Queensland Postage Stamps and Queensland Postal History
History
The area was visited by the Spanish in the 1600s and the east coast was explored by Captain Cook.
The area was initially part of New South Wales. Following agitation, for seperation, in the 1850s, the area was granted self-government on 13 May 1859.
On 10 December Queensland became a colony.
In 1901 Queensland was federated into the Commonwealth of Australia.
Postal History
While it was still part of New South Wales, Post Offices were opened in Brisbane (1834) and in White (1842). Further office continued to be opened, such that when Queensland
became a Colony, in December 1859, there were a total of 15 Post Offices. Each was allocated a numeral canceller in the New South Wales series.
When new offices were opened then they were allocated new numeral cancels by Queensland. These cancels remained in use till 1915.
New South Wales stamps were used from 1851 while the area was still part of New South Wales.
The first Queensland stamps were issued on 1 November 1860. The first postal stationery were postcards which were introduced in 1880, followed by newspaper wrappers in 1891,
letter cards in 1895 and registered envelopes in 1911.
Late in 1891 a new Post and Telegraph Act became operative in Queensland. This introduced a newspaper rate of ½d per 10 oz within the colony and ½d per 2oz intercolonially.
Prior to the introduction of the 1891 Act newspapers had been carried post free within Queensland. Newspaper wrappers were issued on 25 November 1891
but were not valid for use untill 1 January 1892.
Thursday Island, a Queensland dependency, was a popular port of call for many shipping lines operarating in this area.
Its numeral cancels (51, 136, 148 and 336) can be found on stamps of many countries, as transit markings or posted on board ship.
Stamps of Queensland were used in British New Guinea between 1884 and 1891.
Queensland joined the UPU in 1891.
When Queensland became part of the Commonwealth of Australia it continued to use its own stamp until Australian stamps were issued in 1913.
Philatelic Societies for Collectors of Queensland Postage Stamps and Queensland History
Australian Philatelic Society (AUSTRALIA) The Society holds bi-monthly meetings. The Society publishes the Australian Journal of Philately.
Society of Australasian Specialists/Oceania (AUSTRALIA) The Society of Australasian Specialists was founded in July 1936 by a small group of collectors interested in Australasian philately.
In 1965, the American Society of Australian Philatelists, later to become Oceania, Inc. was established for the same purpose as the older SAS.
In 1978, the two Societies consolidated to better serve the members of both organizations. Today, the Society has many members, not only in the
United States and Canada, but also in New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, and a few other countries.
Australian Airmail Society (AUSTRALIA)
Meetings 1st Wednesday of each month 7:45pm at SAPHIL House, 22 Gray Court, Adelaide
Contact address: PO Box 395, Edwardstown, SA 5039
The Postal Stationery Society of Australia The Postal Stationery Society of Australia seeks to encourage the collecting of postal stationery in Australia
and to provide a forum for the exchange of information and discussion on postal stationery.
British Society of Australian Philately (UK) The Society was founded in 1933 as a correspondence Society. It was re-formed as a traditional Society in 1946 and named
"The Australian Commonwealth Specialists Society of Great Britain" holding regular meetings in London.
In 1970 a new constitution was adopted and the name was changed to "The British Society of Australian Philately".
It embraces collectors of all periods of Australia, from the Colonies to the present day.
The Perfin Club of New Zealand and Australia (AUSTRALIA) The Club was formed in 1987 and currently has about 150 members. Members' interests include the Official and private perfins of Australia and New Zealand of all periods.
Selected pages on Queensland Postage Stamps and Queensland Postal History
POSTAGE STAMPS
Queensland 1st Sideface Stamps 1879 This blog is devoted to the 1st Queensland sideface stamps (1878/9-1881), a fascinating aspect of Queensland philately.
There were five issues, 1d reddish brown / scarlet, 2d blue, 4d yellow, 6d green and 1 shilling violet / lilac, also a 1d overprint and 1d stamp duty.
The Unlisted 10 Bar Queensland Railway Numerals.
Just how many are there? What's a 10 bar Queensland Railway Numeral I hear you say!
Each post office in Queensland was issued a number and a numeral canceller to cancel the stamps with. These had 9 bars, the
railway was issued with numeral cancellers similar to the post office but these had 10 bars. All postage stamps were supposed to have been cancelled
with the 9 bar and the 10 bar was for cancelling the railway parcel stamps, as the two were so similar confusion reined and they were easily mixed up.
Queensland postage stamp numerals A catalogue of the different numerals (bars, rays and duplexes) found on Queensland (Chalon, Sideface and Commonwealth) postage stamps and covers
OTHER
Far North Queensland Place Names Project covering the origin of some 3,500 place names for Far North Queensland including the Torres Strait and Cairns.
Philatelic Books on Queensland Postage Stamps and Queensland Postal History
The Cancellations of the Travelling Post Offices of Queensland
by Albert Narath, published by the Postal History Society, 1954
The postage stamps, envelopes, wrappers, post cards & telegraph forms of Queensland
by A F Basset Hull, edited by the Publication Committee of the Royal Philatelic Society London, augmented by Captain C W G Crawford,
published by the Royal Philatelic Society London, 1930
Queensland cancellations & other postal markings 1860-1913
by Hugh M Campbell, published by the Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria, 1977
Queensland datestamps & numeral obliterators 1860-2000
by Allan Cowan and Terry Clayfield Dell, published by Craig Chappell, 2003
Queensland numeral cancellations
by Charles J S Jewell, self-published, 1949
Queensland numeral cancellations
by S Harry Porter, published by The Hawthorn Press, 1954
Queensland Numeral Cancellations
by Bernard A Manning, self published, 2009 "Bernie Manning has worked with a number of other enthusiasts to access as much material as possible to ensure that both his coverage
and his rarity ratings are as accurate and reliable as possible. The book is extensively illustrated entirely in colour, using the best available
strikes of the postmarks. This will greatly assist collectors to identify any questionable markings..."
for more information see
'Queensland Numeral Cancels' B. Manning. 256 color pages
Queensland post offices 1842-1980 and receiving offices 1869-1927
by Joan Frew, self-published, 1987
Queensland postage stamps 1879-1912
by Kenneth F Scudder, published by the Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria Inc, 2013
Queensland postal notes 1880-1966
by Dave Elsmore, self-published, 2004
Queensland postal rates & charges 1832-1913
by Hugh M Campbell, published by the Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria, 1995
Queensland postal stationery: the background & the issues
by Phil Collas, published by The Hawthorn Press, 2003
