Untitled Document

A very special telegram delivery envelope is shown below.

By 1900, there was no telegraphic link between Australia and New Guinea and so the message had to sent by ship to Australia and then posted.

The cover was addressed to the DEPUTY POSTMASTER GENERAL at the General Post Office in Sydney.

It is endorsed in the lower left corner:

GR Le H.
Lt. GOVR BNG.

At the top, there is a mss endorsement of
BY SHIP S.S. John Williams and below that:

TELEGRAPH ENCLOSED.

The Queensland four numerals 2d blue stamp is tied by a nine bars BNG cancel of Samarai/BNG with a 26 mm cds alongside.

The reverse side has a small embossed Crown with B.N.G. (British New Guinea) on the flap which has a sharp peak and curved sides.

The security design inside has text:

on the flap -
W. T. & CO. 1011
ENGLISH BANK;
inside -
THOMSON'S PATENT (on each side).

There is a Sydney arrival backstamp of 7 April 1900.

The S.S. John Williams which was commissioned to carry the cover to Australia.

Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte succeeded MacGregor as Lieutenant-Governor of British New Guinea in 1899. He supported the concept of the "civilising influence" of missionaries. When two of the London Missionary Society missionaries were killed and eaten, Le Hunte led the party to pursue the natives responsible. About 24 of the Goaribiri were killed and their ceremonial houses were burned and their war canoes smashed. The LMS praised his "moderation" and "humanity".

In 1903, Le Hunte was appointed Governor of South Australia.