Australian Local Stamps

2. New South Wales: John Woods & Co. Yellow Express Carriers Ltd. Whitehead & Co

3. Tasmania: Tasmanian Parcels Express Delivery Co. Webster Rometch Ltd. Astor Motors Pty Ltd. O'May's Steamers

4. Victoria: W McCulloch & Co. Victorian Parcels Express. Melbourne Express Parcels

5. South Australia: Bradley & Co. Wm. McCulloch & Co. R Cocking. Combe, Green & Co [Trading as Globe Parcels Express]. Combe, Green & Co [Trading as McCulloch, Combe, Green & Co]. Co-Operative Carrying Co. H. Graves & Co. Parcels Express Co.

7. Victoria: Burdell & Co British & Australian Express. Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd

8. Western Australia: Coolgardie Cycle Express Company. Express Carrying Company

6d-$100.00 9d-[Black Control Numbers]$700.00 9d-$500.00 1/--$900.00 1/-[perf 12½]-$900.00 1/-[No Imprint][roul7 x perf 12½]-$1000.00 1/-['THE' missing]-$1000.00

home	Australian Local Parcel Carriers NO tramways, air mail, newspaper, pigeon, phantom, rocket, emergency, etc Also See Australian Tramway Parcel Carriers No modern labels as this could fill 100 pages
	ISSN 1836-0084 Back to Catalogue Index This is a 'work in progress' from a series of on line catalogues to help the collector and dealer alike.

	This FREE online catalogue is courtesy of Dave Elsmore This is a Catalogue only. Nothing is for sale from these pages. It is purely to help guide you to better collecting. Priced from Collectors, Dealers & Auctions. I would welcome any comments to improve the pages. -- Australian Local Parcel Carriers Section I Contents: 1. Queensland: City & Suburban Parcel Delivery. Chalks Express. Cobb & Coy 2. New South Wales: John Woods & Co. Yellow Express Carriers Ltd. Whitehead & Co 3. Tasmania: Tasmanian Parcels Express Delivery Co. Webster Rometch Ltd. Astor Motors Pty Ltd. O'May's Steamers 4. Victoria: W McCulloch & Co. Victorian Parcels Express. Melbourne Express Parcels 5. South Australia: Bradley & Co. Wm. McCulloch & Co. R Cocking. Combe, Green & Co [Trading as Globe Parcels Express]. Combe, Green & Co [Trading as McCulloch, Combe, Green & Co]. Co-Operative Carrying Co. H. Graves & Co. Parcels Express Co. 6. Western Australia: C. L. Moorehouse & Co [Crews & Moorehouse] -- Australian Local Express Post Section II Contents: 7. Victoria: Burdell & Co British & Australian Express. Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd 8. Western Australia: Coolgardie Cycle Express Company. Express Carrying Company -- Australian Local Steam & Ferry Post Section III Contents: 9. Queensland: Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd 10. Victoria: Murray River Steam Navigation Co -- Below is the odd black & white photocopy, maybe you have the original? if so please send me a scan -- Australian Local Parcel Carriers Section I 1. Queensland City & Suburban Parcel Delivery 1895 Imprint - Outridge printing Co Ltd Litho Adelaide St c1895 No Watermark Imperf Top horse and carriage pointing left 3d-$3000.00 -- 1898 Imprint - Watson & Ferguson Adelaide St 1898 No Watermark Imperf Top horse and carriage pointing right various other changes in design 3d-$1200.00 -- 1900 Imprint - Watson & Ferguson Adelaide St 1900 No Watermark Roulette 7½ 3d-$150.00 3d[perf 10x12]-$350.00 3d[perf 10]-$250.00 6d-$200.00 9d-$600.00 1/--$1200.00 -- 1913 1913 No Watermark Roulette 7 with phone numbers 211-212 4d-$700.00 9d-$900.00 -- 1940 Imprint - JO's [Jackson & O'Sullivan] Ann St 1940 No Watermark Roulette 7 9d-$1200.00 1/--$800.00 -- 1940 Imprint - JO's [Jackson & O'Sullivan] Black Control Numbers Adelaide St No Imprint 1940 No Watermark Roulette 7 6d-$100.00 9d-[Black Control Numbers]$700.00 9d-$500.00 1/--$900.00 1/-[perf 12½]-$900.00 1/-[No Imprint][roul7 x perf 12½]-$1000.00 1/-['THE' missing]-$1000.00 -- 1950 Adelaide St 1950 No Watermark Roulette 7 Full stamps Genuine Used x 10 6d-$40.00 9d-$40.00 1/--$40.00 1/-[Bi-Sect corner to corner lower section manuscript 6D. One recorded used, numbered 50?? also has.under O of NO]-$4000.00 Mint remainders are in the market place Read more on this carrier here -- BEWARE Forged surcharges are known on the last 1950 series, after full sheets of surplus were sold to a collector who was later found to have printing blocks for the surcharges and sheets partly surcharged if found place in the bin! --------------------------------------- Chalks 'Express Delivery Co' 1898-c1907 John Chalk held Mail Contract licence No1 in 1868 for the Brisbane to Breakfast Creek run Address: Wakefield's Buildings, 166 Adelaide St, Brisbane 1898 No Watermark Imperf 3d-$5000.00 Read more on this carrier here One copy reported --------------------------------------- Cobb & Co Ltd Caveat Cobb & Co nerver issued Local Carrier Parcel stamps. The Passenger Tickets listed below are NOT Parcel Carrier Stamps Company Seal 1881 The above are Passenger Tickets and NOT Local Carrier Parcel stamps. Listed here to save confusion There has been a large find of these tickets in 2012, prices below are for undamaged tickets. Damaged tickets half catalogue c1920 These Passenger tickets listed here from 3d - 3/- are for local Brisbane passengers only. No other Cobb & Co Qld route appear to have issued tickets 3d-$15.00 6d-$15.00 1/--$15.00 2/--$15.00 3/--$15.00 ---------- There is a company listing for Brisbane Parcels Express Co Ltd 1884-1892 but no stamps have surfaced to date ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. New South Wales John Woods & Co 1880 Barrack St Sydney. Imprint at base C Troedel & Co c1880 No Watermark Perf 11 9d-$2000.00 -- Yellow Express Carriers Limited 1923 Prymont Sydney c1923 No Watermark Perf x Roul Paid-$300.00 -- Whitehead & Co c1930 c1930 No Watermark Imperf 5d-$150.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Tasmania Tasmanian Parcels Express Delivery Co Advertising Flyer -- 1902 Spelling Error? PPY LTD 1902 1903 1904 1904 Although a Parcel Express service the manuscript 3d value was for letter delivery only and not a parcel Manuscript 3d Manuscript 1/- [4 prepaid booking fees] Printer: E C Treadwell, Print Wright's Lane Melbourne 1902 Butt[2 types]-$50.00ea 3d-$150.00 -- 1902 Manuscript 3d Printer: McCarron, Bird & Co 478 Collins St Melbourne 1902 Butt[2 types]-$50.00ea 3d-$150.00 6d[prepaid for New Zealand residents]-$250.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Webster Rometch Ltd 1917 Booklet tag. Huon & Channel Districts c1917 Pre printed on tag 6d-$300.00 -- 1917 Swansea, Huon & Channel Districts c1917 Perf 11½ Yellow paper. Value & town name in red or blue 6d[no stop]-$150.00 6d[roulette 9½]-$180.00 6d[red & violet same as 9d but large stop]-$150.00 9d[violet]-$200.00 9d[red]-$150.00 -- 1918 Swansea, Huon & Channel Districts 6d & 9d font change c1918 Perf 11½ Yellow paper. Value & town name in blue 6d-$100.00 9d-$120.00 -- 1920 c1920 Perf 11½ White paper. Various town name fonts. Value & town name in red or violet 6d-$100.00 1/--$100.00 1/3d-$180.00 -- 1920 Shades c1920 Roulette 9½ White paper. Value, town name now in black 6d-$100.00 1/--$100.00 1/3d-$180.00 -- Webster Rometch Ltd Astor Motors Pty Ltd Webster Rometch amalgamated with Astor Motors Pty Ltd to become 'Webster Rometch Astor Motors Pty Ltd' incorporated on 7 Oct 1932. Huon & Channel District Services continued with Swansea and East Coast district removed. As Swansea was deleted from the run only a 6d value was needed 1932-1946 c1933 Pre printed on tag 6d-$300.00 Overprinted 'Astor Motors Pty Ltd' c1933 Roulette 9½, 11 or compound White or yellow paper. Value, town name Blue or red 6d-$100.00 1/--$120.00 -- O'May's Steamers Left Parcels Ticket [Cloakroom] Run by Messrs O'May Brothers North Hobart to Bellerive Two part ticket. Left side 82mm x 46mm. 154mm total. Left side afixed to parcel right side retained by sender this part could be posted to the recipient of the parcel for collection. c1905 Perf 11 black on dull pink paper. 56lbs - 1d per 24 hours. 1d-$100.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Victoria McCulloch & Co 1880 c1880 Gummed advertising label-$1200.00ea -- 1880 19 Queen St c1880 Prepaid-$450.00ea -- 1880 123-125 Collins St c1880 Prepaid-$450.00 -- 1880 Registered A c1880 Registered A 6d-$1100.00 -- 1880 Registered B c1880 Registered B 6d-$900.00 -- 1880 Registered C c1880 Registered C 6d-$900.00 -- 1880 Registered D c1880 Registered D 6d-$1200.00 -- 1881 Promotional envelope? [unseen in private hands] Manuscript 'Registered' Vertical 'REGISTERED.' lower left c1881 Registered 6d[Manuscript Registered]-$2500.00 6d[Registered]-$1300.00 It is unclear if this was an additional 6d for registration of a parcel -- 1890 Registered C New design c1890 Registered C 6d-$900.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victorian Parcels Express 1902 Although a Parcel Express service a manuscript 3d value denotes 'letter delivery only' and not delivery of a parcel Printer: E C Treadwell, Print Wright's Lane Melbourne 1903 1902 Butt-$50.00ea Nil value prepaid[3d]-$150.00 ---------- The Melbourne Express Parcels Co Ltd 1954c Printer: unknown 1954c 6d-$450.00 ---------- There is a company listing for "Reynolds and English for freight" 1865 but no stamps have surfaced to date. There is a company listing for "John Cockburn Supercargo" 1865 [Cockburn owned shares in the Murray River Steam Navigation Co. 1860's] but no stamps have surfaced to date. ---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. South Australia W. Bradley & Co Railway & General Carriers 28th October 1880 Late of Graves & Bradley 1880 'J. R. Cocking' in red after the c1885 takeover 1880 [From 28th October 1880] 6d-$7500.00 [One recorded] Notes: William Bradley left England for Australia arriving in Sydney in 1848, 10 months later making his way to South Australia. Two years later he went to Victoria and was successful in diggings. In 1853 he started in business as a carrier on the Port-Road and was first to introduce wagons on the road for carrying purposes. For a number of years he conducted the businesses alone, and then he entered into partnership with M. Treleaven. Later known as Bradley, Treleaven & Co. The firm later joined Messes. Hill, Mills & Co and out of that came the 'South Australian Carrying Company'. Later Graves & Bradley and finally from 28th October 1880 W. Bradley & Co Railway & General Carriers, Adelaide & Port Adelaide. Retiring in 1882 W Bradley died 1912 leaving one son William Bradley jnr. Stamp News 'Revenue Review' Feb 09; William Bradley, Carrier is listed in the 1872 directory at West St Brompton. The 1882 & 1884 directory lists the company as Bradley & Co at 26 Currie St Adelaide. The 1885 directory shows the company at the corner of Grenfell St Lipson St Post Adelaide. The company is not listed in the 1886 directory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- W McCulloch & Co. [South Australian Office from April 1881] 1881 Small SIXPENCE 1881 Perf 12 No Driver 6d-$1500.00 -- 1890 Larger SIXPENCE. Grass appears mowed under horse and between wheels c1890 Perf 12 No Driver 6d-$1100.00 Address: Currie St till 1899 then Topham St ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J. R. Cocking 1886 Address: 66 Currie St c1886 Perf 12 Red 6d-$2500.00 -- 1894 Address: 37 Currie St c1894 Perf 12 6d-$1000.00 -- 1897 Address: 37 Currie St c1897 Perf 12 4d-$1000.00 6d-$1000.00 -- 1930 Address: 34 Waymouth St c1930 Coupon-$50.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combe, Green & Co. Trading as Globe Parcels Express McCulloch manager M Combe goes it alone setting up Globe Parcels Express 1896-1899 Orange/vermillion Address: 15-19 Currie St 1896 Imperf 6d-$3500.00 -- 1897 Orange/vermillion Rose New Frame & Font Design 1897 Perf 11½ 6d-$2000.00 -- Combe, Green & Co Trading as McCulloch, Combe, Green & Co McCulloch Carrying Co. Pty Ltd sold off their carrying business to Messrs. Combe Green & Co Adelaide on 28 Feb 1899 From 28th Feb 1889 Trading as 'McCulloch Combe Green & Co' 1899 SIXPENCE small font -- SIXPENCE now larger font. Overstamped font change to lower 2 copies W. McCulloch & Co Parcel stamps were handstamped with the new company trading name 'McCulloch Combe Green & Co' 1899 Two SIXPENCE fonts found 6d-$1500.00ea ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Co-Operative Carrying Co Adelaide 1909-1913 Address: Cnr Franklin & Bentham St Adelaide c1909 Nil value-$800.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henry Graves & Co Carriers Late of Graves & Bradley H Graves & Co take over Globe Parcels Express from Combe Green & Co 1916 Address: Old Exchange Adelaide c1916 Perf 11, 11½ 6d-$1500.00 Graves & Co Carriers 1st listed in directory 1895 at 39 Currie St ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parcels Express Company 1948 Address: Cnr Pitt & Grote St 1948 Imperf? 6d-$1200.00 Adelaide Parcels Express 1st listed in directory 1902-05 at 10 Topham St, then 1919 28 Waymouth St, 1923 30 Waymouth St, 1932 Morney St, 1948 Grote St. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- City Carrying Co. Pty. Ltd 1968 26 Aug 1968 In Blue or Red. Roulette 10 3c-$75.00 -- c1972 c1972 Blue background, phone numer added. Roulette 5 3c-$75.00 -- There is a company listing for "Globe Parcels Express" 1916 39 Currie St, but no stamps have surfaced to date. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Western Australia C. L. Moorehouse & Co Trading as 'Perth & Suburban Parcels Express' Crews & Moorehouse taken over 10 May 1896 1896 Registered C 1896 Perf 12 Registered C [short lived take over 10 May 1896 - 27 May 1896] 6d-$3000.00 Crews & Moorehouse taken over by 'C. L. Moorehouse & Co. NOTE: Handstamp incorectly spells 'MOOREHOUSE' 'MOORHOUSE' On March 25 1895 Mr. F. Crews left Port Adelaide for the West, where he and Mr. L. Moorehouse opened up a carrying business. Trading as 'Perth & Suburban Parcels Express'. This venture was short lived existing only 14 months and by 10th May 1896 F. Crews was bought out and existing stamps were overprinted 'C.L. Moorehouse & Co.' C L Moorehouse being the son of L. Moorehouse. NOTE: No un-overprinted 1895 CREWS & MOOREHOUSE locals have surfaced as yet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Local Express Post Section II Contents: 6. Victoria: Burdell & Co British & Australian Express. Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd 7. Western Australia: Coolgardie Cycle Express. Express Carrying Company -- 7. Victoria Burdell & Co British & Australian Express 1854 Type II Although Howard Burdell's company was in fact registered as a parcel delivery service no evidence has come to light that the Burdell label was used on parcels Type I: S of BRITISH under left side of D in BURDELL. Broken g in Packages Type II: S of BRITISH under right side of D in BURDELL Type III Smaller capital A in Adelaide. Du and st of Dust are not aligned Type IV Comma after Ireland 1854 Imperf Nil value-$1200.00 On cover-$5000.00 -- Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd 1894 Boyd's City Express was established in New York in 1830 by John Boyd. After the government closed him down in 1883 Fitz Boyd John's grandson migrated to Australia. By 1894 Boyd was managing director of Express Messenger [city] Co Ltd The name changed 4 times: Express Messenger [Boyd's] American Dispatch. Express Messenger Dispatch and Cycle Bureau. Express Messenger and General Agency. Express Messenger Co. Stamps are recorded up to 1910 Boyd's City Express Messenger Co Ltd was a letter delivery service no evidence has come to light that the City Express Messenger Co label was ever used on parcels 2 different printings c1894-1901 & 1902-1910. Cancellation of the first issue was by tearing the corner off! [teeth perforations]. The second issue has five different cancels recorded 1894 No watermark Perf 12½ Used on piece x 3 Nil value-$250.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Western Australia Coolgardie Cycle Express Company 1895-1896 Full cancel reads: "Per COOLGARDIE CYCLE EXPRESS CO./HUNT STREET 1895 No Watermark Perf 12 Prices are for used copies, for mint copies deduct 75% 1/--$120.00 2/6d-$300.00 1/-[imperf at right]-$600.00 Plenty of mint remainders are in the market place inc full sheets Coolgardie to Lake Lefroy, delivered by bicycle as an extra fee to post office stamps which delivered to Coolgardie only -- 1896-1897 New Design Lithographed by G Vindin 1896 No Watermark Perf 12 Used copies x 2 6d-$200.00 2/--$350.00 5/--$550.00 -- 1896 Papermakers Watermark [R Turner, Chafford Mills] Perf 12 Used copies x 2 2/--$600.00 5/--$800.00 -- Express Carrying Company 1897 Usual manuscript cancel found 'H & M' 1897 No Watermark Perf 12 Prices are for cancelled or un-cancelled stamps most copies are off centre. Prices are for average condition the above copy would be a premium on the below price. Damaged copies by negotiation. Other cancels include the circular date stamps of Coolgardie & Kalgoorlie 6d-$5000.00 6d-Tete-Beche pair [a unique vertical pair exists]-$10,000.00+ There are 15+ other Cycle Express couriers recorded in WA. To this date no stamps from any of these have come to light Further reading: Reynolds, M. and Pope, B. Western Australia: A Guide to the Goldfields Locals, Western Australia Study Group, Perth 1993. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Local Steam & Ferry Post Section III Contents: 9. Queensland: Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd 10. Victoria: River Murray Steam Navigation Co 1855-1899 -- 9. Queensland Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd 1919 c1919 No Watermark Roulette 7. 3d in light blue or dark blue 1d-[only known mint-$40.00 3d-$1500.00 1d for newspapers 3d for parcels -- 1939 c1939 No Watermark Perf 12 or Roulette 11 6d-[only known mint] Roul 11-$60.00 6d-[only known mint] Perf 12-$75.00 -- 1966 1966 No Watermark Roulette 7 Printed in sheets of 12 5c-[only known mint-$12.00 Issued in books of 48 -- 1971 Recorded on cream or white paper. Two different fonts to 'C', large and small, large shown at left c1971 No Watermark Roulette 7 New Numeral Design. Printed in sheets of 8. Large 'C' for cents x 3 20c-[only known mint-$4.00 50c[1981]-[only known mint-$8.00 20c and 50c Issued in books of 40. A few remainder booklets are in collectors hands 20c for letters 50c for parcels Hayles was brought out by Magnetic Island Ferries c1984 which issued a pre paid green freight label with black wording -- 1980c No Watermark square crackback generic blue/green 'freight paid' label Nil value-[only known mint-$6.00 -- 10. Victoria River Murray Steam Navigation Co Buyer beware These stamps command a high price and buyers should be aware that it has not been established whether or not they are BOGUS. The Facts This carrier has more questions than answers. Firstly are these stamps genuine or bogus? There are no records at all to establish one or the other. Survival of stamps [remainders?] being 98% mint, with only 2 loose stamps with odd cancels, a cover bearing a 2d postage stamp and a 3d Murray label is also recorded, why it would cost 3d to forward a single intrastate letter is questionable to say the least. The 'JK M' initials tying the stamp to the cover are purported to be that of K J Mayne who was manager of the Echuca branch of W McCulloch & Co but research shows Mr Mayne never signed with his initials, he always signed ‘K J Mayne’. BUYER BEWARE. Each value appears to be struck singularly from secondary dies [each showing separate die characteristics] & poorly line perforated. The 1d is known as a die proof struck in green also the 1d does not have the value numeral in the upper corners unlike the other three in the series, the ½d is found ‘HALF PENNY’ & ‘HALF PENCE’. 1863 Top left frame week above numeral, present on all known 3d values c1863 No Watermark Rough irregular line Perf 12 [12-14][read notes above] ½d[HALF PENCE]-$200.00 ½d[HALF PENNY]-$100.00 1d-$130.00 2d-$130.00 3d-$100.00 1d-Green die proof on card [read notes above]-$400.00 3d On cover [read notes above BUYER BEWARE]-$250.00 Remainders are in the market place Recent sales: Prestige Auction 6/9/09 $4400.00 + buyers. Until this carrier can be without doubt proven, I stand by my prices above, again BUYER BEWARE. In early 2013 a large group of these inc full sheets have come onto the market. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to Catalogue Index Email Dave Elsmore: anytime! - I am happy to answer any questions you may have [if I can], I am also happy to buy your collection or single items of Locals Stamps -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © copyright 1997 on All Graphics. Dave Elsmore No part of this page may be copied used, saved in electronic form or hard printed. home