Prohibited

Dead Letter Office Page 

In January 1908 the Postmaster General of Australia prohibited the transmission of postcards embellished with tinsel or beading after it was found that the tinsel dust came off the cards as they were processed in post offices and was inhaled into the lungs of postal employees. An article in March 1908 noted that even after they were prohibited, 100 to 200 of these postcards were still turning up everyday in Queensland. As most did not have return addresses, they were destroyed at the local post office. Only those with return addresses were sent to the Dead letter Office in Brisbane where the 'PROHIBITED' handstamp was added. In 1908 the Dead Letter Office handled and returned 188 prohibited items.

The Advertiser 20 January 1908 p. 4; Darling Downs Gazette 9 March 1908, p. 5; Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser, 15 August 1908, p. 3

'PROHIBITED' handstamp applied at the Brisbane Dead Letter Office to postcards containing tinsel. The one-line handstamp is 37.5 x 5 mm and was applied in mauve / rosine before the post card was returned to the sender. Dates range from September 1909 to February 1910. Rated 3R


Prohibited handstamp

Prohibited handstamp dated 17 February 1910 to Bundaberg. Rated 3R. Seen at Abacus auction no 110 lot no 736

Prohibited handstamp dated 4 December 1909 to Brisbane and posted at Maryborough. Rated 3R. Seen at Prestige Philately auction no 139 lot no 365

Prohibited handstamp dated 8 September 1909 to Woodford and posted at South Brisbane. Rated 3R. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 202


Prohibited handstamp dated 13 October 1909 to Brisbane and posted at Toogoolawah. Rated 3R. Seen in Campbell p. 135

An example that was sent on 25 December 1907, just weeks before the prohibition was announced and implemented

 

An example that was sent on 23 December 1907, also just weeks before the prohibition was announced and implemented

An example that was sent on 10 July 1908 and not detected!

  

An example that was sent on 29 December 1909 and not detected! 

An article in Philately from Australia, June 1966, pp. 44-5 by Dr John Clemente discusses this further