Auction 321 - 332 Australian States & Commonwealth of Australia, St. Helena, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Swaziland, Brazil 1843 –1870 - Day 1

1848 (Dec 28): Entire letter from Foster Fyans in Geelong to Melbourne, the third page of the letter being a "sketch of the sub-Division at Lonsdale", rated '4d.' for an internal Ship Letter in manuscript, backstamped on arrival with provisional datestamp "GEELONG / JANY 1 / 1849" of despatch - in use whilst the oval Geelong datestamp was having the year slug changed at the GPO in Melbourne. Geelong's Postmaster was unusual in creating an alternative temporary datestamp during the approximately two week annual change-over period. Rare and very fine.rnrnNote: Foster Fylans (1790-1870), born in Dublin, had an extraordinary Colonial career encompassing the Peninsula Wars, the Third Anglo-Maratha War in India, Norfolk Island where he sadistically tortured rebellious prisoners, Moreton Bay, plentiful skirmishes and battles with Aborgines and the slaughter of the Otway family.rnrnProvenance: Collection Rod Perry, DF, Zurich, 23-25 May 1988, lot 10970.rn                     Prestige, Melbourne, 22 April 2006, lot 438.