Postal History of the 1908 Provisional Series - used in 1909 from July to December
1908
You can look at another H.O.Steer card in "1908 PH 1909 JAN-JUN" above with the date of 6 APRIL 09.
1 July 1909 (new 8/2022)
1 July 1909 (new 3/2019)
3 July 1909
4 July 1909
4 July 1909
8 July 1909
8 July 1909 (new Dec 2017)
8 July 1909
About 10 - 15 July: Cover with 2d and 10c to the U.S.A. cancelled with GK type PM1. Must have been cancelled at about 15 July as the TAMBO arrived in Sydney
on 23 July when it bas backstamped ai Sydney, Chicago 28 August 1909 and Saginaw 29 August 1909. Non-colonial letter rate was 25c so the cover is 5c overfranked. (ex Millet coll.)
And here is what my friend Jeff Blinco found out about the routing of this cover:
"The American A & A line which did the service from Sydney to San Francisco ceased in the early part of 1907 and I had not found the replacement service.
So back to consulting the newspapers and eventually I found a very strange system run by the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand.
The cover left Sydney on Huddart and Parkers steamer the SS Ulimaroa on 7 Aug 1909 and carried to Wellington NZ on the 11 Aug. The mail was
loaded onto the Union Steamship Co SS Manapouri which left Wellington on the 12 Aug for Tahiti where the mail was transhipped to the Mariposa.
The Mariposa connected to San Francisco (no date found) where the mail was taken by rail to Chicago where the bag was opened. The mail bag was
only opened at Chicago because there are no cancels for Wellington, Tahiti or San Francisco."
The well known postcard with the picture of the Noumée guillotine and hangman : card to
England, franked 2d (overfranked). ("JGI" coll.)
The interisland auxiliary schooner "OUI OUI" - Alain Millet coll.
Postcard to Singapore written on board the "OUI OUI". The 1908 French 10c stamps is cancelled with Goyns-Klinger Type PM2
on 4 July 1909.
Advertisement in the "Straits Times" Singapore pages on 16 July 1909 writing about Mr. R. Delacotte.
Thre New Caledonian stamps cancelled with Type PM2 on 22 November 1908 and handstamped "OUI OUI".
The card tells: "Oui Oui" Old auxiliary schooner of the Messageries Maritimes line New Hebrides - Noumea.
Burnt on sea.
It is unclear if the ship belonged to MM or to the French New Hebrides Company.
She was an interisland trader in the New Hebrides and connected with the MM steamer Pacifique in Noumea
or in Port Sandwich, NH. A Sydney Morning News article of Oct 16 states that the ship belonged to the
"Societe Francais des Nouvelles Hebrides" and "has lately been known as 'Emile Mercet'". She sank in Port Sandwich
on 25 September 1909 after a fire occured on board.
4 July 1909
16 July 1909
22 November 1908
30 May 1914 Nouméa
The crew of the OUI OUI.
The OUI OUI.
Crew of the OUI OUI
The OUI OUI
24 July 1909
(new 9/2019)
Philatelic cover to the wellknown Swiss philatelist Fred Reinhard. Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatelie
24 July 1909
29 July 1909
29 July 1909
31 July 1909
Letter to Monsieur Hagen to Nouméa, the two French 10c stamps cancelled with the PM3 (Pt. Sandwich). Seen somewhere 16 years ago.
Letter from Api to Nouméa, the three French 5c, 10c and 25c stamps cancelled
with the PCH type 4 (Pt. Sandwich). A script text says "Par M.S. Pacifique" the ship
which served on the line Sydney-Nouméa-New Hebrides" from 1899 to 1925. (Merot coll.)
Registered letter from Port Vila to Sydney with the British 2d and 2½d stamps,
prepaying the correct rate for a registered letter to Australia. (2d for the letter
and 2½d registration fee). Backstamped REGISTERED SYDNEY AU 09, 09 - transit
10 days. See: Hals / Collas p. 66.). ("JGI" coll.)
Cover to Nicolas "Tiby" Hagen in Noumea. Backstamped 4 AOUT 0? - can only be 09.
As the PACIFIQUE came to Sydney on 9 Aug 09, she left Noumea on 5 Aug and arrived there from
Port Vila on 4 Aug. So she left Port Vila on 2 Aug 1909. Pt. Sandwich cancel on a French 10c stamp,
a "1" can be seen at right of the day slug so it is 31 July too. (Blinco coll.)
Cover to "Tiby" Hagen in Nouméa . The French 10c. cancelled with Goyns-Klinger Type PM2
PORT-VILA 2 AOUT 09 . Backstamped NOUMEA 4 AOUT 09 on arrival.
The steamer PACIFIQUE left Port-Vila on 2 August and called at Nouméa on 4 August.
("SeSi" coll.)
31 July 1909
31 July 1909
31 July 1909
31 July 1909
2 August 1909
2 August 1909
French colonial 15g letter rate 10c to Nice. Cancelled with GK Type PM2. Backstamped Nouméa 4 OCT 09 and Nice 13-9 / 09.
Image thanks to Lugdunum Philatélie, France
Charles Dufourmantelle was born 1877 and died on 29 April 1938 in Nice. He was a member of "L'École des chartes et des archivistes-paléographes"
et "ancient archiviste de la Corse".
2 August 1909
2 August 1909 - reverse
The H.O. Steer postcards. Steer travelled on the Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. steamer TAMBO and wrote 9 picture postcards to a friend in South Africa. 5 of these 9 cards are on this page.
They were all cancelled with the P.C.H. Type 6 cancel (similar to Type 1) which is supposed to have been kept at Vila post office and was used only for mail from the interisland vessels TAMBO & MALAITA.
We do not know what he did in the New Hebrides but he often travelled on Burns Philp ships: 1 Oct 1908 on MALAITA to Vila, 21 December 1908 on TAMBO from Vila to Sydney, 31 December 1908 on TAMBO to Vila, 1 June 1909 on MALAITA to Vila, 29 June 1909 on MALAITA from Vila to Sydney,
26 August 1909 on MALAITA Vila - Sydney, 1 September on MALAITA to Vila (?).
On one postcard he writes that he is working as Supercargo on the BP ship.
"Climbing the cocoanut tree": The sender writes "Malekula, 7.8.09. I am continually travelling
round the islands on B.P. & Comp. steamers....". Type 6 cancel with the different 9 too.
Stamped Naaupoort Sep 23 09, Port Elizabeth Sep 24, 09 in transit and on arrival
Willowmore Sep 27, 09.(Goron collection)
"Muskets have taken the place of spears etc."
Maybe the cards were NOT cancelled in Port Vila: "JGI" wrote years ago:
"Card cancelled with Type 6 Vila cds. Note the different second 9 in 1909 and
the date under the year. .... As it is known used only on mail from outer islands,
it is suggested that it was ship-borne as the English Language equivalent
to SERVICE MARITIME. It could possibly have been used on the Burns Philp S.S. TAMBO."
Stamped Port Elizabeth Sep 24, 09 in transit and on arrival Willowmore Sep 27, 09.
("JGI" collection)
Cover to Nicolas "Tiby" Hagen in Noumea. Backstamped 4 AOUT 0? - can only be 09.
As the PACIFIQUE came to Sydney on 9 Aug 09, she left Noumea on 5 Aug and arrived there from
Port Vila on 4 Aug. So she left Port Vila on 2 Aug 1909. Pt. Sandwich cancel on a French 10c stamp,
a "1" can be seen at right of the day slug so it is 31 July too. (Blinco coll.)
11 August 1909
11 August 1909
11 August 1909
Another postcard to South Africa written in Vila on 11 August 1909
to the same destination, posted at the same day and transported with the other ones. (Goron coll.)
10c postcard rate for British Commonwealth to South Africa written in Vila on 11 August 1909
to the same destination, posted at the same day and transported with the other ones. Originating from
Malekula, the card is cancelled with thw ship-borne VILA cds showing the variation year 1909 above date AU 11. ("JGI" coll.)
11 August 1909
11 August 1909
Letter to France with correct 10c postage and 25c registration fee stamps cancelled with
Goyns-Klinger Type PM2. ("Aore" coll.)
Letter to Washington, U.S.A., the French 1908 5c, 10c (x2) and 25c stamps and the British 1908 2½d stamp cancelled with PCH type 6. New Caledonia, San Francisco
and Washington back stamps. ("Mele" coll.)
Letter to Washington, U.S.A., the French 1908 5c, 10c (x2) and 25c stamps and the British 1908 2½d stamp cancelled with PCH type 6. New Caledonia, San Francisco
and Washington back stamps. ("Mele" coll.)
Postcard to England, the 1d stamp cancelled with type 7. (unknown coll.)
Postcard to England, the 10c stamp cancelled with type 7.
Picture thanks to Chris Rainey
23 August 1909
23 August 1909
29 August 1909
29 August 1909
28 August 1909
(new 9/2021)
Postcard to Eétretat, France. The NC 10c stamp is cancelled with Goyns-Klinger type PM3. Arrival cancel 13 Dec 05 (?)
Source Grosvenor Auctions.
28 August 1909
(new 9/2021)
reverse
5 September 1909
2x August 1909
13 September 1909
12 October 1909
20 October 1909
20 October 1909
Cover with mixed franking (French 25c, British 2d) to Nouméa which is the correct rate 20c postage and 25c registration fee.
Type PM2 cancel. Backstamped Nouméa Oct 26 arrival. Seen in a Cherrystone auction in April 2009.
Three picture postcards to Noumea, each with a 1d stamp cancelled with PCH type 7.
All addressed to Louis Le Scour, son of the first (and very famous) doctor in
Noumea. According to the writing on one of the cards from Nov 1909, Louis sent
these cards in a letter to a friend (in France ?). ("Sesi" coll.)
Three picture postcards to Noumea, each with a 1d stamp cancelled with PCH type 7.
All addressed to Louis Le Scour, son of the first (and very famous) doctor in
Noumea. According to the writing on one of the cards from Nov 1909, Louis sent
these cards in a letter to a friend (in France ?). ("Klinger" coll.)
Three picture postcards to Noumea, each with a 1d stamp cancelled with PCH type 7.
All addressed to Louis Le Scour, son of the first (and very famous) doctor in
Noumea. According to the writing on one of the cards from Nov 1909, Louis sent
these cards in a letter to a friend (in France ?). ("Sesi" coll.)
Registered Letter to the U.S., routed via Sydney and Seattle. The 1d and pair of 2½d British stamps
are tied with PCH type 7. (Seen in an old dealer's offer)
24 October 1909
24 October 1909
24 October 1909
27 October 1909
27 October 1909
27 October 1909
(new 11/2019)
30 October 1909
dd October 1909
2 November 1909
11 November 1909
12 November 1909
12 November 1909
(new Feb 2018)
13 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
Australian postcard used in Vila to Nouméa: 5c. stamp tied by GK PM2.
Written by the same sender as 09NO20b & c. (Image thanks to Empire Stamp Auctions
Australian postcard used in Vila to Nouméa: 5c. stamp tied by GK PM2.
Written by the same sender as 09NO20b & c. (Image thanks to Empire Stamp Auctions
Registered cover to France, the French 25c and English 1d stamp cancelled with PM4. Correct rate 10c colonial letter rate and 25c registration fee.
Backstamped Noumea 23 NO 09 (Messageries Maritimes PACIFIQUE) and Paris 4-1-10.
Seen at the Delcampe auction site.
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
(new 27 Oct 2020)
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
20 November 1909
(new Dec 2017)
13 December 1909
16 December 1909
16 December 1909
18 December 1909
Correct postcard rate, cancelled with Goyns-Klinger Type PM2. ("Aore" coll.)
Correct 1d rate to Australia, tied by Type 7 cds in black. (Treadwell coll.)
19 December 1909
20 December 1909