Famous Kingsford Smith postcard depicts Sydney Harbour Bridge opening
Author: Richard Brewster | Posted: 23rd June, 2014
A postcard depicting the Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction will be a major highlight of Mossgreen’s stamps, coins and postal history auction from 2.30pm Wednesday June 25 at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.
To commemorate the opening of the bridge on March 19, 1932, Australian pioneer aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew a party of senior engineers responsible for its construction over the bridge on the day.
Signed by the pilot and his 14 passengers, the card was carried in the “Southern Cross” plane and cancelled at the special Bridge Post Office.
Part of the Maurice Williams Sydney Harbour Bridge collection, the card sold for $8250 plus commission in May 2008.
An envelope, or cover as it is referred to by postal history buffs, flown and signed by Kingsford Smith on the last leg of his record solo flight from England, also is part of the auction.
The Sydney cover is accompanied by a note (written in September 1990) from collector and authority Nelson Eustis in which he explains that covers specifically from this leg had not previously been identified.
This cover proves their existence and additional to the 15 listed as coming from Rome.
Another interesting cover is that specially printed to mark Howard Hughes Around the World flight in less than 92 hours – with stops in Paris, Moscow, Omsk, Yakutsk, Minneapolis and New York.
Dated 10 July 1938, these covers were only provided to persons connected with this very famous flight and, unlike the one for auction, few were autographed.
Among the stamps on offer is a book entitled “The Stamps of Tasmania” by A.F. Bassett Hull – published by the London Philatelic Society in 1890 and featuring volumes I &II of “Tasmania, The Postal History & Postal Markings” by Campbell and “The Kangaroo Issues of the Stamps of the Commonwealth of Australia” by Dormer Legg.
Included among the aviation postcards is a 1900-1920s collection of mainly RP renditions depicting aviators, aviation meetings and events.
