Submitted by aarAdmin on Fri, 12/15/2023 - 00:00
Postal history relating to significant places or events both in Australia and overseas is always popular among collectors.
So it proved for memorabilia relating to the former Australian penal colony of Norfolk Island and Pitcairn Island, home to survivors of the infamous 1789 mutiny on the British ship HMAV Bounty and their descendants, that went under the hammer during Melbourne-based Abacus Auctions three-day sale of stamps, coins, banknotes, postal history, medals, sporting memorabilia and other collectables from December 6 to 8.
The two islands were inextricably linked in 1856 when all 163 Pitcairn residents were transferred to Norfolk Island, an isolated rock between New Zealand and New Caledonia, after they had outgrown their former home. Several returned to Pitcairn Island 18 months later.
The residents were either members or offspring of the mutiny, led by acting Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, that had commandeered the Bounty from Captain William Bligh, who they set adrift with his loyal supporters in a small boat.
Belonging to David Murray Brown, most of the collection was sold either within or above catalogue estimates.
Until 1926, Pitcairn had no postal system so all mail to and from the island relied on passing ships with rubber hand stamps used to signify that the letter had been posted on the island and no stamps were available.
Good examples of this are lot 3815, a 1922 unfranked cover addressed to “Capt AJ Charman, S/S Waimana, c/o Shaw Savill and Albion Office, Wellington, New Zealand” that sold for above estimate for $2100, and 1923 ‘R.M.S. REMEURA’ unfranked envelope to “Mr Warren, Ship’s Writer, RMS Remuera, c/-New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd” (lot 3818) that brought $2000 - $500 more than its catalogue listing.
Brown’s section on Norfolk Island was equally rewarding with a March 13, 1891 cover addressed to “Mrs MA Watson, Ashby Brigg, Lincolnshire” England, containing the earliest recorded date of the words ‘NORFOLK ISLAND’ in violet (lot 3442) more than doubling its estimate with a $4200 result.
A June 16, 1894 newspaper cutting from The Fiji Times (lot 3444), also sent to Mrs Watson, changed hands for $1900, while a circa 1854 Tasmania stamp used on Norfolk Island (lot 3441) sold for an above estimate $850.
South Australian Dr Don Pearce’s collection of postal history and markings – not seen for 50 years on the auction market – attracted plenty of strong support with a January 25, 1862 part-entire signed “Wm Younghusband & Co” cover to London but amended to Calcutta (lot 2085) selling for $14,000, more than three times its estimate, and a July 22, 1862 to the Kingdom of Hanover in Germany (lot 2087) for $6250 on its $750 catalogue listing.
The only recorded example of a letter with the two-line POST OFFICE/PORT LINCOLN South Australia head stamp, dated November 11, 1839 (lot 2002) sold for $5500, $500 above estimate.
Military medal sales were another pleasing result with the historic group awarded to Lance Corporal J Lowe (lot 4005) for his role in 1898 Omduran charge of the 21st Lancers – one of the last full-scale cavalry assaults by the British Army – a solid $5500 return.
With a young Winston Churchill involved, 350 men of the regiment believed they were attacking 700 Muslims – when in fact 2000 tribesmen were concealed in the gully. Three Victoria Crosses were awarded that day, all to troop leaders in Lowe’s B squadron.
