Catweazle
Member 
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Jan 28, 2024 8:04:06 GMT
With a population twice that of Lord Howe Island, the Chatham Islands ( Rēkohu in Moriori) are situated about 800 kilometers east – as the albatross flies – of Aotearoa's South Island. You can see them on the map depicted on this stamp here – get your glasses! – a block of four 1978 Sea Resources 20¢ Map of NZ (SG 1176).
For those not already aware, however, it seems that there have been at least three different post offices located across the Chathams over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Waitangi (the main town), Owenga and Pitt Island. I'm not 100% sure, but there may have been something located at Kaingaroa too?
Traveling right back in time – R.M. Startup, in his rather flimsy yet extensive typewritten volume entitled Chatham Isles Mails, simply states that:
As an example, we have here a very early penned manuscript cancel on a 2d blue Chalon (SG 113). PSNZ Vol. III adds little, only to note their stampless image as "Chatham Islands, 1860." What I'd like to know is – is this the only one recorded or are there others that exist out there somewhere on this planet?
R.M. Startup adds something about the historical context here too:
An additional typewritten piece of paper – perhaps part of a review from page 87 of a philatelic journal (perhaps The Postal History Society of N.Z. :?: ) – found between the pages of my copy of Startup's volume also states that:
What I find really intriguing here is the following:
Has anyone found one out there yet, or seen a reference in another, er, reference anywhere? That same document also states that...
Rare indeed, for I have struggled to find much information or scans and other images while trawling across the net. No idea where I can find out further information about this, other than something buried deep and dark down some archival rabbit warren but where that might be, I know not! It is rather a pity that I no longer have access to the vast multitude of academic journals and articles, like in the undergraduate days of library searches at university. Moreover, I am not in New Zealand otherwise I would endeavor to venture into their archives.
On the subject of early cancels, the above is likely an example of the 'X' used to cancel stamps used from the Chatham Islands too, next to the barred obliterator cancel which would have had an 'X' in the centre. Fool it was who once soaked this one off the cover! 
Member DK has been very helpful, in showing us an example, on another thread here, of the second half of this sort of obliterator cancel that was used next to the 'X' in pen. I include his two images below. Note that a previous owner has mistakenly mis-identified this as being a Christchurch cancel.
Browsing the auction archives of Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, I came across this example of an early 1864 cancel on piece. At least, there seems to be some debate here. Their auction description stated "1864" – I thought it looked "1865" but someone has written on this piece "1866". What do you make it out to be? It realised USD$290 before additional buyer's taxes or fees. I would argue that the bidder got this one for a good price, back in Rumsey's The Summer Sale of 2020.
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Jan 28, 2024 8:15:12 GMT
I would love to see examples of other stamps or postal history from (or mailed to) the Chatham Islands – more so, the earlier the better. It seems like looking for a needle in a haystack at times, and the few out there only ever seem to pop up in New Zealand auctions. Schuyler Rumsey is the exception here. In all, I haven't seen much.
Do you have anything you'd like to share from your own collections? If you see something pop up in future auctions, do let me know.
What is the earliest recorded item from the Chathams? Now that's something that I'd like to know.
Incidentally, the early colonial history of the Chathams dates back to the early 1800s when sealers and whalers settled there alongside the Moriori, using the islands as their main base and port. Supplies and exports were sent, in a hive of activity, by ship to New Zealand, before continuing on across the globe. Such activities ceased, however, about 1861 when fishing became the major economic industry (as it is similarly today). R.M. Startup suggests that mail from sailors and fishermen was sent home thanks to the captains of ships, prior to the establishment of an official postal office on the island. Furthermore, a number of German missionary societies were established in the 1830s. For example, the Norddeutsche Missionsgellschaft founded a training institute in Hamburg, before sending their first four missionaries to New Zealand in 1843 aboard the St Paul. The Gossner Mission was an evangelical Protestant organisation, also established in 1836. It was based in Berlin and informally named after its founder, Johannes Gossner. This society sent five missionaries to New Zealand where they established themselves on the Chatham Islands in 1843. Apparently there are multiple references – somewhere – to published primary source material that includes reminiscences and letters of Johann Wohlers (who was sent to the North island) and reminiscences of Johann Engst (of the Chatham Islands). So, this Hawaiian cover auctioned by Schuyler Rumsey in their Westpex Sale (2019) is quite the survivor. Obviously any Hawaiian postal history is red hot these days, but it is a piece of Chathams history in its own right too. The notes of one eagle-eyed auctioneer states that this letter appears to be from the captain of a whaling vessel who writes in 1849 that he is
That cover initially sold for realised for USD$500 excluding additional buyer's fees etc in their earlier Sale #37, only to be realised again nine years later in Sale #85 for USD$375. Bargain, I'd say! The description of the lot is as follows:
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 28, 2024 20:25:14 GMT
A nice intro to the Chatham Islands Catweazle. It is not an area I have focused on in the past, but like neilmac's topic on 'The Great Barrier Pigeongram Service', one I could get in to. I have kept up with your Stampboards thread on this topic tho' so will enjoy following it here, and there! I have very few stamps used in the Chathams, the one Chalon you show above and a couple of Penny Universals, so nothing much really. As to the pair of 6d's you show above and ask about the date, I see Dec 25 1865 - Christmas day no less! I shall spend the next few days looking thru' my stockbooks for any items I have that I can show - there won't be much. Nice topic. Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 28, 2024 21:15:37 GMT
Here is what A.R Marshall's book on NZ Manuscripts has on the Chatham Islands :  The Post Office on the Chathams opened on 4/7/1856 and closed on 18/11/1927 according to Wooders. (using the British date format of DD/MM/YY) Your manuscript on the Chalon, you show above, looks like C10. I shall take a look at what the RPSNZ volumes say about this subject. Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 28, 2024 21:33:23 GMT
On a very quick search thru' my books I have found just 2 'A' class cancels for the Chatham Islands. On an 1890's SSF & on an early 1900's Penny Universal :  Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 28, 2024 21:50:29 GMT
Here is what vol.3 of the RPSNZ handbooks have to say - pages 139-142. Apologies for the quality of the pics (I used my camera for speed).     Dave |
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rod222
Member
Posts: 9,912 
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jan 28, 2024 22:13:26 GMT
Designer Eileen Mayo A Brit, whom lived most of her life in New Zealand Her woodcut, for Australia, the 1/- Platypus, was engraved into a Postage Stamp.  |
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rod222
Member
Posts: 9,912
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jan 29, 2024 2:36:20 GMT
1st January 2000 3:59 NZST With the earth spinning (At the equator) at 1600 kilometers per hour Pitt Island of the Chathams archipeligo, was first to greet the dawn's new light, of the new millenium Longitude: -176° 13' 8.40" W.  |
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Post by greaden on Jan 29, 2024 3:04:22 GMT
What throws me off is the Chatham Island in the Galapagos that Darwin described. It is now known as San Cristobal.
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,453
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jan 29, 2024 3:12:22 GMT
"New Zealand (Chatham Islands stamp) maxicard with Black Robin on a CAL personalized stamp. There were 5 black robins alive in 1980. Old Blue was "the only girl in the world" (to quote #Rihanna) so she "sacrificed" herself with "the boys" to save the species from total extinction. Now there are over 250, with no inbreeding symptoms." www.facebook.com/groups/maximaphily/permalink/3278514698830662/?app=fbl |
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Jan 29, 2024 10:37:46 GMT
A.R. Marshall's book looks interesting. If I'm reading that correctly, the earliest known date we have recorded is 6/2/62, but then that Hawaiian letter I found in Rumsey’s archives convinces me that somewhere there must be something dated earlier still. The hunt is on! I wonder when that fig. C10 might be dated. Doesn't seem like it's written in quite the same hand. Or maybe it is? Sometimes I write slightly differently depending on the pen, the surface or the paper or even my energy levels! Here’s a list of postmasters from R.M. Startup’s volume. Note that although he references Thomas McDonnell as joining the ranks on 1 March 1872, he also adds a note suggesting that it is “doubtful if [he] took up [this] position”.
This is confirmed by this excerpt in the Marlborough Express Vol. VII Issue 458 (21 December 1872), 5. Thanks to another collector for sharing this insight with me.
In Marshall’s book there, what does "before FF1 D/S", "Between FF1 & 'A'" and "Between 'A' & 'G'" mean? Nice stamp finds there. Do you know what the ‘A’ means at the bottom of those date stamps, from much the same era? I too have some similar. You probably recognise them from the other thread.
Here’s a UPU 1d red which is interesting because it is cancelled with the later ringed Chatham Islands postmark. Note the date is “__ MR 09” by the looks of things, which is only a few days after March 2, the date of the one in RPSNZ handbook. Do we know the exact date that came into issue?
Another UPU 1d Red is pictured below, this time on a Muir & Moodie PPC titled " A Lovely Waterfall, Chatham Islands" yet it is rather rusty unfortunately. I won’t be soaking this one off the postcard, but might a little Zippo’s lighter fluid or something be used to gently, every so carefully clean the perfs (no rubbing, nor any wetting at that)? Can't make out the date of the postmark on this one. |
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Jan 29, 2024 10:47:39 GMT
What throws me off is the Chatham Island in the Galapagos that Darwin described. It is now known as San Cristobal. Ah yes, there's a few out there. Definitely not to be confused with the Galapagos' Chatham Island, nor the Chatham in Kent, UK nor, for that matter, Chatham in MA, USA!
Neither of these below have anything to do with our NZ Chatham really... 
Although, I wonder if the Chatham in MA or the Galapagos is named after the same story. So they say, the first known (European) ship that landed on our NZ Chatham Islands' shores was called the HMS Chatham. She was a survey brig who sailed in Captain George Vancouver's Expedition. The brig was under the command of Lieut. (later Captain) William Robert Broughton of the British Royal Navy. The survey brig was named after Chatham, Kent. Since 1666, there have been at least fifteen other ships to share the same name 'Chatham'. More to read here: www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?p=9447826#p9447826 |
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Jan 29, 2024 10:58:40 GMT
"New Zealand (Chatham Islands stamp) maxicard with Black Robin on a CAL personalized stamp. There were 5 black robins alive in 1980. Old Blue was "the only girl in the world" (to quote #Rihanna) so she "sacrificed" herself with "the boys" to save the species from total extinction. Now there are over 250, with no inbreeding symptoms." www.facebook.com/groups/maximaphily/permalink/3278514698830662/?app=fbl
The Black Robin certainly makes for one of the best conservation efforts I've heard about. There's a video on YouTube from the Department of Conservation called " Meet the Locals". Season 4 Episode 47 features Don Merton, who was the leading conservationalist who helped prevent (for now) the extinction of this wee bird.
From Wikipedia:
Here's "Old Blue". How cute!
The Black Robin, Petroica traversi, is also the star, you might say, of the 1985 Endangered Native Bird Definitives from New Zealand Post.
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rod222
Member
Posts: 9,912
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jan 29, 2024 11:38:56 GMT
CHATHAM Ontario European settlement of the former city of Chatham area began with a naval dockyard in 1792, at the mouth of the Thames River. The town was named after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. It was built as a naval dockyard, a characteristic shared by Chatham, Kent, England.  |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 29, 2024 19:57:21 GMT
A.R. Marshall's book looks interesting. If I'm reading that correctly, the earliest known date we have recorded is 6/2/62 In Marshall’s book there, what does "before FF1 D/S", "Between FF1 & 'A'" and "Between 'A' & 'G'" mean? Here is the part of the page you refer to :  It is in a column format - column heading at top - so refer to it as being in a column, reading down. The first cancellation type would have been, I am guessing, for the Chathams not to have cancelled the stamp, rather letting the receiving office on the mainland cancel it. 2nd type would have been a manuscript - either an 'X' or the type C10 or C11 Then came the 1st obliterator 'X' and CDS type FF1 in 1865 The 'A' class next in the 1890's approx. - before 1894 ? Followed by the 'G' class - concentric circles - between 1903 to 1908/9 - needs confirmation tho'. FF1 & obliterator - 1865 'A' Class - Prior to 1894 ? 'G' class - Concentric cirles - 1903 to 1908/9 ? I trust this helps in some way  NB: The 'A' index letter at the foot of the 'A' class - FF1- datestamp you ask about, is the time of day when posted indica. 'A' presumably means first thing in the morning - assuming that the Chathams changed the letter indica at all. Have we seen other letters other than 'A'? On the mainland, in the big offices, they went to at least 'K' that I have seen. Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 29, 2024 22:25:06 GMT
I have just had a quick look thru' R.S Craddock's book ' "A" Class and Allied datestamps of New Zealand'.
Of note - for Chatham Islands 'A' class datestamp - I read:
The Index number (Indica) at bottom of the FF1 'A' class datestamp being A & C only being noted.
Earliest recorded example seen being JE 13 77
Latest recorded example seen being 9 MY 08
New type datestamp ('G' class !) recorded seen from 9 JA 09
So, from that, we can tentatively say that the 'A' class datestamp was around from June 1877 until about May 1908 when the 'G' class datestamp replaced it.
Dave
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 30, 2024 18:59:05 GMT
A postcard from a Chatham Islands 'local' advertising his woodworking skills - circa early 1900's ?  New Zealand - Ephemera / Chatham Islands Postal History
288085 - Chatham Islands Postal History - Chatham Islands Advertising Post Card, Support Local Industry, E M Guest Furniture Made on Chatham Islands at New Zealand Prices, Basically he will replicate any item available in New Zealand at the same price but made on the island, Unique? Closed Tear at Base (Repair?), Great Social History Item, UnusedDave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Jan 30, 2024 19:04:12 GMT
Found this on the web also - no frontside view unfortunately :  Dave |
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Feb 22, 2024 11:46:54 GMT
Wow, thanks for posting, Dave. Some fabulous stuff to view there!
Elsewhere on the net I knocked up an amateur page displaying much of the flora and fauna of these islands. Sharing it here for the interest of others. I had never realised just how many different stamp issues were given over to the Chathams!
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Mar 21, 2024 9:25:46 GMT
There was a "Chatham Island Series" of postcards issued once upon a time. Here are a few, published (or is it issued in this context?) by Lilywhite Ltd., Collotype Printers; Halifax, England. No. 8 with little teeny tiny town Owenga is featured in R.M. Startup's volume Chatham Island Mails.
No. 11 is of a group of stranded whales at the beach in Owenga. It's not the first time that this has happened, and I remember it sadly happening in Tasmania last year too. Must be some sort of biological or scientific explanation here.
No. 18 of an old whare (Maori meeting house) in Toro Toro, also in the Chathams, suggests that there must have been at least 18 of these picture postcards from the "Chatham Island Series", all based on original photographs taken from around the islands.
Do you know of or have you seen any of the others? There is a half-baked list on the Auckland Museum's website, without images, but many are unlisted and are thus unknown or perhaps unsited. I assume that they would have existed at some time or another and that there must still be one or two out there on the planet.
Can you add to this list? Have you got or seen any of the missing ones?
- Chatham Island Series No. 1: Waitangi.
- Chatham Island Series No. 2: Waitangi Mail Time.
- Chatham Island Series No. 3: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 4: Te One.
- Chatham Island Series No. 5: Nairn River.
- Chatham Island Series No. 6: Wharf & Shed.
- Chatham Island Series No. 7: Tikitiki.
- Chatham Island Series No. 8: 'Owenga' – but this is also a double listing with Te One so perhaps we have a typo here...
- Chatham Island Series No. 9: Owenga.
- Chatham Island Series No. 10: Owenga Freezer (newly acquired in 1910 which was a revolution for the fishing industry).
- Chatham Island Series No. 11: Blackfish stranded.
- Chatham Island Series No. 12: Maori and moriori in camp.
- Chatham Island Series No. 13: Owenga Fishing Fleet.
- Chatham Island Series No. 14: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 15: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 16: A Chatham Island wedding group.
- Chatham Island Series No. 17: Interior St. Augustins Church (which is in Waitangi I think)
- Chatham Island Series No. 18: Old Maori Whare at Toro Toro.
- Chatham Island Series No. 19: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 20: Limestone rocks, Waikato.
- Chatham Island Series No. 21: Maunganui.
- Chatham Island Series No. 22: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 23: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 24: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 25: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 26: Raising a Mast
- Chatham Island Series No. 27: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 28: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 29: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 30: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 31: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 32: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 33: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 34: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 35: Unknown or unlisted?
- Chatham Island Series No. 36: S.S. Taviuni, Shipping Sheep
- Chatham Island Series No. 37: Black Swans.
What do you know of the missing ones? Have you any scans or images of the known postal cards from this Chatham Island Series? |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Mar 21, 2024 20:46:36 GMT
I do not possess any of those missing postcards but will keep an eye out for them and will post here any I do find. In the meantime I did find this picture. Quite interesting as its subject matter is the Chatham Islands & Mail!  Dave PS: Black Fish are nowadays known as 'Pilot Whales'. Always grounding themselves around NZ. It seems we have news of mass strandings at least 3-4 times a year!! |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Mar 21, 2024 21:15:09 GMT
Well, it didn't take too much effort to find one for you @catweazel - although it isnt the clearest picture of No.12 it is one of the missing ones   Maori and Moriori Camp Chatham Islands Series No12 Off to look for some more .... Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Mar 21, 2024 21:47:57 GMT
How about this lot?! I was looking around the New Zealand Post Card Society website and found a link to a PDF of their publication 'Postcard Pillar'. On the front cover of this Feb 2021 edition you will note a feature on 'The Chatham Islands'. Postcard Pillar Issue 130 February 2021Here are some of the highlights from it:  Waitangi-Mail-Time-Chatham-Islands-Series- No2 Owenga-Freezer-Chatham-Islands-Series- No10 Maori-and-Moriori-Camp-Chatham-Islands-Series- No12 A-Chatham-Island-Wedding-Group-Chatham-Islands-Series- No16 Water-Spouts-Sunday-Nov-12th-1912-Chatham-Islands-Series- No23 Anyway, have a read of the article, you may be taken down other rabbit holes from there! lol Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Mar 21, 2024 22:13:49 GMT
Here is another Rabbit hole - 'DigitalNZ.org' website - Chatham Islands Series used as the search criteria: digitalnz.orgSome highlights: Waitangi-Chatham-Islands-Series- No1 Te-One-Chatham-Islands-Series- No3 Te-One-Chatham-Islands-Series- No4 SS-Taviuni-Shipping-Sheep-Chatham-Islands-Series- No36 All for now. I will leave for you to look into this site further. It looks very promising for your research. Dave |
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DK
Member
Posts: 1,245
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
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Post by DK on Mar 25, 2024 0:12:08 GMT
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Catweazle
Member
Posts: 62
What I collect: Chatham Islands (NZ), Molokai (US), Lord Howe Island (AU), Greenland, GB, some Australian Pre-decimals for good measure et hoc genus omne.
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Post by Catweazle on Mar 30, 2024 23:05:41 GMT
Thanks DK. You've been a remarkable help here. I especially like the photograph depicting 'carting mail along the muddy Waitangi Wharf road c. 1940s. Looks like quite the expedition! I wonder how useful that 'FRAGILE' sign on the back was.
On another note, the opening of the Chatham Islands radio station in 1913 makes for some interesting history and appeared to be a rather complicated and difficult endeavour in the first instance, especially given the "adverse weather conditions" as discussed in the story over on MaritimeRadio.org and in the opening report included below:
According to that MaritimeRadio.org, John L. Davies was the first radio superintendent in charge, but he was later replaced by Ralph S. Wheeler the following year. Below is the attendance logbook for the first three days of its operation.
Among the more unusual documents in the Canterbury Museum archives is the first message sent over this newly-established radiotelegraph. Addressed to “Florance Registrar Gisborne,” and dated 22 September 1913, it reads:
Gisborne replied promptly with, simply:
In 1916, Wheeler left the Chathams entirely for the role of radio officer in Wellington, to be replaced on 6 September 1916 by Mr WFC Whiteman. It was reported in July 1916 that weather forecasts and other scientific data continued to be transmitted to the Chatham Islands, for which a small charge was made by the Post Office, but usually the Wellington forecast sufficed for most intents and purposes.
In October 1917, Les H. Steel became radio officer and also became postmaster on 30 June 1919. Steele (right) is pictured below with Whiteman (left) in this photograph taken in December 1969 (Gisborne Photo News).
All radio officers used the call sign 'VLC' until 31 December, 1928, and they also served as postmasters until the arrival of the Sunderland flying boat service, however ships did not call with mail very frequently. I am in the slow process of studying the change from shipping to airmail services in the Chathams, but that is another story for another day...
In any case, I have since stumbled into another mystery that I'm wondering other members here might be able to clear up? As per this little piece in my collection (the other scans and photographs above are all taken from MaritimeRadio.org), it appears that this "RADIO N.Z. Chatham Islands" postmark originated on 23 March 1916. In pen next to it someone once wrote: "1st radio post-mark" and it looks to be on a piece of what was once something of an official document.
What was it for? Did they have their own date stamp at the radio telegraph office and, if so, why was it used? What do you know of it? Have you seen it before?
I can find no trace of any article about this on either Australia's Trove or New Zealand's Papers Past. Is this separate to other date stamps applied at the Waitangi or Owenga post offices?
Is it what they used before they changed over to the rare red oval cancel in 1925, or might this be a separate thing altogether?
The red oval cancel above looks of a similar design and useage to this 1951 example:
Well, that has me stumped. Was there outgoing or ingoing mail into the telegraph office that required an arrival or outgoing datestamp?
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