October 1, 1949
THE AUSTRALIAN STAMP MONTHLY
725
SYDNEY'S LOCAL TRAMWAY PACKET POST STAMPS
(by P. R. Aldridge)
In the dead of night, while Sydney philatelists sleep, a little-known stamp is stealthily performing a duty that very
few collectors know about.
It is the Tramway Packet Stamp.
The purpose of this seldom seen "local" is for the carrying of urgent press matter or advertisements from suburban
newsagents, by tram, to city newspaper offices, mostly after the mail has closed.
The newsagent hands the stamped packet to the guard of a tram going in the desired direction, who, in turn, gives it
into the care of the tram-driver. Upon the tram reaching the terminus, the driver hands the packet back to the guard,
who gives it to the checker or starter, who cancels the stamp either by pen or pencil, and places it in a special letter
box for periodical collection by a representative from the newspaper office.
The stamp is often cancelled by the newsagent himself with his own rubber stamp.
The packet post is used mainly by the morning papers, whose activity is mostly in the late night or early morning,
so it will be seen that the packet stamp is usually a night worker.
The newspaper offices have placed these special pick-up boxes at the main city tram termini, while a further box
has been located at the Wynyard bus terminus as a convenience to bus drivers who are also authorised to carry
packets bearing this stamp and addressed to certain newspapers.
The whole system is an arrangement between the Tramways and newspaper offices only.
The stamp, which, not unlike the N.S.W. Government Railways stamp, is sold by the Transport Department in
sheets of 60 (6 x 10), without imprint, to the newspaper office, which distributes it to its newsagents.
Printed by the Government Railways Printer, the stamp bears the inscription "New South Wales Government
Tramways—Packet Stamp." It is on watermarked paper, N.S.W. over R., and is of one denomination only—4d. (for
any distance covered). Recently, the fares of Sydney's transport were increased generally, so these stamps were
overprinted 6d. (in red), provisionally until a new die is made.
The stamp, on white gummed and perforated paper, is coloured blue for a background with white letters, and is
surrounded by a black border. The words "Packet Stamp" are in black in a scroll at the base of the stamp. The size
is 1.5 in. x 1.5 in., and it is comb-perforated at 11.75 x 11.75.
The pale blue background varies in colour, while I have examples of both upright and inverted watermarks.
[Editor's Note: Mr. Aldridge is anxious to know of similar stamps in use in other States and will exchange the
N.S.W. type for others. His address is 56 Shirley-road, Wollstonecroft. N.S.W.]
From Rod222's collection.....
Posted 10/13/2011 9:42 pm
