Ausralia Kangaroo Cover 1931, Airmail Or Not?

Bought few covers, but this one I don't know if it went by airmail or only ship, since the cancel says ship mail room.

Yep, that is confusing isn't it? Is there a cancel on the back?


Peter

Nope, no marks of any kind on the back.

Mailed aboard ship? Sent by ship to Adelaide Perth?

Guess:

To Europe, Via Adelaide to Perth Flight (Sixpence =6d)
Mail from Sydney / Melbourne could be railed to Adelaide, thence flown to Perth
to catch up with the UK Steamer.
(Mail fro Sydney could catch up, up to 2 days later, via this method)

6d appears correct rate.

Caveat: I am not any authority on Oz mail routes.


Here we go............

Apologies: Unable to identify Author. All I have is "New Zealand Stamp Images" at bottom of piece.

http://www.nzstamps.org.uk/air/external/perth.html

Thank you Rod222.
So I guess it was posted in Melbourne, on board a ship directed to Adelaide. From there by airplane to Perth, and on board a ship again to Europe.

You're welcome.
Not quite correct.....Posted in Melbourne, then by rail to Adelaide, not ship.
The rest OK.

What I would like to do, is find the aircraft that was doing the flights, an ageing memory suggests I have seen an image, cannot recall what make.

No matter, your little cover holds a fascinating journey.

The sender, Alfred Lawrence and Co, made food colouring and essences.....

Summary
Black and white photograph featuring a view of John Delaney attending a boiler at Alfred Lawrence and Co. factory in Bruce Street Kensington, circa 1950. The Alfred Lawrence and Co. factory made food essences and food colourings, including 'Blue Ark essence'. The factory was located near Macaulay Station, in Kensington, an inner western suburb of Melbourne.

http://collections.museumvictoria.c...tems/1689628

Hint:
You're thread title reads "AUSRALIA"

First east West Air mail June 1929 (The one with the red corner)

http://www.robinlinke.com.au/category/59


See the aircraft your letter travelled on here..........
DH66 De Havilland Hercules
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Ha...and_Hercules

Snap!

From the Old Oak Chest ...



From memory - and it's perfectly possible it's faulty - the 'SHIP MAIL ROOM - MELBOURNE' CDS was later applied to airmail items as well. It had nothing, necessarily, to do with shipping.

Snap! indeed.

Hi Tony,
I'll stand corrected, but I think "Ship Mail Room, Melbourne or "Ship Room" Sydney
was for all overseas mail.

It was then sorted depending on destination.

Guess:
Ship room (Perth), etc, may also include state ships, that plied the coastal ports.
eg Perth addressed to Melb / Syd.

Well, Rod, the memory for Australian matters may be broken down by fags, grog and delving among the Indian States, but as I recall it, the SHIP MAIL ROOM cds for Melbourne at least was used for any airmail letters, once airmail became common. The same CDS in Sydney (and elsewhere, for that matter) was used differently.

Of course, when my cover was used, Tasmania was still part of Australia, unless you're going to insist that it was 'overseas', which it was, of course.

Agree, Tony,
"Ship Mail Room" took all overseas mail for processing, which included Airmail when it arrived.

Sorry, my response post was meant to agree, as I understood it.

Hence the original poster's cover, hit the ship mail room, shoved in a bag for Adelaide rail transit. (I wonder how it got to Parafield Aerodrome ~ 18 km)
The more knowledgeable may be able to explain the lack of backstamps, or, perhaps it went in a bag / satchel for Europe, with out requirement for further processing / attention.




Ah, see your point, what I am imagining, is mail that was pigeon holed for special handling, in the Ship Mail Room. Possibly a special Satchel for a Tasmanian Vessel.

I have a Ship mail room cover, (window envelope) from 1965, so alas I have no idea where it was going.

Thanks Tony and Rod, All your inputs were very interesting.

You are welcome, see how we learn also, by answering.

For the record,
"Ship Mail Room" 1963
(This is why "tagging" was introduced)
The cover went through the canceller upside down at 3am, it was noticed, and 15 minutes later hit with the manual CDS cancelling hammer.

Totally Interesting!