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FACE="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Victoria
FIRST STAMPS
ISSUED 5 January 1850.
CURRENCY
1850, sterling.
State of Australia
which joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Known in the 1790s to
whalers and sealing parties, and visited by Bass on his explorations in 1796
and 1798. A limited exploration in the area of Western Port and Port Phillip
was made in 1802. An early attempt to colonize followed, mainly to discourage
any French approaches, but many of the convicts who were landed escaped and the
party was withdrawn to Van Diemens Land (q.v.) in 1804.
In 1824 two explorers from New
South Wales, Hinne and Howell, reached the area overland and discovered the
vast pasturage areas in the country between Sydney and the south coast. As a
result, two parties arrived from Van Diemens Land and founded the first
permanent settlement in 1834. However, because of problems in trading with the
aboriginals and an attempt to establish independence, the Governor of New South
Wales proclaimed on 26 August 1835, that 'the Settlement (called Port Phillip)'
was 'in the Colony of New South Wales'. In 1836 the control of the new
settlement was further strengthened by another proclamation which introduced
the New South Wales Crown Land Regulations into Port Phillip. At that time
there were only about 200 settlers in the area, but there was a considerable
growth over the next few years and the population had reached 77,000 in 1851.
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Not unnaturally, the settlers
resented this remote control from Sydney and the traditional competition
between the two great cities of Sydney and Melbourne dates from this period.
Numerous petitions were sent to London to try to arrange for separate
government for Victoria. The Australian Colonies Government Act was passed in
August 1849 and the separation came into being, though it was not effected
until a further Act was passed by the New South Wales Assembly on 1 July 1851.
Self-government was finally achieved in 1855.
Postal History
The
first P0 was not opened until April 1837 when Melbourne began operation. This
was followed by Geelong and Portland. By 1850 forty-five POs were open. During
the period of control from New South Wales, only two or three of the
cancellations included the correct description of the colony. The majority
either simply used the name of the town or the words 'Port Phillip'.
When the first stamps were issued,
Victoria was still part of the colony of New South Wales and for the first few
months the stamps of both colonies appear to have been accepted as valid in the
whole area. These stamps can be recognized by individual postmarks, but after
mid-1851 these usages can be accounted for by 'arrival cancellations' on ships
to or from Sydney.
Victoria used three quite
distinctive series of numbered postmarks. The first, or 'butterfly' type, was
used in 1850-1 and allocated to the first 45 POs. In July 1851 the second
series - the 'barred oval' - was delivered and numbers are known up to 50. From
1856 a further range - the 'barred numerals' - were issued with numbers up to
87. These types were used up to 1906, and after that date new POs received only
a circular date-stamp.
Between 1858 and 1875 it was
easier for some offices in southern New South Wales to send their mail
over-land to Melbourne and thence to Britain by P & 0 steamer rather than
route letters via Sydney. For this purpose, Victorian adhesives were available
in some New South Wales POs.
Victoria joined the UPU in 1891 at
the same time as the other Australian colonies and, following the federation in
1901, continued to issue its own adhesives until 1913. |
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