lot Type Grading Description Est $AUD Settlement 1788-1825 Australia's first settlement, Sydney on Port Jackson, was established by Governor almost immediately after arrival of the in January 1788. Early postal arrangements were extremely rudimentary. Very few ships visited & it could take literally years to have a letter answered. From 1806 the "Naval Officer" was responsible for mail-handlng. In 1809, the former convict, Isaac Nichols, was put in charge of the mails & in 1810 he was appointed Australia's first postmaster. However, the post office was run as a private concern & Nichols' only remuneration was from the postage he collected.

Lot 1005 1005 C A- 1819 entire headed "Sydney New S Wales 3rd April 1819" & signed "Fredk Drennan", to "Captain de Reynaude/60th Regiment/ Cape of Good Hope" via England where stepped 'HASTINGS/SHIP LETTER' handstamp & London arrival b/s of '19OC19/1819' in red applied, rated "1/4" for 8d inwards shipletter + 8d for carriage between 50 & 80 miles, endorsed "Messrs Greenwood & Co" (forwarding agents: not listed by Kenneth Rowe), very fine appearance.

Frederick Drennan arrived at Sydney in January 1819 to assume duties in the commissariat. He quickly fell out with Governor Macquarie whom he accused of insults "unparalleled in the History of Tyrants". He ran foul of other officials & in 1821 was dismissed for incompetence. An enquiry found a deficit of £6526 in his accounts and his effects were sold. Governor Brisbane had him arrested & deported. In the letter, sent only 3 months after his arrival, he complains to a former colleague in Jamaica - where he also had financial problems - "[this] is truly a Convict Country, and the Governor the Prince of ****...here I am the 'worst in the world' because I don't associate with Convicts". 6,000T Settlement 1788-1825 - Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) Van Diemen's Land was part of until 14/7/1825 when it was proclaimed a separate Colony. Settlement of the island had two purposes: 1) to prevent possible settlement by the French; & 2) to create a third convict settlement ( being the second). A small settlelment at was established in 1803 under Lt John Bowen. Hobart Town was founded by David Collins in February 1804. George Town, in the north of the island, was settled in November the same year. However, Launceston was developed as the principal centre in the north.

Lot 1009 1009 C B 1817 (Feb 5) entire from his brother to "John Drummond Esqr/Naval Officer at the Derwent/Hobarts Town/Van Dieman's Land" with faint 'PAID SHIP LETTER/[crown]/FE6/1817/LONDON' cds in red & rated "1/9" being the single rate to NSW, colourless embossing at upper-left is thought to have been applied in transit at Cape Town, ironed-out filing creases & some soiling. Believed to be the earliest inwards item to Tasmania (other than from Sydney) in private hands: see Tinsley at page 3. Ex Rigo de Righi (1982), Groom (1987) & Blake (2001).

John Drummond was appointed Naval Officer at Hobart Town where he arrived with his family in July 1815. In 1817, he and his sister-in-law were charged with the murder of their infant child, but acquitted for lack of evidence. Drummond returned to England in 1820. 4,000T Jul 27, 2009 Prestige Philately - Auction No 148 Page: 2 Lot Type Grading Description Est $AUD The Postal Act of 1849 This was the most far-reaching of the early Acts. The free franking privilege for official mail was abolished; the town rate was halved to 1d; 1d postage for newspapers was re-introduced; other internal rates were henceforth based on weight alone, and not the distance carried. Most importantly, from the date the Act came into effect - 1st January 1850 - adhesive postage stamps were available for what was still the optional pre-payment of postage.

Lot 1233 1233 C B 1849 (Sep 5) entire headed "New York" to "Cape Town/Cape of Good Hope" but with 'SHIP LETTER/ MY*16/1850' b/s (#SL5var) & fine strike of the rare rounded-boxed 'MISSENT/TO/SYDNEY' handstamp (#V1: very late usage), apparently forwarded to South Africa & endorsed on the flap "Received at the Post Office/the 30 day of August 1850/Paid 8d". A remarkable origin/destination item, all the more significant for having been missent to Australia. Ex Leon (1978). [Poignant letter from a young woman about to have a baby, to the father: "...let me know if you are in the same mind as when i left & what you intend to do...i have had the Cholera very bad i got it in the vessel coming here the Captain and severall others died on board I am however still alive...i hope that we might be happy yet..." 2,000T