Tuesday 2 January 2024

Queensland Catalog of Registered Handstamps and Labels

This is a Handbook by Dr Jeremy Hodes of the various Queensland registered hand stamps and labels used in Queensland on Chalon and Sideface postage stamps and postal history. It includes the use of the Queensland Chalon registered postage stamp as well as New South Wales registered handstamps and registered postage stamps used before Queensland came into existence and which were in use from 1850 to 1860.

A number of different registered handstamps are known.

The registered handstamp comprised two lines with the first line containing the word registered and the second line the name of the post office. This type of registered handstamp came in two different sizes, one with small type and the other with large type. As well a single line registered handstamp with the post office name omitted was used at the Calliope, St George and Yaamba post offices.

There was also an R in oval registered handstamp that was used in a number of post offices from around 1891 onwards. These are best collected on piece or cover in order to identify the post office associated with them.

A number of the larger post offices also used dedicated registered date stamps. Beginning in late 1908, registered labels began to be provided to Queensland post offices. Again, these are best collected on piece or cover. There were also printed registered envelopes, and these are very scarce, especially used.

The rarity rating is Common, for the most commonly found handstamp cancels, Scarce for those that are less common but still readily obtainable, Rare for hard to get handstamp cancels, 2R for very hard to get handstamp cancels and finally 3R where only 1 or two examples have been seen.

All covers and postcards with complete handstamp cancels and labels command a premium as do those registered cancels on piece or postage stamps that have a complete strike. Registered labels, usually only surviving on cover from this period, are also rare and desirable

TPO No. 2 S and W Railway

TPO No. 2 S and W Railway [Travelling Post Office Railway Number 2, Southern and Western Railway], running between Toowoomba and Cunnamulla, from January 1877 to 12 August 1932
  • Registered handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R
Southern and Western Railway - TPO 2 numeral 169 HERE. Southern and Western Railway - TPO 2 numeral 234 HERE. Southern and Western Railway - TPO 2 date stamps HERE

TPO No. 2 S and W Railway R registered handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Dated 3 April 1884. Seen in Abacus auction no 243 lot no 530

Friday 17 November 2023

Calliope

Calliope post office, 19 km south of Gladstone, opened on 1 March 1864
  • Single Line Framed Registered handstamp on a Sideface (42 x 8 mm) -  rated 3R
Calliope numeral 39 HERE. Calliope date stamps HERE

Single line registered Handstamp on a Sideface
Calliope single line registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R 

Sunday 13 August 2023

Coomera

Coomera post office, 16 km north west of Southport, opened in 1869 and in 1876, to avoid confusion with the nearby Coomera Township post office, changed its Coomera registered handstamp to one reading Upper Coomera
  • Registered handstamp on a Chalon - small type rated 3R
Coomera numeral 127 HERE. Coomera numeral 207 HERE. Coomera date stamps HEREUpper Coomera registered HERE. L.Coomera registered HERE

Coomera Registered Handstamp on a Chalon rated 3R. Seen on Ebay

Thursday 10 August 2023

Silverspur

Silverspur post office10 km east of Texas, opened in March 1903
  • Registered Handstamp on a Sideface - large type rated 3R
Silverspur numeral 629 HERESilverspur date stamps HERE

Silverspur Registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Dated 20 March 1904. Seen on Ebay

Thursday 13 July 2023

Lowood

Lowood post office, 8 km west of Fernvale, opened on 15 October 1888
  • Registered handstamp on a Sideface - large type rated 3R
Lowood numeral 183 HERE. Lowood date stamp HERE

Lowood Registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Dated 10 February (1901). Seen in Status Stamps auction

Lowood Registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Dated 10 October 1895. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Wednesday 12 July 2023

Caboolture

Caboolture post office, 42 km north of Brisbane, opened on 1 September 1869
  • Registered Handstamp on a Sideface - small type rated 3R
  • Registered Label in red on a Sideface rated 3R
Caboolture numeral 131 HERECaboolture date stamps HERE

Caboolture Registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R and a Registered Label in red rated 3R. Dated 14 February 1912. Seen in Status Stamps auction

Tuesday 11 July 2023

Gurrumbah

 Gurrumbah post office, 60 km west of Ravenshoe, opened in May 1906

  • Registered handstamp on a Sideface - large type rated 3R
Gurrumbah numeral 122 HERE. Gurrumbah date stamp HERE

Gurrumbah Registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Dated 4 October 1907. Seen in Status Stamps auction

Wednesday 28 June 2023

Boonmoo

Boonmoo post office, 45 km west of Atherton, opened in October 1900
  • Registered handstamp on a Sideface - large type rated 3R
Boonmoo numeral 608 HEREBoonmoo date stamp 4b HERE

Boonmoo Registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

Wednesday 21 June 2023

Tingoora

Tingoora post office, 7km south west of Wondai, opened in July 1909
  • Registered Label in red on a Sideface rated 3R
Tingoora numeral 695 HERE. Tingoora date stamps HERE

Registered Labels
Tingoora Registered Label in red rated 3R. Dated 1912. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Monday 19 June 2023

Mourilyan

Mourilyan post office, 6 km south south east of Innisfail, opened in late 1910
  • Registered Label in red on a Sideface rated 3R
Mourilyan date stamp 6 HERE

Registered Labels
Mourilyan Registered Label in red rated 3R. Dated 13 June 1912. Seen on Ebay

Monday 17 April 2023

Tewantin

Tewantin post office, 13 km east north east of Cooroy, opened on 26 September 1872
  • Registered handstamp on a Sideface - rated 3R
Tewantin numeral 168 HERE. Tewantin date stamps HERE

Tewantin registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Monday 16 January 2023

Mount Larcom

Mount Larcom post office, 30 km west of Gladstone, opened in November 1909
  • R in oval registered handstamp () on a Sideface rated 3R
  • Registered Label in red on a Sideface rated 3R
Mount Larcom numeral 701 HERE. Mount Larcom date stamp 6 HERE. Mount Larcom manuscript HERE

Mount Larcom R in oval registered handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R and a Registered Label in Red rated 3R. Dated 16 November 1912. Seen in the Queensland stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Friday 25 November 2022

Pomona

Pomona post office, 8 km north west of Cooroy, opened in 1897 as Pinbarren and was renamed Pomona on 27 April 1900
  • Registered handstamp on a Sideface - large type rated 3R
Pomona numeral 536 HERE. Pomona date stamps HERE

Pomona registered Handstamp on a Sideface rated 3R. Seen in Abacus online auction no 5 lot no 743

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Double Lined Oval Handstamps

Double lined oval handstamps were not normally used for postal purposes, but they have been seen used at some post offices, usually in connection with registered mail. It is not known why this occurred and the usage, when it did occur, is not common. They are known used from 1892 to 1909. 

The handstamp consists of two horizontal ovals, one outer and one inner, measuring approximately 30 x 20mm and 22 x 12mm respectively. Between the ovals are the words 'POST OFFICE' and the post office name around the top (However, Fortitude Valley, Mount Morgan and Rockhampton are missing the words 'POST OFFICE'), 'QUEENSLAND' round the foot, and a dot stop at each side. In the centre is the date in one line; day, month in three letters, and the year in two digits. These oval handstamps are known struck in black, blue, purple and violet ink


The Brisbane General post office has a similar handstamp; between the ovals are the words 'REGISTRATION BRANCH' around the top, 'BRISBANE' round the foot, and a dash at each side. The date line includes a code letter. This oval handstamp was probably used for internal purposes and is only very rarely found postally used


These oval handstamps are known used for these dates at the following post offices:

Brisbane in Black - 1902           
Brisbane in Blue - 1889-1904                
Cairns in Blue - 1892-98
Charters Towers in Blue - 1893
Clermont in Black
Fortitude Valley - seen by Campbell (on a postage due issue) but not by me    
Gladstone in Violet - 1896 and 1904-06
Longreach in Blue - 1900
Mackay in Black - 1894
Mackay in Blue - 1907
Maryborough in Blue - 1895
Mount Morgan in Blue - 1898-99 and 1905-09
Mount Morgan in Black - 1900-02
Mount Morgan in Purple - 1901
Rockhampton in Blue - 1903 
Rockhampton in Purple - 1906 
South Brisbane  in Blue - 1907
Thursday Island in Black - 1907
Townsville in Black - 1908
Woolloongabba in Blue - 1901-06
Woolloongabba in Purple - 1893-1903