Vo1.18 No. /NOV. 1999
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Journal of the Philatelic Society Of Canberra The Philatelic Society of Canberra Inc. (Founded 1932) GPO BOX 1840 CANBERRA ACT 2601
President Albert Farrugia Secretary Graeme Broxam
Capital Philately Publication Committee Darryl Fuller (Editor) "Dingle" Smith (Business Manager) Graeme Broxam Ian McMahon
Further information on the Philatelic Society of Canberra may be found on: http://www.canbelTa.starway.net.au/~philatelic
Capital Philately is published quarterly and supplied free to members ofthe Society, inquiries Regarding membership are welcome and should be addressed to Graeme Broxam, Telephone (02) 6282 4602 (home)
Inquiries regarding subscription rates for Capital Philately, advertising rates, the purchase of back issues etc. should be addressed to Dingle Smith. He can be contacted by telephone on (02) 6254 3294 (h) or bye-mail addressed to [email protected]
Advertising rates are: full page $40, half page $25, quarter page $15. There is a 20% reduction on all rates for 4 consecutive issues.
Articles, letters and other. contributions to Capital Philately should be sent to the Editor. Either By mail to the Society address, telephone (02) 6251 2180 (h) or e-mail addressed to dany [email protected]
The Society gratefully acknowledges the support of the Australian Philatelic Federation and the ACT Philatelic Council
COPYRIGHT: the copyright of the contents of Capital Philately is held by the Philatelic Society of Canberra Inc. Material may only be reproduced with the written consent of the Editor.
Cover Design © Judith Parker ISSN 0729-8765
11 CAPITAL PHILATELY
NOVEMBER 1999 - VOL. 18, NO.1
Editorial 1 Members' Exhibition Results 2 Australian Electoral Business - A Social Philately Exhibit (part 2) 3 Hans Karman Kiwis In The Library Ian McMahon 13 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 1939-1957: Pioneering and Historic Aviation Links and their Philatelic Consequences (Part 2) Kim Dwyer 15 Book Review: Introducing Combi-Mail: Aeropostal History 23 Darryl Fuller Hunting for Dodos Darryl Fuller 24
EDITORIAL
Welcome to my second year as editor of Capital Philately. I was pleased to see that the journal received a silver medal at Adelaide Stampex and was one point off a large silver. It is always important to have your efforts judged by your peers, and given that this is the journal of a philatelic society and not a specialised journal full of in-depth studies, I believe that we continue to maintain a very creditable standard and I would like to thank all of the contributors who have made my task easier.
On the topic of exhibitions you will note the excellent results obtained by members of the Society. We continue to maintain an excellent tradition and in my opinion are going from strength to strength. On a purely statistical basis members of the society provided ten of the 128 exhibits and four of the 15 literature entries. Thus we provided some 8% of the exhibits and 27% of the literature entries. The latter all being journals. Not bad for a society of about 170 members. The results run the whole gamut from silver bronze to one of the major awards. A number of these exhibits were new and I would encourage other members of the Society to consider exhibiting at our convention in March next year. As I am fond of saying, exhibiting is the one challenge that gets my collections organised.
Further to next March's exhibition I would like to emphasise the importance of these events to the Society. They are a great deal of hard work and I for one don't get involved to stroke my own ego. Over the years they have been an important source of revenue for the Society. As those who were at the AGM will realise, our subscription fees do not cover our costs. Our biennial exhibitions have raised significant amounts of money and next year is likely to be the same. So please get involved by exhibiting, joining the supporter's club or volunteering to help. We need your support. The other important aspect of exhibitions is that they bring in new members. At least a dozen new members have been attracted because of Natstamp last year, including our current treasurer. If we can continue this tend not only will the Society begin to grow but we should also be able to keep the subscriptions from rising. So please, think beyond your own needs and pitch in to help. If you are unsure of the best way to help give me call when I am wearing my other hat as Chairman of the Organising Committee for Canberra Stampshow 2000, or call the Secretary Judy Kennet.
This issue of Capital Philately will be two weeks late, for which I apologise, but being President of the Society, editor and the chairman of Canberra Stampshow 2000 has proven too big a task recently. Having stepped down as President has given me some breathing space. I had hoped to have revamped Capital Philately for this issue but any major changes will have to wait until after the exhibition next year. You will also notice that this issue has less contributors than usual but this is in part because I have not had the time to chase a few regulars for material and because I decided that both the Voting and Cocos articles would be best split into two parts only. They are both based on Social Philately exhibits and are quite interesting. I hope that you enjoy the final parts and I always
Volume 18 Number I Capital Philately welcome feedback. f can promise that the next '. .... postcards and Machins d . h I k Issue will have more Interestmg articles including interesting. an WIt uc, the first part of a reminiscing article that promises to be
~fease also rememb.er that I am always after material. Not just long articles but also one pagers or es~ that yo~ fe~1 mIght. be of interest to other readers. New discoveries, your favourite cover, book reviews or Just mteresting facts are always welcome. I would particularlv welcome "Found in the Trash" contributions which in this issue is missing but replaced by a new category which I have titled "Hunting for Dodos" the search for the impossible.
MEMBERS' EXHIBITION RESULTS
SIXTH NEW ZEALAND NA TIONAL PHILATELIC LITERATURE EXHIBITION IN CONJUNCTION WITH PALMPEX, PALMERSTON NORTH, 1-3 OCT. 1999
Richard Peck and David Ingle Smith (eds), based on the 1983 work of D. Osborn, W D Craig and A E Orchard Priced Catalogue of New South Wales Revenue and Railway Stamps Silver Postal Stationery Society of Australia (editor, Ian McMahon) Postal Stationery Collector Volume 4 Silver Bronze
ADELAIDE STAMP EX 99 5-7 NOVEMBER 1999
Darryl Fuller Leeward Island Postal Stationery Large Gold (92) & Grand Prix International Tom Frommer Famous Pilots and Famous Flights Large Vermeil (87) plus Special Prize Andrew Alwast Kingdom of Poland Pre-stamp Letters Large Vermeil (80) "Dingle" Smith Australian Tax Stamps - Depression to Federal Income Tax Vermeil (78) Andrew Alwast Poland's 1946 Airmail Stamps Vermeil (77) Darryl Fuller Jusqu'a Airmail Markings Vermeil (75) PSSA (Ian McMahon ed.) Postal Stationery Collector Large Silver (74) Hans Karman Windmills (Post cards) Silver (69) PSC Inc. (Darryl Fuller ed.) Capital Philateiy Silver (69) Hubert Goron New Hebrides (post cards) Silver (67) The Aerogramme Society (Tom Adami ed.) AerogrammeR Silver (67) Hans Karman Dutch Postal Stationery Silver (65) Albert Farrugia (ed.) "Machinations' A journal for collectors of G.B. Machins Silver Bronze (61) "Dingle" Smith Water - the resource and its use Silver Bronze (60)
CANBERRA PICTURE POSTCARD COLLECTORS Open to anyone in Canberra not just members ofthe Philatelic Society of Canberra.
Cost $15 per annum . . (Includes Pastcards. the quarterly journal, which illustrates cards exhibited at the monthly meetmgs.) . Postal Auctions
Meetings on the second Tuesday of each month from 7.45pm to 9.30pm plus
Room 5 Griffin Centre Bunda Street Canberra Citv
Volume 18 Number 1
2 Capital Philately
Australian Electoral Business A Social Philately Exhibit (Part 2 continued from Volume 17 Number 4)
Hans Karman
(Editor: Please note that all of the illustrations in part 2 are 80% of actual size)
Frame 3: Elections
In the third frame I deal with the mechanics and problems of an election in progress. After a writ is issued for an election, all Electoral offices are notified by urgent telegram (Fig.9).
SE 160= MLY 140= VCAD175 = CANBERRA ACT 25 4P
DIVISIONAL RETURNING OFFICER FOTI SEADDON BURNIE 'US
WRIT ~EPRESENTATIVES ELECTION ISSUED TODAY NOMINATIONS TENTH
Figure 9 Urgent telegram, Canberra-Burnie announcing House of Representatives Election 2 Dec. 1972.
People in remote locations, or housebound, or several other reasons, can apply through the post office for a postal voting certificate (in the form of an envelope) and ballot paper. These are sent out free, and after completion can be returned free through the mail. Postal voting certificates and votes were tracked carefully: they were sent registered and a separate advice card made doubly sure that they were not mislaid. Electioneering started and in general candidates pulled no punches. When voting was in a referendum the sides could be particularly vicious (Fig. 10). Voting in Australia is compulsory and if a vote was not recorded a voter would be asked to explain and could be filled. In some cases explanations were supported by a plea from the employer (Fig. I I).
Merchant seaman sometimes had great difficulty getting either a postal vote, or an opportunity to vote because of the itinerant nature of their work (Fig.12). Voting facilities were also not always easy to arrange in remote locations: when floods isolated Alice Springs, ballot papers had to be sent by air, but the air service was limited to one plane each way each week.
Volume 18 Number I
3 Capital Philately
....•..•._--.- Flaure 10 Unused 1916 postcards advocating Six O'clock closing in a referendum.
",~---''~--"----'-"--' piT.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
TELEPHONE: CENT. 5934· COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL OFFICE FOR VICTORIA, NEW COMMONWEALTH OFFICES, COMMONW£ALTH ELeCTORAL O""ICII:R FOR THE STAT~ OF VICTOR'''. 315 POST OFFICE PLACE, MELBOURNE, C.t. MIU •."OURNE.
AND QUOTE THIS NUMBER I No . 13th September, 1940. MEMORANDUM to The Commonwealth Electoral Officer for South Australia. ADELAIDE.
NAVAL PERSONNEL AT GA.BO ISLAND. Endeavour was made by the undennentioned elector, through the Royal Australian Naval Reserve, Port Melbourne, t-o secure a postal vote, but owing to the l1mi tad mail service to Gabo Island it was fouud to be not possible to arrange for the return of the Postal Vote application in time for the issue of the Postal vote certificate and ballot papers. Signalman Kohring R.K. Beans Road, Thebarton. S.A. This information is being supplied for consideration in dealing with the failure to vote of this elector.
, r, I,." I.,
..•..~.., ..~. commo~~toral Officer for the state of Victoria.
Figure 11 1940 Letter to the central coordinator of electoral matters in SA to ensure voter is not fined.
Volume 18Number I
4 Capital Philately
Sch. C.Z556.-: Remarks.
Tbis message has been ~ecei:ved 5u"bi~ct_t~t~~,P~st.ando-Telea::rapb. Act;-~' . ~. " and. Regulations: •. ,...., :.. ';....-., - . The time received' at this office' is shown at the end.of the message, . The date stamp indicates the date both 01 lodgment' and of reception.' unless otherwise shown after the particulars of time lodged ..
>' ,.)/_,~, ,. '~'1~,:~:" !NTEHSTATJll~tNO:r A~Q~D 1'0 - VOTW: AToWRX~~- ~lll'~~:R!l1;P1>~:_
G _HORAN s g ALDINGA 20 Sep 1940: Urgent telegram Whyaila:to Adelaide. Horan s.s•.Aldinga WlfYA.T.,LA :tor·- 20 Sep 1940: Po~tal -wt1ng only method· Origina:l of reply, in.terstate voting stop noW' too- Adelaide to Whyaila: la.te to reach nearest Rettirning,: O;ff'1cer
23 Sep 1940: Posted L.. HO--:";...V,_vI_E_o_- __ EL__o00_" _'1'0_" _H_AL ...I non-delivery a:dvice.
Figure 12 Captain Horan of SS Aldinga complained that some of his men weren't allowed to vote.
Special postal forms were issued to newspaper proprietors, who had to account for the number of column inches they devoted to election issues, and who authorised any political comment during the election period.
Frame 4: Civilian Registration
Frame four deals Civilian Registration. The Security (Man Power) Regulations introduced when Australia became embroiled in World War II required that all civilian British Subjects (there were no
Volume 18 Number 1
5 Capital Philately
~t~':r-:t;-i~: .r
,',: COMMONWEALTH Of AUSTRALIA-APPLrCATION FOR IDENTITY CARD (and Civil Registration). Form C.R.1: For Office, U~e. (Must NOT be filled in by perSQUS actually serving in Navy, Army. or Air Foree.) .' WRITE CLEARLY. (See Instructions other side.) To be filled in by Christian Names ....· ...... Surname. CIVILIAN MALES (BLOCK Ietters.) (BRITISH SUBJECTS ONLY~. Usual place of living 1 ,. Aged 16 year-a and over (in FULL, giving }- as at 15th March, 1942. Street, Number, etc.) J ....
Oommouwenlth Electoral Division in which you reside. If enrolled, Subdivision for which enrolled. Local Government Area. in which you reside.
1. (0,) Age last birthday ...... years. 10. State any other occupation or calling which you would be competent and (b) Date of birth day ...... month...... year. . willing to undertake if required $ 2. State whether natural born or naturalized British subject If naturalized state Natu rafizution Certifica.te number .... 11. Are you exempted from service in the Defence Forces1 ...._...... 3. Stale whether "single," "married," "widowed," or ••divorced ••..... If Yes-Give reason ~ 4. State number of children under 16 years dependent on you . Certificate number (if any).. ... <, 5. If blind, deaf, dumb, crippled, or maimed, state parttculara . Place of issue. If Inyalid Pensioner quote Certificate number _ . 12. rr enrolled and awaiting call up, state which ann of the Defence Forces, e.o., \;' 6. State name of the occupation in which you are now engaged. A.I.F" Militia, R,A,A,F" R.A,N., V,D,C" ate. .... (Be exact: See instruction on other side.) 13. if already allotted to a. Defence Unit (but not actually serving) state unit, ~ rank, and identification Dumber (if any) 7. State precise nature of business 01' industry in which you are now working.
8. Employees: State employer's business name and address in space below. 14. Give particulars of any Naval, Military, or Air Force service since 1914:- Employers, Workers on own account: State your business name and address (add "proprietor"). Dates. Unit, Arm of Service, Rank, etc.
9. If ~;oli..·a·~:a..·cj·npio~:e'(f..rii·t·ei:nil't'icntry· ..in·..sens;;·n·i\C~·::or·k···s·t'iite·..n·ame···of"c·ac·h..·sllch occupation.
Date ... Usual Signature of Applicant. .... 250~[-2.12 C0527
Figure 13 Adelaide proof of Post free Postal Form C.R.l shows that it was a print run of250,000 copies.
Australian Citizens until 26 Jan 1949) in Australia aged 16 years or over had to apply for an Identity Card not later than 25 March 1942. A whole host of new postal forms had to be designed, approved and printed (Fig.l3). Identity Cards were posted free and are reasonably common, although most are well-worn since they had to be carried at all times. They were numbered in accordance with a scheme, explained in a Memo from the Department of the Interior to Electoral Officers. who were made responsible for allocation and distribution. It is clear that three main types exist (Fig.14). I have never seen the third type, which was presumably for use only when types 1 or 2 were unavailable.
Distinction was made between Aboriginals "living in a civilised state", who might submit applications for an identity card. and those "living under wild conditions", who would not be required to take such action (Fig.15). Applications from aboriginals signed with an X were routinely rejected with the annotation "Illiterate, not suitable for an Identity Card". No such rejection appears to have been made for European illiterates.
A whole bureaucracy was needed to keep track of Identity Cards and their owners. Registrars of Births, Marriages and Deaths used postal forms to notify electoral officers of deaths, requiring the surrender of an identity card; and of marriages, requiring the change of the name of the bride (normal in the 40s). Recruiting offices used postal forms to surrender the identity cards Vf' new recruits. Police and Hospitals surrendered Identity Cards found on deceased people in their environment, using special postal forms. The Armed Forces informed the Electoral Officers of personnel died in action, or made POW, so that the Electoral Rolls could be updated, using tailored postal forms. When a death was notified but the Identity card had not been returned, forms were posted to relatives to request its return.
Civilian Registration was announced in a postal memo of 1 Nov 1945 as ending on 4 November 1945, amended by telegram to 5 November 1945. On 5 May 1947 the Electoral Officer for South Australia
Volume 18 Number I
6 Capital Philately
TELEPHONE No. 981. T.NML. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. IN REPl. Y ADDRESS CHIEF- '!LECTORAL OFFICER
FOR THE COMMONWEALTH, CANBERRA, CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH, AND QUOTE THIS NUMBER. CANBERRA. A.C.T. 24th February, 1942. MEMORANDUM t.O: The Corrmonwealth Electoral Officer for the State of South Australia .•
Identity Card Record ItgUpslt.
An order has been placed with the Government Printer, Canb.erra, for the printing and supply to you of Identity Card Record Slips as follovV's :- Numbe,I" Lettered a§ under 215,000 Is I M ] for males 240,000 Is I F I for females reserve for either 1.5,000 Is I I males or females. Note - In explanation. The code number to appear on the Identity Card will consist of the letter S (denoting your State) and the Division No. (2 for Barker ;3for Boothby etc.). Then the letter 11 (in the case of males) or F (in the case of females) and the last two figures of the year of birth. Then the sequential. number ot: Cards issued for the Division cO!l'.mencingwith the figure 1 in the case of males and also commencing with the figure 1 in the ease of females e·.•g.
1.234.1 Is 4 r M 03 or ",-S_' _2_' _"-,"",Foo-8,,,,9_~_1_2_3_4,--,L ! ·/11., -1- F- /&«~ 3$'t!J(JO t-flIO(JO 13CVL/Ur ,3'60(:)0 .31 000 {j cJO.I/L/-.. #.~.~ 3yooo 11-1000 J3 a o a J~ 000
j~4 vvt.a,~/ .:)100f) /./-l{ 000 ftla 1(.eii2.fL{ 33000 J'f 000 ill '>000 I £.£fo o o 0 1) 't",.- L ,_-"...(/- ~ 1- r~" !--4U! 1-.5o CJ:7 ~ ..___. I . --~ .._------'-- . Figure 14 This form indicates that three types of identity cards were produced.
notified his Chief that all records relating to Civilian Registration were delivered to Cellulose Ltd for pulping (Fig.16). This explains why so much of this material is unavailable and even unknown.
Volume 18 Number J
7 Capital Philately
\, --- ,~-~.-..- - -. --- -E FOR THE COMMONWEALTH.
IERRA. A.C.T. 'eptember, 1942.
-c·-----_. --- _~ __. , __ ~__ " ..~ .t~';-:
Civilian Registration - Aborigines.
Referring to your memorandum of the 31'dSeptember, relative to the above, I desire to advise that, in connexion with the registration of civilians, it was generally assumed that while aboriginals living in a civilized state might submit applications on Form C.H.I or C.R.2 and receive Identity Cards accordingly, those living under wild conditions would not be required to take such action. A IDlvisional Returning Officer upon receipt of a duly completed application on Form C.R.l or C.R.2 from an aboriginal, if satisfied as to the genuineness of the application, may issue an Identity Card to the applicant and transmit the Form C.R.l or C.R.2 to the lTational Service Officer concerned. A Divisional Returning Officer should not however issue an Identity Card in any case except upon receipt of a properly completed application on Form C.R.I or C.R.2 nor need he do SQ in any case in which - according to the discretion vested in ?im.bY R~~u~~t~on .....•".1. _.- ..•• 1.-._ "kT_.60.:_ •....•_. , 0-._. __ ':40 __ f1:n- __ T'I '\ n '_.J-~ ----. Figure 15 Aboriginals living underwildconditionswere refusedidentity cards.
I !. TG -1,1.. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA-POST""ASTEI).~GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT. No ... . :,;.... ~.:
c B.
. 1" A REPLY PAID TELEGRAM. .<' is c.courteous means. of ensuring .FROM . •~ .'_ A PROMPT AiNSWER. I
Figure 18 ration books were forwarded by rail around the country.
Volume 18 Number I
8 Capital Philately
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL DIVISION OF ~.-t:l~~J'p'~ .., ...... 5...~.~.....~~~X.. ..L}.?~.7..~ .
~:Er,;ORA~OUtMo The Ccm.:nomiealth Electoral Officer for the state o:~ Sout.h Australia.
CIVI.LIAN REGISTRATION.
In reply to your co:nmunication 45/73/10 of the 21st April, 194'7, I desire to advise that Civilian Registration 7'e.cords. and other documents. and forms (except official file) ria ve th~s day been delivered to Cellulose Ltd. for puIpf ng, L5f-~ ~ivisional Returning O~ficer.
~... ,:~~t~~~
~ ~~~~~~~,:.~ Figure 16 Most civilian registration records were returned for pulping, although obviously not all.
Frame 5: Rationing
The last frame starts with the establishment of the rationing Commission on 14 May 1942 (Fig.17). Applications for ration - ,. :'- -, .' < -. .- -:~;r':;/\:~~ cards were available at the O. H. M.·.S. . l' r-lATIONING PAJ'ERS ONLY .<:~; post office and had to be /~f~OIJ..):i POST FRliOE .__ . :" t.z; 3 -PM c;::.~ posted to the Electoral l~ II SEP ~: " Offices in your electorate. \?,!943,/7 ._. ,. -r- The number of your ,,;.~ ',' "",W,,' •...• .' '~, •.__ ._ Identity Card had to be quoted. Ration books were ., . issued each year, and o. thousands were needed for distribution. They were shipped around the country by train where possible (Fig.l8). Initially priority orange cards were used, which allowed people with IF NC?T DELIVERED WITHIN 7 CAYS, RETURN TO ~ special needs to jump the .~~TIONING COMMISSION . ~. l. Volume 18 Number I 9 Capital Philately free within the state, and such intrastate mail is not common. Much scarcer though are Rationing Papers sent post free interstate (Fig.19). These exist only in the case of special clothing coupons sxs TELL Why. must . I give cou- pons for ME working clothes? ecause there can be no privileged sec- .on. If you got working clothes coupon ee, every office worker and shop assis- t would be entitled to the same privi- ge for the clothes he wears at work. are working clothes at the .coupon rating of . ordinary clothes? ecause industrial and rural workers ear out more garments than the office orker. Without this concession they ould be at a disadvantage. ean that I can't buy as many hes as the office worker? and this is important - your street ou.twtce as long. He has to wear HIS you don't ". . of' my mates been issued ~_~.~~~~~~~~.~.~.~~t~ extra coupons? For. a very good'reason. They NEED them. Don't.con- fuse NEED with WANT. The wear on their clothes is EXCEPTIONALLY heavy. Without an extra issue they ",-- would b~·.at. a di~.a.diYantageeomnared with you. Figure 17 The Rationing Commission Re~~~ibe •.'::All.Clothing-Bahies', Children's, was Established on 14 May 1942 as WorkiDi,:and:S.treet Clothes-co~e firom the same stocks -depl$ld'l),y the war .. If yOU· get'..~. than you part of the Electoral Office. need, a fellow worker-s-somewhere-c-is deprived of essen- Rationing was first introduced with tial requirements. this pamphlet, delivered to each household by the Post Office. made available to relatives of POWs via the Red Cross offices in Melbourne, which checked the validity of the POW status. Because an application for ration cards had to quote the number of an Identity Card, aboriginals without identity cards fell outside the system. The Electoral Office informed local officers that "special arrangements for the supply of tea and clothing are being made for aboriginals who are not sufficiently educated or civilised to have control of their own purchasing requirements" (Fig.20). Volume 18 Number 1 10 Capital Philately Station owners applying on behalf of aborigines should be referred to their stock agents for the necessary orders. Applications were returned with various comments, which are indicative of the COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. STATE OF SOOTH AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL DIVISION OF "" WAKE.F.E.IJJ " "." " ".""" " . Mr. C.P.Edwards wirrealpa Station via Blinman Respecting your applica.tion for Id.enctity CtU!4 £U'ld aluIE~.B raU.on book.s fOr ahorigine. on yOUl." stati'On,. tu De;P\lty D1Jr-eat:or of llat:to:ntng 'haa: adv1aed :~. . tba$ ;e~(ti.a>l a.rmngc1J1enta tor the :S'.lPPl:Yo"!·te:a. ll'rid cl?th1ng are ",dllg made for al;rorig1.nab who are IlOt suff1C-iently educated or eivl11zlulto baV8':'C'012tr'Ol O'f their own purchasing raqu1l'ements •• ! wottl.d 1:8.1".1: Y01;1 to your stoo.X a.g~fntuf or to th.eDel;lUty :Dil'$ctor of :Rat~onin{h Brookmanl3 Build1t;lh ~enfel:l St..• A.delaide. for the nece:3saryc-.oupons 01' ordllW'jf", SlnC8.l'#ly Y.a~~'·· .: Di'Vi,flJ,e~iJ; ..~:lIU~1.u8:0ff:to.8r' . i':.orWak&fie'!d... \F.a,... .' "" . . .". . . ..~.~~:~Jil~~4:~~~~~~ 1'e'~41lf~s.~~+~~'d :::~:;',~.<.. .' ;"" 'J' .. ,. ~ , " •. to· ' Figure 20 Special arrangements were made to supply Aboriginals. disgraceful treatment meted out to our indigenous population at that time. Conclusion As was shown, there were many postal stationery items associated with Australian Electoral Business. It is also difficult to see how the majority of these could be included in one of the existing FIP classes. They don't fit in the Postal Stationery Class, since they were not issued by the postal authorities, but Volume 18 Number I 11 Capital Philately used the provisions of postal Acts to proclaim their post free status. They are difficult to fit into the Postal History Class, since many of the items are only available unused. The few items which escaped the system are mostly from the electoral offices, items designed for incoming information did not normally escape destruction (for privacy reasons). The items do not fit in the Thematic Class because of the restrictions placed on that class. All the other classes are entirely unsuited. In Social Philately this material has found a perfect home. [exhibited it first in Auckland in November 1997 at a National Exhibition and was awarded a Large Vermeil. I took note of the comments made there, and improved the exhibit as best I could with much new material. It was exhibited, thus improved, in the Australia 99 World Exhibition and was again awarded a Large Vermeil, effectively one medal level higher. Much needs to be done still to make this exhibit more visually appealing. That is my target for future exhibits. AEROGRAMME SOCIETY The International Airletter & Aerogramme Collectors Society Established 1996 Member of FISA Membership entitles you to the quarterly journal AerogrammeR, regular mail sale auctions, use of the Society library, contact with a network of other collectors world-wide, . Contact us today. PO Box 215, Dickson, A.C.T., 2602 Australia Email: [email protected] Web site: http://www.expage.com/page/aerogrammer 18 - 20 March 2000 CANBERRA STAMPSHOW··2000 (11th National Philatelic Convention) . The Last GST..,..,FREE·ExhibtioD Featuring The French .Challenge .... Postal History··· . Polar First Day Covers Plus aU State Level Classes (except one frames) Dickson.College NATSTAMP 98 SET THE STANDARD. ," ,"-,,' -">; / ..•.,.. :'--.,..' -, .". . ""~' .,' ',' '." ." ," .' " . ...r..-;:...... , ' ..-.../ ....,.., Volume 18 Number I 12 Capital Philately KIWIS IN THE LIBRARY Ian McMahon A fair number of our members collect the stamps of New Zealand. What does the Library offer them? The first port of call is the listing of New Zealand (and its territories and former territories) in that essential catalogue for all interested in the British Commonwealth, the Stanley Gibbons Part 1 Catalogue. The Library has the 1999 edition which provides a detailed listing of the stamps, miniature sheets and booklets and includes basic printing, watermark and perforation details. A more simplified listing can be found in Stanley Gibbons Stamps of the World. For those who require even more detail on the stamps of New Zealand, the Library has a copy of the best New Zealand specialised Catalogue, the Campbell Paterson Catalogue of New Zealand Stamps (see http://\Vww.cpnzstamps.co.nz/foradescriptionoftheCatalogue).This is a loose-leaf catalogue for which the Library buys the annual update. The Catalogue includes detailed notes on the stamps and lists varieties and printing in much greater details than Stanley Gibbons Part 1. What's more the listings are backed up by Campbell Paterson's reputation as dealers in specialised New Zealand material. Unlike Australian philately, New Zealand philatelists have a comprehensive handbook of their stamps, in The Postage Stamps of New Zealand published by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand (http://\Vww.wnc.quik.co.nzlrpsnzlrpsnz.htm).This handbook is complementary to the Campbell Paterson Catalogue in that it contains much more detail about the background of the stamps including more details on the development and production of each issue. In addition it does not limit itself to the adhesive postage stamps but includes information on postal history, postmarks, revenue stamps, railway stamps and postal stationery. The Handbook currently comprises eight volumes: • Volume I covering the stamps to 1938 including postal fiscals, postal stationery and essays • Volume 2 covering the stamps to about 1949 including updates on material in Volume 1 • Volume 3 coverings postmarks and postal history • Volume 4 covering the stamps up to about 1959 and updating previous volumes • Volume 5 covering the Cook Islands, Western Samoa, Niue and Tokelau • Volume 6 covering the stamps to 1974 plus chapters on railway and revenue stamps • Volume 7 covering the postal history from 1820 to 1874 • Volume 8 covering the stamps from 1974 to 1995 as well as perfins and chapters on the changes resulting from the creation of New Zealand Post corporation. Volume 9 is in preparation and will cover the postal stationery. The Library's set was donated to the Society by our member Fred Wilkinson. Many of our members move beyond the collecting of basic stamp issues to the collecting of more esoteric areas such as airmail covers, postal stationery etc. New Zealand is well served by a range of philatelic literature on such topics in addition to the main catalogues and handbooks. The Library has. unfortunately, a very limited range of these specialist publications. Those we do have include the Postal Stationery Catalogue by Samuel (not the most recent edition but nevertheless a useful reference) and the Airmails of New Zealand by Robin Startup (Volumes I and 3). Other useful works include A History of the Post Office in New Zealand by H Robinson and Philatelic Writings by Laurie Franks .. New Zealand is well served by a number of philatelic journals including the New Zealand Stamp Collector, the Journal of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand, the Kiwi, the Journal of the New Zealand Society of Great Britain (http://www.cs.stir.ac.ukl~rgc/nzsgb/) and the Mailcoach, the Journal of the Postal History Society of New Zealand. Volume 18 Number 1 13 Capital Philately The New Zealand Stamp Collector is now in its 80th year of publication. Started in 1919 as the house journal of then prominent dealers Verne & Co, publication passed to the Federation of New Zealand Philatelic Societies in 1961, and ultimately to RPSNZ in 1971. The journal is published quarterly, as 28 or more A4 pages. Printed on art-paper, it includes research articles on the philately of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Unfortunately the Library has only very limited runs of the Kiwi and the Mailcoach (obtained when these Journals were entered into the Literature class at our conventions) with no copies of the New Zealand Stamp Collector at all. (Donations are always welcomed!) AUSTRALIAN PHILATELIC FEDERATION PRODUCT (Weight) PRICE QTY VALUE BINDER AND SLIP CASE ONL Y Each 550gms $14.50 EXTRA PAGES & PROTECTORS Per 20 250gms $20.80 STAMPSAFE BOX 260gms $9.90 WHITE ARCHlY AL DISPLAY PAGES PAGES 283mm x 250mm, Punched Per 50 650gms $37.00 PAGES 283mm x 250mm, Unpunched Per 50 650gms $37.00 NEW DISPLAY PAGES Plain Pages, 283mm x 216mm Per 50 500gms $10.00 Pages with Grille, 283mm x 216mm Per 50 500gms $15.00 Plain Pages, 283mm x 230mm Per 50 500gms $11.00 SHEET PROTECTORS, POLYPROPYLENE Protectors 290mm x 252mm Per 50 450gms $18.00 Protectors 290mm x 218mm Per 50 400gms $18.00 SHEET PROTECTORS, MYLAR Side Opening 290mm x 260mm Per 10 200gms $16.00 Side Opening 290mm x 220mm Per 10 1909ms $16.00 Top opening 290mm x 260mm Per 10 200gms $16.00 POSTAGE & PACKlNG* First Kilo $8.00 I Add'l Kilos $3.00 TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $ All orders to: ARCHIVAL PRODUCTS AUSTRALIAN PHILATELIC FEDERATION PO BOX 208 TORRENS SA 5062 Machin Interest Group of the Philatelic Society of Canberra Collectors interested in the Machin series should join. The group's newsletter Machinations is issued bi-monthly and contains a wealth of useful information for the Machin collector. For more information contact Albert Farrugia on 02 6295 7487 or look in the internet at http://www.tip.net.au/~albfar/mig.htm Volume 18 Number I 14 Capital Philately COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS 1939-1957 PIONEERING AND HISTORICAL AVIATION LINKS AND THEIR PHILATELIC CONSEQUENCES (Part 2 continued from Volume 17 Number 4) Kim Dwyer (Editor: Please note that all of the illustrations in part 2 are 81% of actual size) 1951 INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT The first step towards establishing a new airstrip on Cocos, with a view to commencing a direct airmail service between Australia and South Africa, was taken on 25th May 1951 when a QANTAS Empire Airways Catalina left Rose Bay, Sydney, with a survey party on board, bound for Cocos Islands via Brisbane, Darwin and Djakarta. Because of the short notice of the flight and the ability of the aircraft to carry only a very small amount of mail, only one bag containing two ounces of mail was despatched from Sydney (Fig.8), and another bag weighing nine pounds was picked up at Darwin. Cocos Islands were reached on .,.,.,30th May and on arrival the....mail was backstamped with the Cable and Wireless Ltd cachet. - , r;r , F. r,. Clow, c / - Pes t uffic e. ~ f;: \40'{ C-U\',",Eb WlnH~ 'h.'lI\Ys. cocos I~LAHDc. .~ 1>\'ER~E 1l.eTu~~it::!;- F. NICLOW • • Warner St. Essendon, W.5. Vie. Australia ' ••••••.,.,~ Fizure 8 Cover carried on the 1951 Survey Flight together with the cachet found on the reverse. Amongst the mail which was brought back from the Cocos Islands when the survey party returned late in June were 20 covers, commemorating the flight, which had been serviced on Cocos by Mr E.R. Leigh-Parkin of the Cable and Wireless office there. These covers bore the C&W Ltd cachet, dated 11 June, and had a label attached, bearing the aircraft's number. As well, a "flash" type cachet, a provisional registration label and a "woodblock" "R" in violet, signifying registered mail, all made by Leigh-Parkin, were applied to these covers (Fig.9), which were then recorded in the Cable and Wireless company's log book. RAAF REBUILD THE AIRSTRIP On 19th December 1951, 500 men of the RAAF No.2 Airfield Construction Squadron (2ACS) arrived on Cocos to rebuild the airstrip previously constructed by the RAF. It was needed for the impending regular air service between Australia and South Africa, which had finally been given the go-ahead after protracted negotiations between the Australian government and the Clunies Ross family on Volume 18 Number 1 15 Capital Philately Cocos and the British government, from both of whom the Australian government had had to purchase the necessary land. On 24th December an RAAF Post Office was opened for the use of the RAAF personnel, - -- •.•....~.... •...~ .'.,... - 'I ! as well as Cocos .' 1 R cocos tc C ,---id c!~ft civilians, there still i 0019 C. /~? being no other post .--~= ..---~~-.-~ 72~-z office or postal agency ",?£cf on the islands at this time. A canceller /U.~I r: Y~2--/{ \_.,.. inscribed "- R.A.A.F. p.o / COCOS ISLAND", with a changeable date slug across the centre, was put into service on this date, as well as registration labels , inscribed "R.A.A.F. Cocos Island". - , . A very small incoming -.--.-."-- mail arrived on 3rd January at 0645 hrs, when a Lincoln bomber arrived at Cocos from Pearce, Western Australia, to r~,I' ) transport an airman 1 with a fractured skull 1/ back to Australia. The RAAF PO's designated I ' -, postmaster, Sgt KJ. Figure 9 One of 20 Leigh-Parkin covers carried on the survey flight. Warburton, took the opportunity to make up a very small batch of mail which left on the Lincoln's return flight at 1200 hrs the same day, thereby becoming the first mail out of the RAAF Post Office (Fig. 10). To provide air links between Australia and the RAAF Construction Squadron, two QANT AS Lancastrians were used during the early stages of construction of the new airstrip, while parts of the old metal strip still remained. During the later airfield construction period, QANTAS maintained a supply and mail courier service for the RAAF, using DC-6 aircraft and in all there were sixteen courier flights, occurring about every two weeks. The first outward courier despatch left Cocos on 2nd February 1952 and the Jast one left Cocos on 14th August. After this, mail was carried by the RAAF aircraft which took over the supply run. The RAAF PO on Cocos was supplied with Australian postage stamps and the rates which applied to the airmen were l d Forces concession plus 3d airmail. RAAF personnel mail is distinguishable from civilian mail by the application of an "RAAF/SERVICE" cachet, in either violet or black (Fig.ll). Volume 18 Number I 16 Capital Philately ~'\'. J;,'Yuee .:b"" fOf C&ore. ber t ct C ~I I A>J I~r,o"" ~"I-.J 6\.c.. ~~d ~o4 q. ? D 'PQ.ytl. . I~8-,·1\.AR·f h'l~l'e.,t'I'l"~gertk- lOco:>- 'Per ~'" :>a. .... '1.s~· Figure 10 One of a small batch of mail posted on a mercy flight. .-•• --.". ·IIIJII ~ BYAIR MAIL PAR AVION Figure 11 The RAAF/SERVICE cachet distinguishes mail sent by RAAF personnel. 1952 INAUGURAL FLIGHT - AUSTRALIA TO SOUTH AFRICA AND RETURN This airmail service was inaugurated by the Qantas Empire Airways Lockheed Constellation, VH- EAD, Charles Kingsford Smith, leaving Sydney on 1st September 1952, flying via Melbourne, Perth, arriving Cocos Islands on 2nd September, then via Mauritius, arriving Johannesburg on 4th September. To commemorate the occasion, covers carried on the flight were impressed with a rectangular violet cachet (Fig.12). Covers posted at Cocos Islands for inclusion on both the westbound and the return eastbound legs of the flight were processed through the RAAF post office which was on the islands at this time. These covers bore the RAAF PO postmark and were dated 1st September for the westbound leg and 6th September for the return leg. Official RAAF mail to be included on the eastbound return flight from Cocos to Australia did not receive the special flight cachet (Fig. 13). Such covers are very uncommon. The Australian Post Office authorised a commemorative mail to be included on both legs of the flight, allowing for both one-way and return covers to be sent to the intermediate points of Cocos Islands and Volume 18 Number I 17 Capital Philately General Hariage r , Qantas Empire Airways LimiteQ. C/- Messrs. South African Airways Airways Terminal, ,'OHLNNES3URG 0 Figure 12 Cover carried on inaugural flight Australia to South Africa in 1952 Mauritius as well as South Africa. The rates charged were: 61/2d per half ounce to Cocos Islands and 21- per half ounce to Mauritius and South Africa, with return covers at twice those rates. The total number of philatelic articles despatched for Cocos Islands on this inaugural flight was 1,947 one-way and 4,147 return. Figure 13 Official RAAF envelope included on eastbound return flight, Cocos to Australia posted 6 September 1952. 1953 CORONATION SPECIAL AIRMAIL The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June 1953 was an occasion for celebration throughout the British Commonwealth. While the original idea for a special Coronation airmail flight is usually attributed to QANT AS, the event was actually conceived by the Australian PMG's Department as a Sydney to London Hight, and QANTAS extended on this original idea for its own promotional purposes. Most of the philatelic mail carried were covers and airletters which had been specially printed by QANTAS for the occasion. The business of servicing the flight covers, including Volume 18 Number I 18 Capital Philately backstamping and cacheting, was eventually undertaken by the British and Australian Post Offices, with the final number of covers being flown backwards and forwards between 12 Commonwealth nations being tenfold above the original expectations, ending up at over 226,000. The Coronation Flight was not just a return flight between Sydney and London, commencing on Coronation Day, but was actually a complicated series of mainly regular scheduled flights between a number of Commonwealth nations, carrying the Coronation Airmail covers in their cargo, with those covers being transferred. sometimes a number of times, onto flights which eventually reached London. It basically became a logistical nightmare, far too complicated to explain here! Qantas Empire Airways Limited, ~lckingham Palace Road. S.W. 1. LONDON, Figure 14 QANTAS Coronation Flight cover posted at Cocos Island on 2 June 1953. However, as far as Cocos Islands Coronation covers are concerned, because the QANT AS service to and from South Africa until 1956 was fortnightly, the extraordinary situation arose at Cocos that the Coronation mail from London to Cocos arrived at the Islands on 9th June, five days prior to the Cocos to London mail departure, which although postmarked on 2nd June, did not leave the Island until 14th June. This all came about because the mail had to be carried on regular scheduled flights and the DC- 4 service which linked to the South Africa to Australia flight was not scheduled to make its flight to Singapore until 14th June. After being transferred to another connecting flight in Singapore, the Coronation mail from Cocos to London reached there on 17th June. The "return" Coronation mail to Cocos had arrived there on various connecting flights travelling from London, via Cairo. Mombasa and Mauritius. All Coronation mail from Cocos was processed through the Malayan postal agency which had opened on the Islands on 2nd September 1952 and was for civilian and Cocos Islands administrative use only, whilst the RAAF Post Office was still in operation and was now for the use of RAAF personnel only. This mail therefore bore Malayan postage and all Coronation mail from Cocos bore the postmark date of 2 June 1953 (Fig.14), with a special rectangular violet cachet, inscribed "COCOS ISLANDS" at top left, "GREAT BRITAIN" at top right, and "CORONATION DAY / JUNE 21953" across the bottom. On arrival in London the covers were backstamped with a machine slogan postmark reading "LONG LIVE THE QUEEN". The return mail to Cocos was postmarked London 3 June 1953 and bore a cachet in the which the positions ofthe words "COCOS ISLANDS" and "LONDON" were reversed (Fig.15). Volume 18 Number 1 19 Capital Philately Qantas Empire Airways Limited, \1est Island, COCOS ISLANDS. Figure 15 Return QANTAS Coronation tlight cover with fancy cachet. 1953 LONDON TO CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONAL AIR RACE The 8th October 1953 saw the start of the London - Christchurch air race, the last great air race the world would see. Included in the transport section were a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines DC-6A Liftmaster and a RNZAF Handley Page Hastings C3 military transport. Included in the speed section were two RAAF and three RAF Canberras. Cocos Islands were a refuelling stop in the race and both RAF and RAAF ground crews had unloaded tons of equipment and thousands of gallons of fuel from vessels lying offshore in preparation for the arrival of their aircraft. Four of the eight original planes in the race landed at Cocos. One of the RAAF Canberras, piloted by Wing Commander Cuming, and leading the speed section of the race at the time, burst a tyre on landing at Cocos and was effectively finished, because despite the tons of spare equipment shipped in, spare tyres were not amongst it and none were available until one was flown in 55 hours later! There are no recorded postal markings from Cocos Islands commemorating the air race, however there were specially printed and cachet covers carried as regular air mail to England by the RNZAF Hastings. These covers are certified to have been returned to Christchurch as freight in the Hastings while it was competing in the race and the design on these covers shows Cocos Islands as a stop in the race (Fig. 16). 1955 INAUGURAL DOMESTIC POSTAL SERVICE FLIGHT As a result of legislation passed by the British and Australian parliaments, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands became an Australian territory on 23rd November 1955. On this day, the inaugural domestic postal service flight between the islands and mainland Australia took place, the Australian Post Office having provided commemorative philatelic facilities for the flight. The Australian Post Office had required that all stamped covers, cards and aerogrammes for the flight be lodged at the Philatelic Bureau, Melbourne, so they could receive the commemorative triangular cachet prior to being sent by air to Cocos (Keeling) Islands for the inaugural return flight (Fig.17). Several copies of the cachet had been made and it was applied to covers as they were prepared or received in advance for the service. One operator assigned to this duty incorrectly cacheted a very small number of covers in red ink instead of violet. With the covers unable to be destroyed and the incorrect red ink unahle to be removed, these covers remained in the system. It is believed that fewer than 20 covers arc known with the red cachet. Volume 18Number I 20 Capital Philately WlQ)OIf· c:mu.n'ClIUltCll INTIIRNA'I'IOJfAIAm. _ACB - ocrrOJlllB, 1853 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR Colonel R. L. Preston, Secretary-General, Royal Aero Club, 119 Piccadilly. CllRIS'I'CmrnCK LONDON. Issued by the Canterbury Inte~ational Air Race CounciL Figure 16 Cover carried by RNAF Hastings as part of an international air race. "\ cocos BY AIRMAIL P~R ~\"IO:-i cocos - KEELING ISLANDS FIRST AUSTRALIAN STAMP ISSUE Figure 17 Specially produced QANT AS cover for first regular airmail flight to Cocos. Volume 18Number I 21 Capital Philately The cachet illustration showed the air route to Australia as being directly to Perth and this was correct when the cachets were made earlier in the year. However shortly before the flight date, QANTAS selected Darwin as a more suitable place in Australia for passengers on the South Africa-Australia service to conveniently transfer to the Australia-Japan service, or vice versa, consequently mail to or from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands had to be carried accordingly. At that late time it was not possible for the cachets to be altered, so the special philatelic mail was flown over the changed route, while the cachet showed the original route. A special scale of charges was fixed for covers on the inaugural flight. These charges applied equally to letters up to half an ounce and to postcards, with a separate charge for aerogrammes. These rates were generally the normal airmail rates from Australia plus 6d, and were: Letters and postcards (each half ounce) addressed to:- Australia, Papua and New Guinea, Norfolk Island - 11-; New Zealand - 1I2d; India, Ceylon, Hawaii, Hong Kong - l/9d; Pacific Islands, Malaya, Indonesia - 1I6d; Central America, West Indies - 3/-; South America - 3/6d; Mauritius, South Africa - 2/3d; United Kingdom, U.S.A., Canada, Europe, Africa, most of Asia - 2/6d. The charge for aerogrammes addressed to any country was 1/4d. 1957 INAUGUARAL SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT SOUTH AFRICA TO AUSTRALIA AND RETURN Because QANT AS had landing rights at Johannesburg, South African Airways was granted similar rights in Australia and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, but it was not until late 1957 that it was in a position to begin regular flights. The inaugural South African Airways flight to Australia, using a DC-7B aircraft, left Johannesburg on 25th November 1957, carrying specially printed covers (which noted Cocos as a staging point) in a commemorative air mail (Fig.18). Stops were made at Mauritius and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, before Perth was reached on the following day. The return flight left Perth on the following day. As no mail was dropped or picked up at Cocos, no Cocos markings exist on covers from this flight. However as a staging point of the flight, Cocos (Keeling) Islands were an integral part of this inauguration, making covers from this flight an important aspect of Cocos aviation history. South African Airways, Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens, Perth, Australia/A ustralie JOHANNESBURG - PERTH • 25 Figure 18 Cover carried on inaugural South African airways flight to Australia. Much of this article comes from original research, however there are also important acknowledgements: Cocos (Keeling) Islands. A Philatelic and Postal History to 1979, Phil Callas and John Hill; Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australian Atolls in the Indian Ocean Pauline Bunce; QANTAS Coronation Airmail Flight - June 1953. working paper Mark V Volume 18 Number I 22 Capital Philately BOOK REVIEW INTRODUCING COMBI-MAIL AEROPOSTAL HISTORY By Frans J. van Beveren recently purchased this book because of my interest in jusqu'a airmail markings in particular because it contained a number of illustrations of Introducing Combi-Mail such covers. It is an interesting book produced Aeropostal History in a slightly unusual way which is why I decided to review it, given that it was published back in May 1997. Quoting from the book, "Frans van Beveren was born in 1919 and is the fanner president of the Dutch Aerophilatelic Society. He is a philatelic author of international reputation and specialises in Atlantic/Pacific, World War II, Royal Netherlands Navy, U.N.T.E.A., and other postal historic and aerophilatelic subjects. He has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the American Philatelic Society. His trans-Atlantic international exhibits are all gold level." Put simply he is well qualified to write on the subject. The book discusses combi-mail which can loosely be defined as mail which has airmail connections in one way or the other. It includes Frans 1. van Beveren part-paid airmail markings such as jusqu'a markings but also covers the following: 1. Airmail service for the entire route not possible, or no connecting flights available (surface transport faster). 2. Obliterated airmail labels or other postal indications marking the end of the flown route. 3. Missed connection (mail plane to surface transport or connecting flight). 4. Mail showing dual transportation by air and surface means, with combination of both air and surface cancellations or other markings. 5. Insufficient prepaid postage, with or without postage due stamps or labels. 6. Surface air-lifted mail. Although air transport over the entire route possible, less expensive alternative considered satisfactory. Present S.A.L. system. 7. Flown all the way to destination e.g. "via" or "Transatlantic/Pacific", including airline cachets and labels. 8. Propaganda for airmail. Including that within cancellations on flown covers. 9. "Air Transit" markings, including OAT and AV.2 10. Missent due to service error. In addition to the above sections, the book has an appendix listing all illustrations by country and two supplements, "An Indonesian Combi-mail Adventure" and a "Summary of Class 2 in Colour". What I found so unusual about this book is that apart from a few paragraphs at the start of each section it is composed entirely of illustrations of covers and a description oftheir markings and/or airmail route or carrier. There are 412 illustrations, 24 in colour. It is these illustrations and descriptions that I found so useful. It became a simple matter to compare my own covers with similar example sin the book. Whilst some may feel that there is too little actual discussion it is important to realise that this book provides an overview of a complex and little studied area of aero-postal history. It is not a detailed treatise but simply a guide, albeit a very good one. Volume 18 Number I Capital Philately I must say that having seen this book it makes me want to expand my own interest from justjusqu'a markings. Most commercial airmails from the period 1928-48 are fascinating and there is much to study and learn. Anyone who can't find something of interest isn't trying. I will make a brave statement and state that I believe in about 20 years time, commercial airmails will be the main focus of aerophilately and that first flight covers will become almost secondary, although they will remain an important introduction to the subject. I can only repeat something that van Beveren mentions in his book. He always looked for flight covers from the route of interest that tended to be clean and had none of the "other" airmail markings that are so well illustrated in this book. He now regrets this. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in airmails. It is approximately AS in size, hardbound and the 256 pages areprinted on glossy paper. All of the illustrations are very well reproduced and all of the markings on them legible. I purchased my copy from a private dealer for $US35 but it may be available from Vera Trinder or the publisher, Detail Topical Stamp Catalogues, Grote Rozenstraat 18b, 9712 TH Groningen, the Netherlands Fax: +31-50-5426692 Darryl Fuller HUNTING FOR DODOS Darryl Fuller This is the first in a semi-regular column that will discuss those impossible to find items that unlike the Dodo do turn up if you hunt for them. This particular postcard is a new addition to my Leeward Island postal stationery collection. It is a KGVI ld red postcard (H&G 17) posted from Antigua to Aden by airmail in 1941. Total postage is 1I8Yz and it received two censor marks, probably applied in Egypt I am informed, as well as a slightly faint A.V.2 in circle handstamp. What is so interesting about this item is the number of things that put it into the "Dodo" category. Due to a number of factors many covers are "unique". This postcard is almost certainly unique but this is not the crux of the matter. It is the incredible combination of factors that make this item so interesting. Firstly, the postcard itself is a great rarity used with only 3,256 printed of which only about 6 are known used. It is the only Leeward Island stationery item I have recorded used to Aden and indeed is only the second I have recorded used to Africa. This airmail postcard rate, for air all the way to Aden is also probably unique. All airmail postcard rates from this period are rare in my opinion. AV2 markings are scarce because they tended to be applied only to the top item of a bundle and usage on Leeward Island stationery is also probably unique. I do not know how scarce the censor markings are but their use on this postcard must be considered rare. Perhaps the most amazing thing is that this postcard survived at all. It was sent to a nurse who obviously kept it, it survived the war and ended up eventually in a collector's hands. Overall this was an amazing find which Ed Druce would describe as having "sex appeal". It might be argued that in terms of my stationery exhibit it is not any more important than a more typical usage. However, it is items like this that turn a good exhibit into a great one. So keep hunting and please let the editor know of your own "dodos". Volume 18 Number I 24 YOUR FA VOURITE DEALER Write, phone or fax for your free copy of one of our competitive price lists: 1. Australia and Territories 2. Australian States 3. New Zealand ~. South Pacific Islands We stock most brands of albums, catalogues and accessories. you can order them by providing us with two business days notice prior to one of the Canberra shows which we attend regularly. We regularly attend the Griffin Centre Sunday Shows Hope to see you there on the Second Sunday in every month. We also service wants lists and provide professional insurance valuations. we buy and sell quality stamps and collections, postcards, phonecards and cigarette cards. We accept Bankcard, Mastercard, Visa;' American Express, cheques money orders and (of course') cash. Give is a try. you'll be pleasantly surprised by our competitive prices and friendly service. PO Box 478 Avalon Beach, NSW 2107 Phone: 0299745707 Fax: 0299741177 E-mail: [email protected] Only one stamp magazine provices the complete coverage "down uncer Stamp News AL!:;TRAL..•:•,IA Australasia's leading magazine The leader for news The leaaer for comment The leader for circulation The greatest coverage or Australian and Pacific news of any Stamp MagaZine in the Wond . Sample copy, subscriptions ana advertising rates on request. All major credit cards accsptec. Stamp News Australasia PO Box 1410. Dubbo. NS\\'. 2830. Australia 1lJ If undeliverable return to ··m·-:: ~:·m~..~··:l~~: . : ~ The Ph i latelic Society of Canberra '* i .i ~ l .~:.' I POSTAGE GPO Box 1840 \ . • . ...I'"· \ .. I SURFACE I \ • I : _.~ Canberra ACT 2601 PAID MAIL AUSTRALIA : ; :. Print Post Approved I...·. Ii PP 299436/00042 ·~ :.If·~ : '~ " ,1 . : . -.~-, ,:: :.' . , •••••••••••I•• J11. ••.••••••••••••• . .. . . ill: ·· ·i.~'. : :' i ' .• I' " ..• Ill·.. ~.' ... I.. : i!. ..:. I':: .• .. .. - .. .. ' .. 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