The Stamp Club

Southland Times, Issue 20615, 13 October 1928, Page 23 (Supplement)

The Stamp Club

NEW ZEALAND’S STAMPS EARLY HISTORY OF PHILATELY. The first trace of postal facilities was at Kororareka, in 1831, when Mr Powditch was commissioned to receive and make up mails on behalf of the Postmaster-General of New South Wales. When the Government was set up in 1840, a regular Post Office was opened but met with poor response, probably owing to the high rate of postage charged. A single sheet from the Bay of Sydney cost 4d., and the charge was 7d on an inland letter, including 3d postage and 4d surtax, either prepaid or payable on delivery. Letters from England cost for a single sheet about half a crown which almost represented the average daily wage of a labourer at that time. Newspapers within the colony passed free and there were also extensive franking privileges granted. The General Post Office was in 1840 removed to Russell, and again in 1841 to Auckland. Towards the end of 1840 post offices were established at Auckland, Cromwell Harbour, Hokianga and Waimate, and in the Auckland district at Port Nicholson. The earliest postal routes were from Wellington to Wanganui, followed in ’43 by the Auckland-New Plymouth service via Kawhia, and later by the New Plymouth-Wa nganui route which linked up the overland post from Auckland to Wellington. Although stamps were actually issued in 1855, it was not until seven years later that by Gazette notice of February 7, 1862, their use for the prepayment of inland correspondence became obligatory. For some time, an adequate supply of stamps was not always available at the smaller post offices necessitating private individuals sending to the chief offices, or else being obliged to purchase stamps of greater value than was legally necessary. From 1856 to 1858 the provinces of Auckland, Nelson and Otago charged a local delivery rate of 2d per letter, and Canterbury Id. Under the usual practice in the Navy, the personnel of the ships are permitted to use stamps of Great Britain for franking their own correspondence and the following British stamps are known specially postmarked thus “857” in an oval of bars and used at the Naval stations of Aucklandld, rose red (1857); Id rose red (1864), 4d pale red (1862) and 6d lilac (1865).

On March 26, 1870, a regular Home mail service, via San Francisco was commenced, and this was supplemented by the inauguration on the 26th of January, 1883, of the direct line of steam communication between England and the colony, by the New Zealand Shipping Company. On August 7, 1908, the first through train ran from Wellington to Auckland establishing a rapid means of inland communication. On the 16th of December, 1919, a trial seaplane service was run between Auckland and Dargaville, while the first regular airplane mail was transorted in the South Island between Christchurch and Timaru, on January 31, 1921.—Extract from “New Zealand” a philatelic handbook by R. J. G. Collins, published by Verne and Co., Christchurch, at 5/3.