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 Australian Local Parcel Carriers

NO tramways, air mail, newspaper, pigeon, phantom, rocket, emergency, etc

No modern labels as this could fill 100 pages

 

ISSN 1836-0084

Back to Catalogue Index

This is a 'work in progress' from a series of on line catalogues to help the collector and dealer alike

last update 30 11 08


 
 

This FREE online catalogue is courtesy of Dave Elsmore 

This is a Catalogue only.

Nothing is for sale from these pages. It is purely to help guide you to better collecting.

Priced from Collectors, Dealers & Auctions.

I would welcome any comments to improve the pages.

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Australian Local Parcel Carriers

Section I

Contents:

1. Queensland: City & Suburban Parcel Delivery. Chalks Express. Cobb & Coy

2. New South Wales: John Woods & Co

3. Tasmania: Tasmanian Parcels Express Delivery Co. Webster Rometch Ltd. Astor Motors Pty Ltd on Webster Rometch

4. Victoria:  Burdell & Co British & Australian Express. Crews & Moorehouse. Victorian Parcels Express. W McCulloch & Co

5. South Australia: Bradley & Co. J. R. Cocking. W McCulloch & Co SA Office. Combe, Green & Co. McCulloch, Combe, Green & Co. Co-Operative Carrying Co H. Graves & Co. Parcels Express Co

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 Australian Local Express Post

Section II

Contents:

6. Victoria: Burdell & Co British & Australian Express. Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd

7. Western Australia: Coolgardie Cycle Express Company. Express Carrying Company

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Australian Local Steam & Ferry Post

Section III

Contents:

8. Victoria: Murray River Steam Navigation Co

9. Queensland: Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd

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Below is the odd black & white photocopy, maybe you have the original? if so please send me a scan

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Australian Local Parcel Carriers

Section I

1. Queensland

City & Suburban Parcel Delivery

1887

Imprint - Outridge printing Co Ltd Litho

 

Adelaide St

1887 No Watermark Imperf Top horse and carriage pointing left

3d-$1000.00

--

1889

Imprint - Watson & Ferguson

 

Adelaide St

1889 No Watermark Imperf Top horse and carriage pointing right various other changes in design

3d-$600.00

--

1908

Imprint - Watson & Ferguson

  

  

                                                                                                                                                 With phone numbers

Adelaide St

1908 No Watermark Roulette 7˝ 4d with phone numbers

3d-$200.00 3d[perf 10 x12]-$350.00 3d[perf 10]-$250.00 4d-$400.00 6d-$200.00 9d-$500.00 9d[with phone numbers]-$500.00 1/--$800.00 

--

1940

Imprint -  JO's [Jackson & O'Sullivan]

 

Ann St

1940 No Watermark Roulette 7

1/--$900.00 

--

1948

Imprint -  JO's [Jackson & O'Sullivan]

Adelaide St  

  

                                                                                                                                               Roul 7 x perf 12˝

 

No Imprint

1948 No Watermark Roulette 7

6d-$200.00 9d-$500.00 9d[roul7 x perf 12˝]-$1200.00 1/--$800.00  1/-[No Imprint]-$800.00  1/-['THE' missing]-$800.00 

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1950

  

 

Adelaide St

1950 No Watermark Roulette 7 Used x 2

6d-$40.00 9d-$40.00 1/--$40.00 

Mint remainders are in the market place

Read more on this carrier here

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BEWARE

Forged surcharges are known on the last 1950 series, after full sheets of surplus were sold to a collector who was later found to have printing blocks for the surcharges and sheets partly surcharged if found place in the bin!

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Chalks Express Delivery Co

1900-1911

 John Chalk held Mail Contract licence No1 in 1868 for the Brisbane to Breakfast Creek run

 

Address: 166 Adelaide St

1908 No Watermark Imperf

3d-$3500.00

Read more on this carrier here

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Cobb & Co Ltd

1930

Company Seal

Printed in Red [a photocopy]

 

c1930

3d-$300.00

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 There is a company listing for Brisbane Parcels Express Co Ltd 1884 - 1892 but no stamps have surfaced to date

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2. New South Wales

John Woods & Co

1880

 

Barrack St Sydney. Imprint at base C Troedel & Co

c1880 No Watermark Perf 11

9d-$1000.00

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3. Tasmania

Tasmanian Parcels Express Delivery Co

Advertising Flyer

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1902

         

Spelling  Error? PPY LTD

                             1902                                              1903                                              1904                                             1904

Although a Parcel Express service the manuscript 3d value was for letter delivery only and not a parcel

         

                                 Manuscript 3d                                                              Manuscript 1/- [4 prepaid booking fees]

Printer: E C Treadwell, Print Wright's Lane Melbourne

1902

Butt[2 types]-$50.00ea 3d-$150.00

--

1902

Manuscript 3d

Printer: McCarron, Bird & Co 478 Collins St Melbourne

1902

Butt[2 types]-$50.00ea 3d-$150.00  6d[prepaid for New Zealand residents]-$250.00

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Webster Rometch Ltd

1917

Booklet tag. Huon & Channel Districts

c1917 Pre printed on tag

6d-$300.00

--

1917

Swansea, Huon & Channel Districts

     

c1917 Perf 11˝ Yellow paper. Value & town name in red or blue

6d-$150.00 6d[roulette 9˝]-$180.00 9d[violet]-$200.00 9d[red]-$150.00

--

1918

Swansea, Huon & Channel Districts

  

6d & 9d font change

c1918 Perf 11˝ Yellow paper. Value & town name in blue

6d-$100.00 9d-$120.00

--

1920

     

  

    

c1920 Perf 11˝ White paper. Various town name fonts. Value & town name in red or violet

6d-$100.00 1/--$100.00 1/3d-$180.00

--

1920

     

                                                                                                               Shades

c1920 Roulette 9˝ White paper. Value, town name now in black

6d-$100.00 1/--$100.00 1/3d-$180.00

--

Webster Rometch Ltd Astor Motors Pty Ltd

Webster Rometch amalgamated with Astor Motors Pty Ltd to become 'Webster Rometch Astor Motors Pty Ltd' incorporated on 7 Oct 1932. Huon & Channel District Services continued with Swansea and East Coast district removed. As Swansea was deleted from the run only a 6d value was needed

1932-1946

c1933 Pre printed on tag

6d-$300.00

 

  

Overprinted 'Astor Motors Pty Ltd'

   

  

c1933 Roulette 9˝, 11 or compound White or yellow paper. Value, town name Blue or red

6d-$100.00 1/--$120.00

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4. Victoria

 McCulloch & Co

1880

c1880

Gummed advertising label-$150.00ea

--

1880

 

19 Queen St

c1880

Prepaid-$250.00ea

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1880

123-125 Collins St

c1880

Prepaid-$250.00

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1880

Registered A

  

c1880 Registered A

6d-$550.00

--

1880

Registered B

    

     

c1880 Registered B

6d-$450.00

--

1880

Registered C

  

  

c1880 Registered C

6d-$400.00

--

1880

Registered D

c1880 Registered D

6d-$550.00

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1881

  

                                              Manuscript 'Registered'                                                               Vertical 'REGISTERED.' lower left

c1881 Registered

6d[Manuscript Registered]-$2500.00 6d[Registered]-$800.00

It is unclear if this was an additional 6d for registration of a parcel

--

1890

Registered C

New design

c1890 Registered C

6d-$600.00

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Crews & Moorehouse

1880

Registered C

c1880 Perf 12 Registered C

6d-$700.00

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Victorian Parcels Express

1902

Although a Parcel Express service a manuscript 3d value denotes 'letter delivery only' and not delivery of a parcel

Printer: E C Treadwell, Print Wright's Lane Melbourne

   

1903

1902

Butt-$50.00ea Nil value prepaid[3d]-$150.00

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There is a company listing for "Reynolds and English for freight" 1865 but no stamps have surfaced to date.

There is a company listing for "John Cockburn Supercargo" 1865 [Cockburn owned shares in the Murray River Steam Navigation Co. 1860's] but no stamps have surfaced to date.

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5. South Australia

Bradley & Co Adelaide 

1887

 Precancelled 'J. R. Cocking' in red suggesting a possible takeover of Bradley by the Cocking company? Do you know more? Can you help further?

c1887

6d-$1000.00

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J. R. Cocking

1888

Address: 66 Currie St

c1888 Perf 12 Red

6d-$800.00

--

1894

 

  

Address: 37 Currie St

  

c1894 Perf 12

6d-$500.00

--

1897

  

Address: 37 Currie St

   --

c1897 Perf 12

4d-$650.00 6d-$500.00

--

1930

Address: 34 Waymouth St

c1930

Coupon-$50.00

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W McCulloch & Co.

[South Australian Office]

1895

  

Small SIXPENCE

c1895 Perf 12 No Driver

6d-$420.00

--

1897

  

Larger SIXPENCE. Grass appears mowed under horse and between wheels

c1897 Perf 12 No Driver

6d-$400.00

Address: Currie St till 1899 then Topham St

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Combe, Green & Co. Trading as Globe Parcels Express

McCulloch manager M Combe goes it alone setting up Globe Parcels Express

1896-1900

Orange/vermillion

Address: 15-19 Currie St

1896 Imperf

6d-$1200.00

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1897

 

                                                     Orange/vermillion                                                                          Rose

New Design

c1897 Perf 11˝

6d-$900.00

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McCulloch, Combe, Green & Co

McCulloch & Co acquired Combe Green & Co Adelaide to form McCulloch Combe Green & Co which was first registered 1900

1900

   

SIXPENCE small font

--

    

SIXPENCE larger font

W.McCulloch & Co Parcel stamps were handstamped with the new company name McCulloch Combe Green & Co

1900 Two SIXPENCE fonts found

6d-$600.00ea

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Co-Operative Carrying Co Adelaide 

1909-1913

Address: Cnr Franklin & Bentham St Adelaide

c1909

Nil value-$80.00

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Henry Graves & Co Carriers

H Graves & Co take over Globe Parcels Express from McCulloch Combe Green & Co

1916

  

Address: Old Exchange Adelaide

c1916 Perf 11, 11˝

6d-$900.00

Graves & Co Carriers 1st listed in directory 1895 at 39 Currie St

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Parcels Express Company

1948

Address: Cnr Pitt & Grote St

1948 Imperf?

6d-$800.00

Adelaide Parcels Express 1st listed in directory 1902-05 at 10 Topham St, then 1919 28 Waymouth St, 1923 30 Waymouth St, 1932 Morney St, 1948 Grote St.

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There is a company listing for "Co Globe Parcels Express" 1916 39 Currie St,  but no stamps have surfaced to date.

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Australian Local Express Post

Section II

Contents:

6. Victoria: Burdell & Co British & Australian Express. Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd

7. Western Australia: Coolgardie Cycle Express. Express Carrying Company

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6. Victoria

Burdell & Co British & Australian Express

1854

Type II

Although Howard Burdell's company was in fact registered as a parcel delivery service no evidence has come to light that the Burdell label was used on parcels

Type I:    S of BRITISH under left side of D in BURDELL. Broken g in Packages

Type II:   S of BRITISH under right side of D in BURDELL

Type III   Smaller capital A in Adelaide. Du and st of Dust are not aligned

Type IV   Comma after Ireland

1854 Imperf

Nil value-$250.00

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Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd

1894

 

Boyd's City Express was established in New York in 1830 by John Boyd. After the government closed him down in 1883 Fitz Boyd John's grandson migrated to Australia. By 1894 Boyd was managing director of Express Messenger [city] Co Ltd

The name changed 4 times:   Express Messenger [Boyd's] American Dispatch.   Express Messenger Dispatch and Cycle Bureau.   Express Messenger and General Agency.   Express Messenger Co. Stamps are recorded up to 1910

Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd was a letter delivery service no evidence has come to light that the City Express Messenger Co label was ever used on parcels

2 different printings c1894-1901 & 1902-1910. Cancellation of the first issue was by tearing the corner off! [teeth perforations]. The second issue has five different cancels recorded

1894 No watermark Perf 12˝ Used on piece x 3

Nil value-$250.00

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7. Western Australia

Coolgardie to Lake Lefroy, delivered by bicycle as an extra fee to post office stamps which delivered to Coolgardie only

Coolgardie Cycle Express Company

1895-1896

Full cancel reads: "Per COOLGARDIE CYCLE EXPRESS CO./HUNT STREET

1895 No Watermark Perf 12 Prices are for used copies, for mint copies deduct 75%

1/--$120.00 2/6d-$300.00

1/-[imperf at right]-$600.00

Plenty of mint remainders are in the market place inc full sheets

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1896-1897

     

New Design

Lithographed by G Vindin

1896 No Watermark Perf 12 Used copies x 2

6d-$100.00 2/--$250.00 5/--$350.00

--

1896 Papermakers Watermark [R Turner, Chafford Mills] Perf 12 Used copies x 2

2/--$300.00 5/--$400.00

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Express Carrying Company

1897

  

Usual manuscript cancel found 'H & M'

1897 No Watermark Perf 12 Prices are for cancelled or un-cancelled stamps most copies are off centre. Prices are for average condition the above copy would be a premium on the below price. Damaged copies by negotiation. Other cancels include the circular date stamps of Coolgardie & Kalgoorlie

6d-$3000.00

6d-Tete-Beche pair [a unique vertical pair exists]-$10,000.00+

There are 15+ other Cycle Express couriers recorded in WA. To this date no stamps from any of these have come to light

Further reading: Reynolds, M. and Pope, B. Western Australia: A Guide to the Goldfields Locals, Western Australia Study Group, Perth 1993.

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Australian Local Steam & Ferry Post

Section III

Contents:

8. Victoria: Murray River Steam Navigation Co

9. Queensland: Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd

--

8. Victoria

Murray River Steam Navigation Co

Buyer beware

These stamps command a high price and buyers should be aware that it has not been established whether or not they are BOGUS.

The Facts

This carrier has more questions than answers. Firstly are these stamps genuine or bogus? There are no records at all to establish one or the other.

Survival of stamps [remainders?] being 98% mint, with only 2 loose stamps with odd cancels, a cover bearing a 2d postage stamp and a 3d Murray label is also recorded, why it would cost 3d to forward a single intrastate letter is questionable to say the least. The J K M initials tying the stamp to the cover are purported to be that of K J Mayne who was manager of the Echuca branch of W McCulloch & Co but research shows Mr Mayne never signed with his initials, he always signed ‘K J Mayne’.

Each value appears to be struck singularly from secondary dies [each showing separate die characteristics] & poorly line perforated. The 1d is known as a die proof struck in green also the 1d does not have the value numeral in the upper corners unlike the other three in the series, the ˝d is found ‘HALF PENNY’ & ‘HALF PENCE’.

1863

  

Top left frame week above numeral, present on all known 3d values

1863 No Watermark Rough line Perf 12 [read notes above]

˝d[HALF PENCE]-$200.00 ˝d[HALF PENNY]-$100.00 1d-$130.00 2d-$130.00 3d-$100.00

1d-Green die proof on card [read notes above]-$400.00

3d On cover [read notes above]-$1800.00

Remainders are in the market place

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9. Queensland

Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd

1919

     

c1919 No Watermark Roulette 7 

1d-$60.00 3d-$80.00

1d for newspapers 3d for parcels

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1939

    

1939 No Watermark 1d-Roulette 11 6d-Perf 12

1d-$60.00 6d-$80.00

--

1966

 

1966 No Watermark Roulette 7

5c-$12.00

--

1971

    

 

1971 No Watermark Roulette 7 New Numeral Design

20c-$4.00 50c[1981]-$8.00

20c for letters 40c for parcels

Hayles was brought out by Magnetic Island Ferries c1984 which issued a pre paid green freight label with black wording

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All Graphics. Dave Elsmore

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