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Share Your Ship Mail Cancellations On Stamps From The Australian Colonies

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Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 12/27/2025   06:10 am  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this topic Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list Get a Link to this Message
There were many different types of Ship Mail cancellations - members are invited to share their examples from their collection here.

Here is a Ship Room Mail Sydney postmark from 1899:
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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.

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United States
5097 Posts
Posted 12/27/2025   11:50 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Partime to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Well, I would like to participate in this thread, but found that I have nothing in my collection. Something to look for at the next stamp show, though.
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Pillar Of The Community
Australia
3291 Posts
Posted 12/27/2025   8:06 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bobby De La Rue to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
For Sydney NSW, I can show the following:


The inwards ship room duplex, uncommon on NSW stamps. In use from 1896 to 1903.




The outwards CD, in use from 1886. The latest date I have is 12 September 1905. These will be the easiest to find.



Later CDs, the period of use not known. I have two of each on loose stamps, and three out of the four are dated 1912, so I wouldn't be surprised if these were still in use when the Commonwealth stamps were introduced the following year. I also have the left CD on a 1911 cover.

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Edited by Bobby De La Rue - 12/27/2025 8:10 pm
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 12/27/2025   9:40 pm  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you for showing those Bobby De La Rue.
I notice that your 1901 inwards mail has bars between Ship Letter and Sydney while the White example SL14 is without them.
I have an earlier version of the inwards CDS which I will show later.

Interesting to see you have the outwards CDS from 1886 while White has it only from 1898 - do you have some earlier examples to show?

The later Ship Room CDS can definitely be found on Commonwealth issues at least until 1913 - I have a nice one I can scan later too.

Members are also warmly invited to upload images of Post Paid Ship Letter, Paid Ship Letter, Loose Ship Letter and Paquebot cancellations to this thread if they can find any in their collection.

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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
3291 Posts
Posted 12/27/2025   11:59 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bobby De La Rue to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
I have four examples of the inwards duplex, all of which show those bars.

The 1886 date for the outwards CD comes from Tamiami. The earliest I have is 1898, so now I'm suspicious!
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Australia
928 Posts
Posted 12/28/2025   02:42 am  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Bobby De La Rue, are you able to share the 1886 Tamiami reference please?

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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
3291 Posts
Posted 12/28/2025   3:21 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bobby De La Rue to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
This is his page.



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Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 12/28/2025   10:12 pm  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you for sharing that, Bobby De La Rue.

It seems very unlikely, given White's early date of 1898 and no known examples earlier than that year, that the Ship Mail Room Sydney cancellation existed before then. I would suggest that the Tamiami 1886 date is a mistake.

What document does that page come from?
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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
3291 Posts
Posted 12/28/2025   11:16 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Bobby De La Rue to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
I agree FDS, it probably should say 1896 at the earliest.
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Edited by Bobby De La Rue - 12/28/2025 11:20 pm
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 12/30/2025   12:53 am  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Single line 'Loose Ship Letter' cancellation on 1888 issue two pence emu centennial stamps.
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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 12/31/2025   8:53 pm  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Double line 'Loose Ship Letter' cancellation on 1888 issue one penny centennial 'View of Sydney' stamps.
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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 01/03/2026   04:11 am  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
This is part of a Queensland 'Loose Ship Letter' cancellation, unusually found on a New South Wales stamp.

Perhaps Stamp Community members can find a better example amongst their Queensland stamps.
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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
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United States
640 Posts
Posted 01/03/2026   10:43 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Linus to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
From my collection, a ship mail cancel from Perth:

Linus


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Pillar Of The Community
Australia
928 Posts
Posted 01/03/2026   11:06 pm  Show Profile Check fairdinkumstamps's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add fairdinkumstamps to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks Linus - the earliest Ship Mail Room type from Perth.

According to 'Western Australian Postal Markings Illustrated' ( ), your postmark is Type CDS 5-a. It has been seen with canceller numbers 1, 2 and 4.

Also known in blue, it has been recorded as used from 12th November 1897 until 21st January, 1901.
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https://www.fairdinkumstamps.com Fair Dinkum Stamps - Specialising in stamps from early Australia and the colonies, Australian philatelic literature, catalogues, stockbooks and accessories.
Pillar Of The Community
United States
640 Posts
Posted 01/04/2026   9:35 pm  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Linus to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Linus
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Valued Member
Philippines
305 Posts
Posted 01/05/2026   01:08 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add rainrainbow to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
SHIP MAIL ROOM
4P2?MR35
MELBOURNE


(partial)
SHIP SIDE
11A29MY36
SYDNEY



(partial)

MAIL ROOM
OC19
MELBOURNE


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