Saturday 6 January 2024

Handbook of Queensland Datestamps and Instructional Markings

This handbook is a free, detailed, illustrated, priced online catalog of colonial Queensland postage stamp date stamps (postmarks) and instructional markings. It builds on and supersedes the printed catalog Queensland Colonial Postal History: The Town Datestamps, 2nd edition by Bernard Manning, published in 2014. 

All stamp images shown are from my own collection unless stated otherwise and are not for sale.

There were six main date stamp types in use, first unframed and then framed, with a number of subtypes. A detailed listing is available here. The rarity ratings are based on relative scarcity and range from common, meaning examples are plentiful, through to 5R, where only one or two copies are known.

It covers the period 1846 (with the opening of the Drayton and Ipswich post offices) to 1913. This can be broken down into two periods:
  • 1846 - 1859/60 - the Moreton Bay period - before Queensland became a separate colony and when New South Wales stamps and date stamps were in use
  • 1859/60 to about 1913 - the colonial (Dec 1859 - 1900) and State (1901 - 1913) periods - when Queensland stamps and date stamps were in use, before being progressively replaced by Australian Kangaroo and King George V stamps from 1913 onwards

The Handbook covers over 750 Queensland post offices, and some 20,000 colour images - in date order - are included to assist with identification. Instructional markings are also listed, including Crown seals, Deficient postage, Late fee, Machine cancels, Missent, Paid, Telegraph, Too late and Unclaimed. The various railway Travelling Post Office (TPO) date stamps till 1936 are covered in detail and 140 Queensland post offices where date stamps have not yet been seen are also listed. 

The Brisbane General Post office (GPO) opened in 1830 and due to the large number of date stamps and handstamps in use there, I have created a separate blog for it here.

Use the pages (at the top on the web version, dropdown menu at the top right of the mobile version), labels or search function (web version only) to find the information you are seeking. 

A huge thank you to the members of the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group for all their help, encouragement and thousands of date stamp examples. I will continue to update this catalog as new material comes to hand. If you have any examples to add, please contact me at jeremy2929@gmail.com

I encourage you to explore my other free Queensland Philatelic blogs
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